Scene 5 - Melmetal


Clint observed Ferrothorn, who was slowly walking back to his side of the field. He considered his options. He actually had many counters for Steel-type Pokémon, but he wasn't sure if that was all that Gordon would be using. He had to be careful with his next few moves, even if it meant using a Pokémon who would be highly underestimated.

Clint pulled a Poké Ball from his jacket and then tossed it forward. A small light brown Pokémon appeared before striking a position mimicking judo masters.

Gordon raised his eyebrow. "A Tyrogue?"

"Don't underestimate him!" Clint warned.

"I don't underestimate anything," Gordon responded as the mountain started to shake.

Suddenly, the stones from the beginning of the battle ripped up from the ground and then pointed at Tyrogue. They shot downward and exploded on contact, making the baby Pokémon screech.

"He's been planning ahead," Clint muttered. "Tyrogue, use Bulk Up!"

Chakra surged from Tyrogue's body, blasting away the smoke that surrounded him. His body had almost doubled in mass as he powered up to fight Ferrothorn.

"Leech Seed!" Gordon commanded.

"Tyrogue, use Rapid Spin!" Clint shouted desperately.

Ferrothorn started to shake, releasing more of the green energy into the air. It fell towards Tyrogue, but the Fighting-type was more than ready. He started to spin, making the rocks around him stir. The rocks collided with the green energy, and they canceled each out, turning to smoke.

Gordon folded his arms. "Interesting. So you knew that Rapid Spin could get rid of not only Leech Seed but also Stealth Rock? You're pretty smart, Clint."

Clint rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah! I knew that!" He didn't. "Tyrogue, use Mach Punch!"

Before Gordon could even think about giving another command, Tyrogue suddenly appeared in front of Ferrothorn. He lunged and punched the Steel-type Pokémon directly between the eyes. Ferrothorn stumbled back slightly, stunned by Tyrogue's strength.

"And Mega Kick!" Clint shouted.

Tyrogue took a step back and charged energy into his leg. He shot forward like a bolt of lightning, kicking Ferrothorn as hard as he could, ripping the Steel-type from the ground and into the air. Ferrothorn then crashed back down in front of Gordon, who instantly knew that his Pokémon was done for.

Gordon withdrew Ferrothorn without hesitation and then selected his next Poké Ball. He tossed it forward, his body stiff. A new Pokémon appeared, just as mysterious as Ferrothorn. This one was a Bug-type covered in what looked like knight's armor. It balanced itself on a red horn and wielded two javelins. It pointed one of the javelins at Tyrogue, ready to do damage.

"The Pokémon from Unova are odd," Clint said.

Gordon grinned. "Maybe my Escavalier is odd, but he's honorable and strong. He'll cut down your remaining Pokémon with ease."

Clint watched it keep its balance. He could tell that it was going to have a hard time moving around, and if there was any advantage that he would have, it'd be to use Tyrogue's speed.

"Use Mach Punch!" he commanded.

"Iron Defense, Escavalier!" Gordon shouted.

Tyrogue shot down the field and quickly lunged, connected directly with Escavalier's chest, but it didn't do very much, as the Steel-type had managed to start preparing his defense. Tyrogue tried to push Escavalier and push him back, but he wouldn't budge.

"X-Scissor!" Gordon ordered.

Escavalier crossed his javelins, but instead of blasting dark green energy outward and sending Tyrogue back, he instead pulled the Fighting-type in for a painful embrace. Tyrogue screeched and then slightly eased up, allowing for Gordon to make his next command.

"Iron Head!"

Without hesitation, Escavalier rocked forward, bashing his helmet into Tyrogue. He loosened his hug, and the Fighting-type tumbled backward. It looked as though he could collapse at any moment, but he was filled with a sudden fighting spirit. He screeched and then stomped, letting Escavalier know that he wasn't finished yet.

"Put all of your power into it! Use Mega Kick!" Clint yelled at the top of his lungs, feeling the energy from his Pokémon.

"Tyrogue!" he shouted. He jumped into the air and stuck his leg out.

"X-Scissor once more!"

Escavalier crossed his javelins and then slashed outward. The two Pokémon clashed, and they held on momentarily, waiting for one to win the battle of power. Escavalier momentarily lost balance and slightly tumbled to the side. But it was only a brief moment of weakness, and Tyrogue wasn't fast enough to capitalize. Escavalier, with his natural superior strength, sent Tyrogue into the air.

"Rapid Spin! Use that falling energy!" Clint directed, noticing that his Pokémon hadn't taken any direct damage.

Upon falling back down, Tyrogue started to spin. He was much faster than Escavalier had anticipated, and he hit the Bug-type directly, getting multiple strikes in succession.

"Look for your chance and use Iron Head!" Gordon ordered sternly.

Escavalier withstood the attack and then looked for an opportunity. He waited for one of Tyrogue's fists to hit him before he lunged, headbutting Tyrogue directly in the mouth. Tyrogue stopped spinning, and he fell to the ground, his body limp.

"You did great," Clint said while withdrawing Tyrogue within the red light. "We'll win this! I know we will!" He looked at Melmetal. If he could get the chance to battle the mythical Pokémon, he knew it'd be difficult. But its lack of experience with Gordon meant that he still had an advantage of sorts.

"You're an excellent trainer, Clint," Gordon said. "Had your history been different, I think that you would have made a great gym leader."

Clint smiled. "I'm proud of my history and wouldn't change a thing! Furret, you're up!"

Furret appeared from the ball and shook his body. He looked at Escavalier and then lowered his head slightly.

"Use Drill Run!" Gordon commanded.

Escavalier put his javelins together and then dove at the ground. He started to spin, ripping up the earth below him.

"Substitute!" Clint shouted.

In an instant, Furret exploded into smoke, cloaking the battlefield. Escavalier crashed into where he once was, but when the smoke cleared, it revealed that there was a medium-sized wooden doll in Furret's place.

"Such an old strategy," Gordon mumbled.

"Flamethrower!"

The piece of wood turned to smoke, and Furret exploded from the top. He opened his mouth and sent flames toward the ground, engulfing Escavalier completely. When the flames died down, Escavalier lost his balance, falling flat on his side.

Gordon nodded and then lifted his Poké Ball. "Return." Escavalier was absorbed by the light, and then Gordon gave a signal to the newly evolved Melmetal. The mythical Pokémon was overjoyed. He ran onto the battlefield, making loud thumping noises with each step.

"We can still do this!" Clint exclaimed. "Furret is my most trusted Pokémon! We'll win!"

Gordon stretched his neck slightly and then grinned. "Well, I'm not sure what you can do, Melmetal, but we'll figure something out. Attack!"

Melmetal didn't need to be told twice. He lifted one of his large arms, and it became engulfed in electric energy. He jumped into the air and swung dramatically, although Furret's substitute wasn't going to move.

Okay, so Thundershock became Thunder Punch, Gordon thought.

Furret's substitution exploded into smoke once more, and from the sound of the pop, it had been broken. Furret flew from the top of the smoke, curled into a ball.

"That's right, Defense Curl! And now Flamethrower!" Clint directed.

Furret uncurled and then winked before blasting more flames downward. The flames engulfed Melmetal, but the mythical Pokémon didn't appear bothered.

"Do you have a long-ranged attack?" Gordon asked.

Melmetal put its two arms together and formed a ball of silver light. It took aim and then looked up at the Normal-type Pokémon before shooting the ball off like a cannon. The energy was weak under Furret's flames, but it eventually reached him, knocking him out of the sky.

And Flash Cannon, Gordon thought.

Furret landed on the ground, now breathing heavily. He looked up at Melmetal, who didn't appear tired at all, even though he took a Fire-type attack directly.

"Melmetal, attack!" Gordon ordered.

Melmetal lifted one of its arms, revealing a sheen of silver light. It then swung around, stretching its body out.

What is that? Gordon wondered.

"Dodge, Furret!" Clint directed.

Furret quickly jumped into the air, narrowly avoiding the strike. But, before Clint could give a follow-up command, Melmetal swung around its other arm, getting a direct blow to the entirety of Furret's body. The Normal-type slid against the ground, unable to find footing. When he finally stopped, he stood back up, now extremely wobbly.

"We're not going down without a fight!" Clint exclaimed. "Furret, use Headbutt!"

Gordon nodded. "We'll call that last technique Double Iron Bash. Melmetal, use Double Iron Bash once more!"

"Mel-metal!" the mythical Pokémon exclaimed while preparing to swing around its limbs wildly once again.

Furret charged through the battlefield, his head lowered. He weaved through Melmetal's attack with ease and then leaped into the air and bashed himself against the mythical Pokémon's midsection.

"Thunder Punch!" Gordon commanded.

Now up close, there was nowhere for Furret to escape to. Melmetal retracted its arm and then raised it into the air, making it spark with electricity. Before either Clint or Furret could do anything, the Steel-type swung, landing a devastating blow to the Normal-type. Furret flew backward and hit the ground, unconscious.

"That's that," Clint muttered before running to his Pokémon. He knelt and quickly picked him up, putting him over his shoulder and patting his back. "You did your best even against a mythical Pokémon."

"Good job, Melmetal," Gordon said. "It was fun to battle with you like this."

Gordon looked at Clint consoling his Pokémon. Reached into his pocket and then walked over to the two.

"Thanks for the battle, Gordon! It'll make quite the story!"

Gordon stuck out his hand. "Good battle, Clint. You're more skilled than you look."

Clint wasn't sure how to take what was said. It sounded like a backhanded comment, but because Gordon was asking to shake hands, he felt that it was overall a good thing. He grabbed Gordon's hand, and they shook. When he pulled away, he looked at his palm, finding a silver rectangular badge with a red stripe in the middle.

"I'm a former gym leader in Unova. This is the Mercury Badge. You may not have beaten me today, but you've earned my respect, and because of that, you've earned my badge," Gordon said. He smiled. "If you decide to continue your journey, I recommend Unova. It looks like you now have a small headstart."

"Thank you so much, Gordon, but I'm probably going to go back to my family."


The two were faced with going back down the mountain, but before then, they knew that they were in need of some rest. They decided to stay in the shrine overnight, even if it didn't provide very much heat.

Gordon prepared a fire, and the two set up their sleeping bags. They sat down on either side of the fire, getting as much warmth from it as they could. Rapidash sat behind Clint and warmed his back with his natural flames. He would have told him to do the same to Gordon, but the Unovan didn't seem too bothered.

"You don't seem to mind the cold," Clint said.

He shook his head. "I was the only biker from my city who still kept riding during the winter. I'm a Steel-type trainer, but I earned the nickname Beartic Boss by my biker buddies because of my tendency to ride in the snow."

"You're a tough guy."

"I'm a softy. You got kids, Clint?"

"Yeah, I have a son. He recently started his journey this year. Quite the kid. Amazing kid. How about yourself?"

"Blessed with a boy, myself," Gordon said. He scratched his greying beard. "I've never actually seen him battle or compete, but I've heard all about his stories from his aunt, and I'm so proud."

"How old is he?"

"Recently turned 14 back in March."

"Good age, eh?"

Gordon laughed. "I guess so. I wouldn't know. We haven't talked in a while. I feel like a bad father."

"Why do you say that? You don't strike me as a bad guy. And only bad guys make bad dads."

"Last time I saw my kid was before he got his first Pokémon. After that, I took off. I figured I could retire and travel again. I've had a great time, but it's cost me my time with my son." Gordon's hands shook. "I can't even bring myself to watch his battles on television. I couldn't even tell you what he looks like right now. I just have a picture from when he was barely 10."

"Your son is strong enough to get on TV? Incredible."

Gordon smiled. "My son has done more in his four years as a trainer than I ever did. He went face to face with Zekrom and saved Unova, ya know? And then I heard that he went off and helped rescue Alola's champion from some kind of space world."

"I've heard those stories in conversation, but never knew they were the same kid," Clint muttered.

"Last year in Hoenn, he was a part of the battle in Sootopolis. He broke his leg, but the kid helped save lives. I'm beyond proud of him. When I say all of this at once, it sounds like I'm making it up. But if you met my boy, even when he was young, you could tell that he was destined for something great."

"Do you know where he's at now?"

Gordon shook his head. "His aunt is frustrated with me. Refuses to give me anymore information until I promise to see him again. She was angry that I didn't go watch his battles in the Ever Grande Conference. His mother didn't go either, so not sure why she's just mad at me!"

Clint laughed. "Well, it's never too late, Gordon. All it takes is a Come give your dad a hug! or however you'd say it."

Gordon shrugged. "I don't know. This little adventure we've had has been nice. It's not every day that you meet another old man with the same sense of adventure!"

"Old man? I'm 32!"

"That's right. You're still a kid."

Clint put his hands on his belly and laughed. "That so? Mind if I ask for your last name, Gordon? I like to remember those who I come across. When I tell this story to my family, I want to be as thorough as possible! I'm sure they won't believe that I battled a mythical Pokémon though."

"My name is Stephenson. Gordon Stephenson."

Clint froze. "Stephenson?"

"Yeah."

"Your boy?"

"Hmm?"

"Is his name Logan?"

Gordon didn't respond. He closed his eyes and sat back.

"He's here in Kanto, Gordon. You have a chance to see him again! The conference is coming up, and if he's as good as you claim he is, then surely he'll be there!" he exclaimed. He paused. "That boy saved Unova."

Gordon was silent momentarily. "I don't know. What if he hates me now?"

"I don't think he has a bone in his body that can hate! And even if he did, then you should step up and make the effort to make things right!" Clint said. "I'm not the best Pokémon trainer in the world, but I'm a damn good dad, I know that much. And I know that you could be too. But, you have to make that first step. It's not unheard of for trainers to go off on their own and not see their parents for years."

"If I see him, won't that put pressure on him? I don't want to add any drama to his life, especially if he's pursuing a championship."

"Don't make excuses!"

"I don't know if it'd matter. Would he even recognize me? I've lost a lot of weight!" Gordon exclaimed.

Clint raised an eyebrow.

"I used to be a lot bigger than this!"

"Of course he'd recognize you, Gordon; you're his father!" Clint looked into the fire. "And he's such a kind boy. I met him and his little girlfriend when I first came to Kanto. They were a delight."

"Girlfriend?!"

"Well, I'm not sure if they're-"

"I don't know," Gordon interjected. "I just don't know. We should get to sleep. We have a long trek tomorrow." Gordon turned over and slowly rolled onto his sleeping bag. Clint wanted to ask him more about his adventures, but it looked like the old man wasn't willing to talk anymore.

Clint simply nodded and then slipped into his own sleeping back. He gave one last glance at Gordon, who was facing away from him before turning away and quickly drifting to sleep.


The next day, the two climbed down the mountain through the dark caves. Once again, they were attacked relentlessly by Pokémon but they had no trouble getting through in the end. They reached the bottom and exited the cave, coming onto a small cliff that overlooked Cerulean City in the distance.

Gordon looked back at Melmetal, who had followed them all the way to the bottom.

"You're not my Pokémon, but yet, you followed us all the way down here. Would you like to join me, Melmetal?"

Melmetal, while large, appeared shy. It slowly nodded and then inched its way in closer to the man.

"You're a softy," Gordon said. He lifted a white Poké Ball and then grinned. "When you're comfortable, you have a home right here, buddy."

"Where are you headed off to next?" Clint asked. "Feel free to drop by Kalos. I'll be your host."

Gordon looked at Cerulean City. "It can't hurt to stay here a little while longer. I think I'll go around by myself for a bit. I'd like to see Saffron and Celadon more. Got a friend in Celadon. It'll probably take me a couple of weeks to get there with my fat butt."

Clint wanted to smile, but he couldn't. "I hope to see you again, Gordon. Soon."

They were silent momentarily.

"If you see my boy, tell him that I'm proud of him."

Clint turned the other way and then lifted his arm to wave goodbye. He started to walk away. "I'll think about it."


AUTHOR'S NOTES:

I've been working on the ending to this for a while now, and I just never knew quite where to take it. It's difficult and maybe a bit clunky. I'll probably rework it a bit.

So, this small story is over. Gordon has his own Melmetal, and Clint is off for the Indigo Conference. With this finished, I can finally resume KiiK.

REVIEWS:

CrescentApple - "I laughed a little when the wild Meltan just ate the two coins. Liming the chemistry between the two males. Makes Clint act more kidlike and silly. And when Meltan thought for a moment Clint was going to try to capture it. And they battled already, a little surprised at that! And Gordon starts out strong! Excellent. And in getting a Peony vibe off this guy. But that's only because of the steel typing." - I'm glad that you enjoyed their chemistry! And thanks for allowing me to use Clint in this story!