Chapter 3: Vs. Brock! Onix, the Rock Snake Pokémon!

Mark and Zero made their way to Pewter City by dark. The sliver of a moon was low in the sky, and the Pokémon were growing quite tired. They decided to rest at a Pokémon Center, then head over to the Gym in the morning.

.

Zero was standing in the middle of a large meadow of flowers, and in front of him was a metropolis. He recognized it as Celadon City, and he began to run toward it. Why was he here? He forgot where he had come from and where he was going, but it didn't matter. A city was ahead. He didn't know why he wanted to get there, though. He decided not to ask questions.

It seemed that the longer he ran, the farther away the city became. He frowned in frustration. Why was it so far away? He kept running, but it didn't get any closer.

Then Zero looked down. He saw that his feet had claws and were completely made of bone. His hands were large, bony scythes, and he could feel his head was just an almost-triangular skull. He began to feel sick, and his eyesight was leaving him.

He soon knew why.

Where his eyes were supposed to be, there were only sockets.

.

Zero woke up with a start, a cold sweat beading on his forehead and his hands shaking. He couldn't breathe, and his throat was tight. A fever dream. But why was he a skeleton? More importantly, an inhuman skeleton. He subconsciously felt himself to make sure he was no longer made of solely bone, then began to calm down. He got out of bed quietly, trying not to wake Mark, then tiptoed to the bathroom to get a drink of water.

He noticed he had gone to bed with his new ring and wondered if that was what had caused the nightmare. "It couldn't have," he then whispered to himself. He was not usually one to believe in the supernatural.

When he reached the bathroom, he found that it was occupied. He sat against the wall and fiddled with the ring, waiting, watching the little R-shaped ruby glint in the light of the hall nightlights. Soon, the bathroom door opened, and out walked a tired, disgruntled Mark. He must've seen Zero out of the corner of his eye, because he jumped back, startled. Zero flinched as Mark shined a flashlight in his eyes.

"You okay?" he whispered. He lowered the flashlight.

"Yeah, are you?" Zero replied, getting up. He somehow still had that sick, queasy feeling left over from the nightmare, but he wasn't going to admit that.

"Just a dream," Mark muttered. "A bit disconcerting, but I'm fine."

"What kind of dream?"

"Well, I was back home, in Littleroot Town. But I didn't… look like myself. My family was acting weird. Then I woke up and kinda ran to the bathroom to make sure I was still me."

"I had a similar dream," Zero remarked. Something gurgled in his stomach, and he began to feel faint. He put his hand on the wall for balance. His knees gave way regardless, though.

Mark caught him as he stumbled forward. He frowned. "You sure don't look alright. Let's get you back to bed."

Zero decided not to argue. Mark took the trash can from the bathroom and had Zero hold it, just so he would have something to catch any vomit that came out. This was typical for Zero. Not so much the fever-dream thing, but sometimes his blood sugar would dip too low and he would pass out. He tried to stay hydrated, which usually combated this, but now that he was moving more, he needed larger amounts of water during the day.

Mark sat Zero down on his bed. The uncomfortable churning in Zero's stomach stopped, and his breathing returned to normal. He sighed in relief, then turned on the lamp next to his bed. Braze and Glo, who were sleeping on the floor by Zero's bed, woke up and snuggled into bed with him as he took a small paperback book out of his backpack.

"I don't think I'm going to go back to sleep," he told Mark. "Couldn't, anyway. It may be early in the morning, but once I'm awake, I can't really fall back asleep."

"Same here," Mark admitted. "Besides, it's five in the morning, anyways. I'm sure people come by this early. And leave."

"Nothing's open at this hour, though. Not even the Gym."

"I didn't think of that…"

"We could always train together. How about a quick sparring match?"

"You're on!"

The two boys sneaked downstairs, careful not to wake anybody up, and went out the back door of the Pewter City Pokémon Center. Out back was a good-sized battlefield where many people would battle each other in good weather. The sky was blood red, and the sun was rising in the distance.

"Glo, it's your turn! Show us what you can do!" Zero exclaimed, and Glo, who had been following close behind her Trainer, hopped to her side of the battlefield. For that moment, he felt just like Lt. Surge, and a wave of pride washed over him.

"Tulip! Let's go!" Mark exclaimed, releasing Tulip from her Poké Ball. "You get the first move, Zero!"

"Glo, use Tail Whip!" Zero commanded. Glo shook her tail in Tulip's face, making the Bulbasaur less wary and lowering her defense.

"Tackle, Tulip!" She snapped out of her trance and rammed Glo's side, causing the Pikachu to squeak and fall to the ground. She got up quickly, a little shaken by the sudden maneuver.

"Okay, Glo, Quick Attack!" Before Mark could make a move, Glo shot forward and headbutted Tulip, causing her to lose balance. She then began to shake, and sparks of electricity surrounded her. She was paralyzed from Glo's Static ability!

"Vine Whip!" Mark commanded, but Tulip was unable to move. Glo hit her with another Quick Attack, and she collapsed to the ground, having fainted.

Mark frowned and picked up his fainted Pokémon. "How come I can never win against you…?" he muttered.

"I'm sorry, Mark. Um… it was a good match, though, right? It was just sparring."

"Just sparring, that's funny." He paused. "Listen, Zero, if I can't win against you, how do you expect me to win against a Gym Leader? You have less experience than me as a Trainer."

"Believe it or not, Mark, I've been training all my life," Zero said softly. He and Mark then sat under a tree next to the battlefield so they could chat. "Remember what I told you back in Pallet Town, how I'm the son of a Gym Leader? I've been training to eventually take over his Gym. I've watched matches, and we've done mock battles together. I may be a new Trainer, and some of it might be beginner's luck, but I do have experience."

The two of them were silent for a moment, but then Mark spoke. "My dad is one of Hoenn's Pokémon professors, and he always pushed for me to be the best I could be. When I did the Gym Challenge there, I thought I could make it to the finals of the Pokémon League Tournament in Ever Grande, which would give me a chance to go against the Elite Four, and possibly the Champion. But… I lost. It was embarrassing, because it was my very first League battle. I almost gave up traveling altogether. So I started over. I gave my Pokémon to my dad to keep safe, and I jumped on a boat to Kanto. And that's why I'm here—to get over that loss, to bounce back, to shake it off. But I can't, Zero. Not when people like you beat me and remind me of my failure." Tears streaked his cheeks.

Zero didn't respond right away. He hadn't expected this to become a heart-to-heart. "I'm sorry, Mark," he said grimly. "But you can't give up, and you can't keep getting angry whenever you lose. It'll just cause you to beat yourself up, and low self-esteem affects your Pokémon, as well. If you feel like you can't win, they will too."

"Thanks man," Mark sighed, relaxing. Zero barely realized, but he had tensed up as well. He felt lightheaded again, but he ignored it.

"Let's head over to the Gym. It should be open by now," Zero said. He helped his friend off of the ground, and all of the Pokémon were returned to their Poké Balls. Zero then noticed Mark had an extra Poké Ball on his belt. "By the way, did you catch another Pokémon on the way here?"

"Oh yeah, I guess I didn't tell you about that. This is Honey, my Weedle. Caught her in Viridian Forest." He sent out a caterpillar-like creature, and she squeaked and rubbed up against Zero's outstretched hand.

"Aww, she's cute!" Zero said, giggling.

"Thanks," Mark replied, returning Honey to her Poké Ball. "Alright. Gym time!"

.

The Gym was open, like Zero had expected it to be now that it was later in the morning. Mark slammed open the doors and sauntered in confidently. He was ready, and a fire of passion burned deep within his dark eyes. He glanced at Zero, who was grinning, and the Gym Leader stepped down from his pedestal in the back of the Gym to greet the young men.

He was tall, with dark skin and muddy brown, spiky hair. He wasn't wearing a shirt, and Mark could see his rippling muscles underneath his skin. The only question was, did he train Rock types or Fighting types? Mark went with the former when he saw all of the Geodude and Onix ambling around.

"Hey, guys. Welcome to the Pewter City Gym," the teenaged Gym Leader said. "My name's Brock. Are you ready for a rockin' battle?"

"I sure am," Mark replied. Brock was intimidating for sure, but Mark knew he had an advantage with Tulip. He was still a little worried about the outcome, but he would use Tulip as his comeback if things looked bad.

Mark saw Zero step out from behind him and shake Brock's hand. "Good to see you again, Zero," Brock said. "You been busy?"

"Yeah," Zero responded. "My dad and I haven't gotten out of the gym much lately. How's your dad?"

"Pretty good. He and my siblings have been coming to watch more of my battles lately." He paused and took a glance at Mark, who realized he was slouching and adjusted his posture. "Who's your friend here, Zero?"

"My name's Mark," Mark responded before his friend could. "I'd like to have a battle with you, if that's alright."

"Fine with me." Brock shook Mark's hand as well, and the two made their way to the battlefield. Zero went to the stands to watch, Braze and Glo out of their Poké Balls to observe as well.

The referee stood on his platform, holding two flags at his side. "The battle between Brock of Pewter City and Mark of Littleroot Town will now begin!" he declared. "Both sides may use two Pokémon each! Trainers, send out your Pokémon!"

"Go, Geodude!" Brock shouted, releasing the buff rock from its Poké Ball. Geodude uttered a low growl and showed off its rocky muscles.

"Alright, Falcon! Time to battle!" Mark said. He threw Falcon's Poké Ball into the air, and out came the Pidgey. It cooed happily as it landed on the field. "You may be at a disadvantage Falcon, but I believe in you! You can do it!"

Brock laughed. "Using a Flying type in my Gym is kinda dumb. I hope you have a backup plan."

"Oh believe me, I do," Mark replied cockily. In reality, he didn't know if Falcon could hold on long enough for Tulip to finish off Brock's team. He decided that he had to keep up the bluff, so he kept a poker face and stuck with his choice. At least he hadn't sent out Honey. That would've been embarrassing.

"Battle begin!" the judge declared. The air in the Gym immediately became tense, thick enough to cut through with a knife. It was time to win.

"Okay Falcon, use Gust!" Mark commanded.

The Pidgey flapped its wings and flew into the air. Its wings beat faster and faster, until a tiny tornado formed in the space in front of it. Falcon then sent the twister toward the Geodude, who crossed its arms in front of its face to block the attack. The swirling air dispersed around the Geodude after hitting it. There wasn't a single scratch on the rock Pokémon.

"Geodude, use Tackle!" Brock called out. Geodude hurtled forwards toward poor Falcon. The little bird tried to dodge the attack, but was hit square in the wing. It fell to the ground, squawking in pain.

"Damn it," Mark cursed. "You okay, Falcon?"

The frail bird got up and stumbled forward, but he turned back toward his Trainer and cooed in affirmation that he was alright. Mark was relieved. "Alright then. Use Sand Attack!"

Falcon flew into the air once more, but Mark could tell it was struggling to stay up. It swooped down low and scooped a wingful of sand from the ground, then launched it into Geodude's face. The Geodude cried out as sand entered its eyes, and it flailed around pathetically as it attempted to regain its composure and eyesight. It wouldn't be able to aim its attacks as well, which was good for Mark and Falcon.

"Geodude, shake it off and use Tackle again!" Geodude, still blinded by the Sand Attack, tried to ram into Falcon again, but as Mark suspected, it had trouble hitting accurately. The attack missed Falcon this time, and the Pidgey was able to dodge it easily.

"Good job, Falcon! Use Gust again!" The Pidgey, still in the air, sent another min-tornado at Brock's Geodude. As it was still distracted by the sand, it couldn't see the Gust attack coming toward it. It was hit with the full force of the air, and it was knocked back. It fell to the ground. That had done more than Mark expected. Was that a critical hit?

It must have been, because Geodude did not get up again. "Geodude is unable to battle!" the judge declared, and Brock returned it to it's Poké Ball.

"You got lucky with that crit, Mark," Brock said. "But you won't be lucky when you face off against my next partner! Go, Onix!"

Brock's next Pokémon was a large rocky snake. It stood tall, staring down at the little Pidgey facing it. Its beady eyes peered down at the tiny bird, who was quaking in fear. Mark gulped. This wasn't going to turn out well for Falcon.

"Onix, use Rock Tomb!" Brock commanded.

This wasn't good. Rock Tomb was super effective against Pidgey. The Onix roared and hurled several rocks at Falcon. The tiny bird attempted to dodge the attack, but the rocks hit Falcon head-on. He let out a pained cry as he was knocked back. He slammed into the ground and did not get back up.

"Pidgey is unable to battle!" said the judge.

"Falcon! No!" Mark cried out. Zero stood up and rushed down to try to collect the bird from the battlefield, but Mark put out his hand.

"Wha…" Zero trailed off.

"No, Zero. I've gotta finish this. I'll take Falcon to the Pokémon Center when the battle is over."

"...Alright," Zero replied. He went back up to the bleachers to watch the remainder of the fight.

"Challenger Mark, please send out your next Pokémon!" the judge called out. Mark jumped. He had almost taken too long to call out his second Pokémon.

"Time for my trump card, Brock!" Mark taunted, flaunting Tulip's Poké Ball. He released the little Bulbasaur, and she chirped happily at her Trainer.

"A Bulbasaur!" Brock said, nodding. "So you did have a strategy up your sleeve after all!"

"You bet, Brock! Bring it on!"

"Alright then! Onix, use Tackle!'

"Vine Whip, Tulip!"

Both Pokémon ran toward each other, their attacks at the ready. The Onix was faster, however, and before Tulip could smack it with her vines, it rammed into her full-force. She yelped as she was knocked back, and she slammed into the ground hard. She got up, though, as she wasn't too badly injured. She then ran toward the Onix again, but it Tackled her once more, sending her flying again.

"This isn't good…" Mark thought aloud. "Tulip can't get a single hit in…"

"Don't give up, Mark!" Zero shouted from the stands. Mark looked up at him and saw he was smiling. "Remember what I said! Don't let your self-esteem get the best of you!"

Mark turned back toward the battlefield, and what he saw was not pretty. Tulip had fainted, her stocky little figure curled up in defeat. The Onix on the opposing side of the field roared in triumph, proud of its victory.

"Tulip!" Mark cried, rushing over to comfort his fallen partner. Tears welled up in his eyes as he cradled her in his arms.

"The battle is over! Bulbasaur is unable to continue! The winner is Brock of Pewter City!"

"I… I lost…" Mark said monotonously. "I can't believe it…"

"It was a good battle, though," Brock said, crossing over to Mark's side of the field to shake his hand again.

Mark swatted the Gym Leader's hand away. "I don't need your sympathy," he spat.

Brock understood Mark's frustration and didn't react to his apparent rudeness. "You should come back later this afternoon and try again if you're ready," he said. "Your Pidgey put up a good fight. Your Bulbasaur could use a little more training and self-confidence, though. She has a lot of potential, and it was a shame to see her defeated so easily."

"...Alright," Mark replied. "I'll be back later, and this time I'll beat your Onix."

"That's the spirit, Mark. Thanks for the battle."

"Thank you too, Brock." He motioned for Zero to come down from the bleachers, and he did after returning Braze and Glo to their Poké Balls. "Come on, Zero. Let's go to the Pokémon Center."

.

Zero and Mark, after healing Mark's Pokémon, spent the rest of the morning burning off the steam from the Gym battle by walking around town. Zero noticed a museum up ahead that he thought he would like to visit at some point. He smiled. He had always loved it when Blaine took him to museums, as it was a fun way for the two of them to bond.

He glanced at Mark, who was still fuming after his loss to Brock. "You doing okay, Mark?" Zero asked tenderly.

"No," Mark replied through gritted teeth. "I'm trying to formulate a more effective strategy for the rematch I plan on fighting this afternoon, so if you could shut the hell up for two seconds, I'd appreciate it."

"Mark… listen to me," Zero said curtly. Mark looked at him, confused at the sudden tone change. "You're strong enough to beat Brock, and so is Tulip. You just have to have more confidence in her and in yourself. You remembered what I had said too late, and that was your downfall in that battle. If you take it to heart right away and assure Tulip that she can win, then she will. Understand?"

Mark took a moment to process his friend's words, then chuckled and nodded. "Alright, bud. Thanks for the advice. I'll think on it."

"Awesome." Zero smiled. "You can do it, Mark. Just think about winning and you will."