Chapter 2: Master of the Earth
Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon
When night time rolled around, Adrian lay down on the training field and groaned from exhaustion. He'd spent the last six hours doing nothing but training his Pokemon. Diablo and Zeus both had worked hard to improve and were even more burnt out than he was. Adrian never thought that training Pokemon would be so physically demanding of himself, but he knew better now.
They'd only really focused on two things: teaching both Diablo and Zeus Iron tail and improving their speed . The best way to learn Iron tail (or so the Pokedex claimed) was by having Diablo and Zeus hit at hard boulders repeatedly with their tail. Fortunately, there were plenty of those around the training field. Diablo and Zeus had basically hit at the stones for hours until their tails began to harden and gained a metallic glint to them. They spent most of their time making the attack more powerful. It wasn't perfect, but iron tail was definitely a viable option in battle now.
They spent the rest of their training session running around the area in order to improve their speed. After all the hard work, Diablo and Zeus was noticeably stronger.
For now, Adrian and his Pokemon were sprawled out in the dirt on the training field, getting their breath back as the moon started to rise in the sky.
Adrian felt a cool breeze blow over his skin and finally sat up. He looked at Diablo and Zeus, sympathetic to their exhaustion. The young trainer pulled out their pokeballs and called to them softly. "Both of you worked really hard. I'm proud of you. Take a break now, okay? I'll get you restored at the Pokemon Center and we can go to sleep afterwards."
His Pokemon just nodded and even Zeus was too tired to complain about being put back into the pokeball. The electric type hated the device with a passion, (apparently suspended animation wasn't for everyone) but Adrian noticed that when Zeus was tired, he didn't mind it as much. He figured Zeus liked to be outside the ball when he was full of energy so he could enjoy the fresh air and run around. Sitting in a pokeball when he could be doing something exciting probably felt like a waste of time.
Adrian recalled the pair and forced himself to get up, wincing at the soreness in his legs. He trudged his way back to the Pokemon Center, too tired to be rushed.
As he walked over to the front desk, Adrian blearily wiped some of the sleepiness from his eyes. Without thinking, he ended up bumping into a person in front of him. He stepped back quickly and made to apologize. "S-sorry. I wasn't looking…"
The man turned away after a second and grunted. "Just don't do it again."
Adrian nodded and averted his gaze, embarrassed by the event. He waited while the man received six pokeballs from Nurse Joy, who smiled at him somewhat hesitantly.
"They're all ready to go. Just don't send too many injured Pokemon back to me, alright?"
The man smirked. "I make no promises. Anyone willing to challenge me knows the risks. They will have to deal with the consequences of their decision."
Joy sighed. "Well, you can't say I don't try…"
He grunted and turned around, walking past Adrian with a muttered. "Excuse me."
Adrian watched the man go and then approached Nurse Joy. She smiled at him more brightly than the man before. "Welcome back, Mr. Glaves. Are you finally finished training for today?"
"Yeah," Adrian yawned in exhaustion as he handed her his pokeballs. "I think Diablo and Zeus are too tired to train more anyways. We've almost got Iron tail down, though…just a little more."
"I think you'll have it completed by the time you get through Viridian Forest," Joy replied. She took the pokeballs and gave them to her Chansey on a tray. "With all the bug catchers running around in there, your Rockruff will have many chances to use it in battle."
The boy nodded tiredly and Joy's smile became sympathetic. "Why don't you go get something to eat in the cafeteria? I'll call you on the overhead when your Pokemon are ready".
Adrian thanked her and headed off to do just that. He was too tired to focus on anything else and didn't notice the man he'd bumped into earlier watching him curiously from a distance. _ Adrian sat down with a plate full of food and dug in. Now that he was getting some food into him, thinking was a bit easier. He decided to read about his current team's attributes while he ate, so he pulled his Pokedex out and selected the overview feature for Shinx. Adrian knew the Rockruff species information like the back of his hand, but he didn't actually know too much about Shinx's.
From what he could tell, Shinx grew fairly quickly. They were among the few "Baby" Pokemon that wouldn't normally be produced by the parents in the wild. Baby Pokemon like Pichu, Igglybuff, and Azurill rarely occurred outside of captivity unless the conditions were favourable enough to support them. The reason for that wasn't well known, but researchers speculated that it was an adaptation to give the offspring a better chance of survival. Only the strongest and healthiest of their adult forms would produce Baby Pokemon because they were the best of the species.
Scientists had wondered then, why would the strongest adults of a species produce the incredibly rare, but weak Baby Pokemon at all? The reason actually turned out to be, of all things, power. Baby Pokemon seemed to have greater potential overall than those of their species that did not go through the extra evolutionary stage. Moreover, some of them had the capability of learning extremely rare moves only while they were in that stage, though they did have to evolve to utilize said moves' full power.
Adrian wanted to give Zeus the opportunity to learn what was arguably one of the most powerful electric type moves out there: Wild Charge. The technique was well known to the Shinx line and considered the signature of an expertly-trained Luxio or Luxray. Even in the hands of a Shinx, Wild Charge was ridiculously strong. Adrian had never actually seen the move before, but it was rumoured that Lt. Surge of Vermillion City had a Raichu capable of using the powerful electric attack.
He would find out one day, when he faced Surge in the Vermillion Gym.
Adrian decided that Wild Charge would take priority for Zeus. From what he could tell by reading about it, the move followed his plan for training Zeus anyways- it required a large amount of power and speed to utilize it. Adrian intended to work on the electric Pokémon's power and speed anyways, so the training would work out nicely. That was the theory, at least.
If he didn't teach Zeus Wild Charge, he supposed that the move Volt Tackle could take its place. But Volt Tackle and Wild Charge were in fact very different, despite their similarities. Both moves required the user to charge a cloak of electricity around their bodies, then recklessly ram into the target. There was a major difference, though- Volt Tackle required a much higher speed to pull off. Wild Charge used sheer power to attack. It didn't have to be fast. Like Take Down, it just needed blunt force to be effective.
But Wild Charge was far more devastating because it forced the user to charge far more electricity and rush at blinding speed, essentially turning them into a lightning missile. The resulting impact was far more precise and made the recoil damage greater, but the payoff would be worth it. In addition, the more focused Wild Charge offered a chance to paralyze the target. Volt Tackle was incapable to doing so simply because while the electricity was denser it was spread too thin. It was essentially just Take Down with electric attributes. Wild Charge required densely concentrated electricity to be successful, making it a true electric type move.
Adrian wanted Zeus to learn Wild Charge. Not only would it be an incredibly potent weapon once the little Pokémon evolved, but it would allow Zeus to truly reach his full potential.
He finally finished reading up all he could on Wild Charge and found that all the research had tired out his brain along with his body. Setting his Pokedex aside, Adrian made to take another bite of his dinner. Before he could though, he heard the sound of heavy boots step near.
"Excuse me, young man."
Adrian looked up and managed not to gulp at the sight of the same trainer he had bumped into earlier. He was an imposing figure- dark and tall, with a hard look on his face.
"Can I help you, sir?" Adrian asked, trying not to stutter.
The man cracked a slight smirk and glanced at the chair across from the boy. "Do you mind if I join you?"
"Oh, um, not at all," Adrian hurriedly gestured to the seat. "Be my guest."
"Thank you," the man replied. He sat down and settled into the chair, leaning back to relax a bit.
An awkward silence took over the table as the man's dark eyes trained onto Adrian and studied him intensely. Adrian had no idea how to react and thought about saying something, but the expression on the older trainer's face made him think better of it.
Minutes must have passed before the man finally broke the uncomfortable silence. "I should introduce myself. My name is Giovanni."
Adrian's eyes widened. "Giovanni? Wait- the Gym Leader, Giovanni? The ground type Master, Giovanni?"
"The very same," Giovanni seemed amused by the boy's surprise. "You seem to be a new trainer, are you not?"
"Y-yes, I am," Adrian replied shakily. "I started my journey the day before yesterday- oh! Sorry, my name's Adrian. I'm from Pallet Town."
"Adrian. It's a good name," the Gym Leader said thoughtfully. He noticed Adrian looked confused and continued. "I would assume you're going to Pewter City to challenge Brock, then?"
The boy nodded. "Yes, sir. But…I think it's going to be difficult for my Pokemon."
"How so?"
"Well, my starter Pokemon was Rockruff," Adrian began. "He's strong and I'm teaching him and Shinx Iron Tail to fight Pewter Gym's rock types, but I don't think it'll be enough. Plus I've also got my Shinx who I'm going to try and teach Wild Charge to, but he probably won't be able to fight at all against Brock's Pokemon. And there aren't any Pokemon around Viridian or Pewter City that really have a fighting chance against them, either. The bugs in Viridian Forest would get squashed by rock types."
Giovanni smirked. "An accurate assessment, particularly in regards to the bug types. I'm impressed. You're rather mature for your age, aren't you? Thinking things through rather than simply rushing into a battle half-prepared and hoping for the best is a wise decision."
Adrian wasn't really sure how to reply to that, but Giovanni kept talking. "You are correct in your analysis- your team clearly stands at a disadvantage against rock types. Even if Rockruff and Shinx perfected Iron Tail at their current stage in training, it would not be enough to conquer Brock. His Geodude would likely fall to your Pokemon, but he uses an Onix as well."
That made Adrian gulp. Onix were gargantuan rock types with hard stone armour covering their entire bodies. Even though they had plenty of weaknesses, a well-trained Onix handled by an experienced trainer like a Gym Leader was a threat to be feared.
Giovanni was right. Rockruff or Shinx might be able to beat something as small as a Geodude with Iron Tail, but an Onix was entirely out of the question. He would probably just annoy the behemoth before getting crushed in the rock serpent's stone coils.
Adrian deflated once he realized that. "I guess I'll just have to pass up Brock and go to Cerulean City for my first badge, then. Shinx will probably evolve by then and I could catch a water type to beat Brock when I go back to Pewter City."
"That is a reasonable plan," Giovanni agreed. He was quiet for a bit, then spoke again. "Although…"
Before he could say another word, the overhead speakers beeped and Nurse Joy's voice echoed throughout the Pokemon Center. "Adrian Glaves, your Pokemon are waiting for you at the front desk."
Adrian stood up and excused himself politely. "Sorry, I have to go get my Pokemon."
"It's quite alright," Giovanni replied. "It is about time I headed back to the gym."
The boy nodded and walked to the front desk to retrieve his healed team. Giovanni quietly followed. _
"Thanks a lot, Nurse Joy," Adrian said gratefully as he released Zeus from his confines. He knew the electric pokemon would be annoyed with being in the pokeball before too long. Zeus shook himself once he was released and immediately hopped into his trainer's arms, smiling cheerily.
Joy smiled at him. "You're welcome, Adrian. They should be good to go for the trek through Viridian Forest, as well. Just make sure you're stocked on Antidotes and Potions. Poison is a constant problem because of all the bug Pokemon."
He nodded. "I'll remember that. By the way, I was wondering-"
Suddenly the lights cut out and Adrian's question died in his throat. He and Joy both looked around, confused. The boy frowned. "A power outage?"
"That doesn't make sense," Joy replied, pointing towards the glass doors of the Pokemon Center. "The lights for the rest of the city are still active. But our generator wouldn't just cut like this unless someone turned it off…"
The Nurse suddenly paled and whipped around towards the back of the building, where the Pokemon storage was. "It's those thieves again! They cut the power to get past the electronic lock!"
Before Adrian could react, the glass doors at the front shattered. He spun around with wide eyes to find three figures standing in the rubble. It was a man, a woman, and a small, feline Pokemon he recognized as a Meowth. The two people wore white uniforms with a large red "R" on the front of their shirts. Adrian realized it was the symbol for Team Rocket.
Joy's eyes narrowed. "You three are awfully bold breaking in here while I'm still on duty!"
"Oh, please," the woman drawled. "You and that pink egg are about as threatening as an angry Caterpie. You're taught to heal, not fight."
Her male partner smirked. "Now, hand over the Pokemon in the storage room and no one has to get hurt. Little boy, you will be handing yours over as well. It wouldn't do for you to interfere with our work."
Adrian glared at them furiously. "I refuse."
"Huh, the twerp's got some backbone," the Meowth sneered. "I think he needs a lesson in pain."
Normally, Adrian would have been utterly surprised that a Pokemon had spoken like a human, but he had more important things on his mind. He grabbed Diablo's pokeball and released the rock type, then glanced down at Zeus. "Get in there, buddy. We'll fight them off."
Zeus leapt down from his arms and landed beside Diablo, his entire body sparking. Diablo glared at the thieves and swished his fluffy tail aggressively as a hiss built up in his throat.
"Oh? A Rockruff and a Shinx they are quite rare Pokemon," the man mused. "Now we'll definitely have to take them. Shall we?"
The woman nodded and released an average Ekans. The serpent hissed and eyed its prey with pale yellow orbs. It didn't look evil, but it was obviously ready to fight. The Koffing which was sent out beside it looked the same way.
Adrian looked at his opponents and ran everything he knew about them through his head. Unfortunately, it wasn't much. Ekans and Koffing were both poison types. Alone, they weren't especially powerful, but in numbers they could be dangerous. Ekans was fast and used bites in order to attack. Koffing could smash its tough body into foes and expelled a stinking toxic gas. It also had the ability to use Self-destruct, but only once it was well trained. Adrian didn't think this Koffing looked strong enough for that, but he didn't really want to risk that either.
He muttered lowly to Diablo and Zeus. "Keep your distance and feel them out with Rock Throw and Thundershock. Diablo, you're the attacking force here. If they get close, hit them with Tackle or Iron Tail. Zeus, run around them and keep jolting those two. Try and paralyze them."
His Pokemon nodded and tensed as Ekans and Koffing began to approach. The woman, who apparently was the leader of the group, shouted at Adrian. "Last chance, kid! Obey your elders like a good little boy and hand over your Pokemon, or you will regret it!"
Ignoring her, Adrian initiated the fight. "Attack!"
Diablo immediately reared its head back and sent a barrage of pointy rocks at Ekans while Zeus unleashed an electrical shock. The snake quickly slithered away and avoided its opponents moves, hissing angrily. Koffing just tanked the shock, but winced. Adrian grinned when it showed visible pain. Training with Zeus all afternoon had paid off.
Ekans darted towards Diablo with its mouth agape. The Rockruff sent a flurry of rocks until the last second, then leapt out of the way and Swung his tail at the poison type with Iron Tail. He scored a hit on the snake's scales, causing it to wriggle away quickly. Ekans retreated and shifted into a coil, hissing while Diablo growled at it.
Zeus was running circles around Koffing as he dodged its Tackle attacks, stopping now and then to shoot off a Thundershock. The electric pokemon wrinkled his nose in disgust whenever Koffing got too close- those fumes obviously smelled horrendous. But Koffing couldn't hit the faster and more agile electric type, so it was definitely on the losing side of the battle. Apparently, the Rockets agreed.
"That Shinx is annoying," snarled the woman. "Ekans, help Koffing squash that baby Pokémon!"
The snake spun towards the fighting pair and made to spring at Zeus, but Adrian wasn't having it. "Diablo, jump onto Ekans and pin its head down!"
Ekans hissed furiously as the Rockruff leapt onto the back of its scaly neck and smacked it against the ground. Diablo gripped the snake firmly by using Thunder fang to dig into its scales. It kept him from sliding off and out of range from Ekans' furious bites. The woman thief screamed furiously at her Pokemon, but Diablo was far too stubborn to shake off. Meanwhile, Zeus jolted Koffing again with Thundershock, this time slowing it down a bit as paralysis began to take hold.
Adrian grinned. He had them on the ropes. But his smile faded a moment later when he realized something.
Meowth was missing.
He glanced around frantically to locate the cat and found it trying to sneak past the fighting Pokemon. Adrian narrowed his eyes at the mocking glee Meowth exuded. Obviously, the thieving cat thought it was clever by trying to steal while he was preoccupied fighting. That annoyed Adrian more than he was entirely happy about, so he watched the battle a second longer to ensure his Pokemon were okay for the moment before taking the matter of Meowth into his own hands.
The cat was watching the fight while it snuck around the edge of the center and never saw Adrian coming until it turned around at just the right time.
Meowth yowled when a well-aimed kick from Adrian punted it clean across the room and right into the female Rocket's face. The cat was so shocked that it'd been caught and kicked that it forgot to sheathe its claws, which had come out as a reflex of being attacked. Its partner shrieked as Meowth's own claws dug into her skin.
The woman scrambled to get the feline off of her and only made matters worse by startling Meowth even further. Her male partner just watched, dumbfounded by what was happening. Even their Pokemon stopped to just stare in utter bewilderment. The pause gave Diablo and Zeus a chance to catch their breath and get ready for the next stage of the fight.
Adrian sniggered as the woman finally pulled Meowth off of her and stared at the boy. Her face was all scratched up, red and puffy and her shocked expression was just ridiculously funny. The woman's eyes suddenly became furious.
"You little shit! We'll see if you're smirking when I get my claws on your face!"
Ekans and Koffing prepared themselves to attack and Adrian got ready to react and give his team orders. But just as the poison types lunged, a flash of white light burst through the dark room.
Adrian yelped as a tremor went through the ground and he scrambled to keep his balance. When he looked up to see what had caused it, any and all thoughts of battle left his head.
The biggest Pokemon he'd ever seen was standing in the middle of the room, pinning the now unconscious Ekans and Koffing down with stone arms as thick as tree trunks. Two large drills rested on its head and the entirety of its body was covered in thick red plates of armour. A long tail with a heavy club on the end was responsible for the tremor, as there were cracks along the floor from where it had smacked the ground.
Adrian had no idea what it was, but he was more concerned about where it had come from. He spun towards Nurse Joy, who had her hands over her mouth to cover up her shock. They got their answer when a deep voice cut the stunned silence.
"That's quite enough of that."
Giovanni stepped out from the shadows with a stern expression. He stared at the Rockets and growled menacingly. "Out."
That one word was plenty to get the message across. The Rockets quickly recalled their unconscious Pokemon and ran so fast out of the building that Adrian thought even an Arcanine would have trouble catching them. They were certainly quick on their feet, he'd give them that.
Giovanni's massive Pokemon let out a rumbling sound which made Adrian jump as it turned to look at its trainer. The Gym Leader nodded to the behemoth. "Good work, Rhyperior."
Rhyperior snorted and turned to eye Adrian and his comparatively tiny Pokemon. Diablo and Zeus did their best not to cringe under the stone giant's crimson eyes, but it made its judgement quickly and proceeded to simply ignore them.
Nurse Joy was still pale, though she managed to find her voice. "M-Mr. Giovanni, I didn't know you were still here…"
"I was actually just leaving when the power went out," he grunted. "The League ordered me to deal with those thieves personally if I ever encountered them. Though I must say, I'm fairly certain given how weak they were that Adrian here could have run them off without my help. I only stepped in to settle the matter slightly faster."
Joy nodded. "Thank you very much for protecting the Pokemon Center. And you as well, Adrian. Your quick thinking probably just saved dozens of Pokemon."
"We didn't do much. We pretty much just kept them busy until Rhyperior curb-stomped them," Adrian replied, still staring at the behemoth with wide eyes. The huge Pokemon glanced at him momentarily when he mentioned its name, but it was utterly impassive. It was actually uncomfortable to see such a creature with little to no emotion like that. Rhyperior just looked bored.
Giovanni noted the exchange and looked at Adrian pointedly. "You don't give yourself enough credit. Even though you've only trained your Pokemon for a few days, they reacted well to this battle. I was impressed. They got out of the fight without so much as a scratch."
He smirked then. "And you showed plenty of willingness to jump into the fight yourself. I can't say I've ever seen anyone reckless enough to try and kick an enemy Pokemon across the room."
Heat surged through Adrian and he glanced at the floor. "Diablo and Zeus were busy fighting, so…"
"It was quick thinking and it worked. Just don't make a habit of it," Giovanni told him. The Gym Leader then looked at Joy. "I believe calling the police would be appropriate, although I'm certain the commotion will bring them here in a matter of minutes. I doubt the thieves will return. However, I shall remain here until the officers arrive."
"Thank you. Excuse me, I need to go turn on the backup generator," she replied and quickly strode off. Chansey, who had been hiding behind the desk during the event, scurried after her.
Adrian found himself once again drawn to the massive form of Rhyperior. The nine-foot tall stone beast was now lazily spinning its drills. Giovanni saw Adrian's interest and commented on it. "You seem rather impressed by Rhyperior."
"Yes, sir," the boy answered. "I've heard of them before and Professor Oak let us see a Rhydon once, but I've never gotten to see a Rhyperior in person. It's…it's huge."
"He's actually a fair bit bigger than the average Rhyperior," Giovanni admitted. "Most of the breed top out at seven feet tall. He's nearly ten. Then again, I had that specific trait bred into him. Rhyperior really have no need for speed of any kind as long as they have good armour and high attack."
"I see," Adrian murmured. Rhyperior spun his drill again and growled lightly.
Giovanni recalled the huge Pokemon and put the pokeball away. "He prefers to stay in suspended animation outside of combat and training."
Adrian nodded in understanding. Professor Oak had a few Pokemon like that.
Several minutes later, the police arrived and took over the situation. Thankfully, power was quickly restored to the Pokemon Center. Adrian felt even more exhausted after the raid by Team Rocket and felt his eyes closing against his will.
Giovanni could tell the boy was about to crash and grunted. "Get to your room, Adrian. Get some sleep. Come by my gym tomorrow morning."
Adrian was too tired to ask why and simply turned away with a mumbled, "goodnight." He led Diablo and Zeus to his room in the Pokemon Center and fell asleep the second he hit the bed. _
The next morning, Adrian found himself in front of the Viridian City Gym. He stared at the imposing building and swallowed. Why did Giovanni want to see him again? Hesitantly, he knocked on the huge doors and they opened automatically. Adrian walked inside and relaxed a bit once he saw Giovanni standing alone in the middle of the large room that took up most of the gym.
Giovanni looked completely unaffected by the events of the night before as he looked the younger trainer over. "Good morning, Adrian. I expect you're wondering why I wanted you here."
"Yes, sir," Adrian replied.
"Good. The reason I requested your presence was to engage you in a battle."
Adrian froze. "Wait, what?"
Giovanni smirked. "Relax, boy. I'm not talking about an actual gym battle. We won't really be fighting. It'll be more of a test than anything for you. Call out your Rockruff."
Still uncertain what to make of the situation, Adrian set Diablo loose while Zeus leapt down from his arms to watch. The two little Pokemon gazed up at the Gym Leader curiously, recognizing him from the night before. Giovanni inspected them with measuring eyes and pulled out a pokeball of his own.
"Most of my Pokemon don't play well with others, particularly Rhyperior or Nidoking. But this one is the most mellow of my main team," Giovanni explained as he tapped the release and unleashed the Pokemon from its confines.
Adrian's eyes widened at the large Nidoqueen that appeared. She was a lot smaller than Rhyperior's massive frame, but held an air of royalty and power that Rhyperior simply didn't possess. Nidoqueen was slightly taller than Giovanni and looked at Adrian and his Pokemon curiously. He felt more relaxed around her than he had with Rhyperior. She seemed more prone to showing her emotions. That made it easier for him to tell what she was thinking.
"Nidoqueen is going to humour you," Giovanni explained, crossing his arms. "None of your attacks now will scratch her, but I'd like to see you give your best effort. Understand this- power can only get you so far. Without knowledge and control, it is meaningless. Now, you may begin whenever you're ready. Nidoqueen will wait for you."
Adrian didn't have the foggiest idea where to begin. Diablo's Iron Tail wouldn't pierce her thick armour at its current level and his Rock Throw wouldn't even scratch her up a bit. He thought as quickly as he could before deciding to take a risk. "Diablo, keep your distance and use Rock Throw!"
Giovanni nodded approvingly. "A good start, though you obviously lack training for such a technique. What will you do next?"
Adrian knew exactly what he was going to do. "Iron Tail, back to back!"
Diablo rushed Nidoqueen and began to swing at her legs. He darted around and scratched with his metallic tail wherever he could touch the much larger Pokemon. At one point, Diablo even used Nidoqueen's tail as a platform to jump high and Swung at her face, though she just snorted in amusement.
The Rockruff was beginning to look incredibly frustrated, but Adrian called out to him. "Keep at it, Diablo! Just keep using Iron Tail!"
Giovanni's eyes narrowed. "You may consider a different strategy. Only using one move isn't going to increase your chances."
"Iron Tail will," Adrian replied, surprising the Gym Leader. He saw a glimmer of light as the glow of Iron Tail increased and grinned. "It's attacks can get stronger the more we strike."
The Gym Leader's eyes flashed with understanding. "I see…you're aiming for Iron Tail's attack boosting properties to inflict extra damage, not bad. It's a decent plan. However…"
Giovanni's smirk returned. "How will you deal with Nidoqueen once she starts to move?"
At his cue, the matriarch let out a bellow and a shockwave blew Diablo away. Adrian's partner hit the ground with a yelp and scrabbled back to his feet. Nidoqueen took a step forward and swept her tail towards the Rockruff, but Diablo dodged by jumping up and clinging to the thick appendage.
"Rock Throw! Adrian shouted.
Diablo growled and sent little rocks over Nidoqueen's back, but she just huffed in annoyance and made a swift turn. Her smaller opponent was hurled from her spine and hit the ground roughly. Despite the tough landing, Diablo got back up and stubbornly hissed at his behemoth foe.
Nidoqueen made a rumble that caused the ground at her feet to quake. Diablo almost lost his footing and staggered back from her, looking hesitant for the first time since the fight began. The matriarch lifted her chin and looked down on the tiny dog, a silent command in her stern eyes that demanded respect.
Diablo was stubborn, but he wasn't stupid. He quieted his growl and bowed his head. Nidoqueen snorted in what might have been approval.
Adrian blinked. He didn't understand what had just happened.
Giovanni broke the silence. "You have talent, but it's obvious you have a lot to learn. The wise decision would have been to recall Rockruff the moment Nidoqueen began to move. Your Pokemon realized that before you did."
He opened his mouth to reply, then closed it. Giovanni made a good point. Nidoqueen had played possum for a while so that Diablo could attack, but the second she got into the fight it was over. There was just no way for him to inflict any kind of damage on the massive poison/ground type.
"A strong, trained Pokemon can take a good deal more punishment than one so young as your Rockruff or Shinx," the Gym Leader continued. "But as they are now, it would be best not to let them take inordinate amounts of damage from far stronger adversaries. Serious injuries could result in problems later when they evolve. Do not be foolish enough to risk that."
Giovanni recalled Nidoqueen and looked at the boy. "You must not fight so rigidly, either. Against a foe with such a vast difference in experience, no manner of head-on attack is going to have an effect. Think outside the confines of what seems to be possible and impossible. Improvise. But do not act stupidly."
He took out a new pokeball and held it out. "Here. Take this."
Adrian stared at the ball and carefully took it from Giovanni. He looked it over curiously. "What's in it?"
"A Gligar," Giovanni informed him. "A Ground and Flying type. Obviously, ground types are a specialty of mine. You could make greater use of it than I. My team already has plenty of power. This one requires time to train it that I simply do not have. If you work hard with it, I think it could be of use in your battle against Brock at Pewter City."
"You're just giving it to me?" Adrian asked hesitantly. "I've never even heard of Gligar before. Is it rare?"
"In Kanto? Ridiculously so," Giovanni chuckled. "But it's rather common in the Sinnoh region. A well trained Gligar and its evolved form are useful assets for any trainer. They typically are not easy to work with. I suggest you research it a fair bit before attempting to train it. Even so, that Gligar should be more mellow than the rest of its species."
"Why's that?"
"The breeder whom I received it from specializes in ground types. He managed to breed out most of the uncontrollable aggression that is typical of the Gligar line."
The words "uncontrollable aggression" made Adrian certain this was going to take a lot of research and hard work. He wouldn't open that pokeball until he felt like he could handle Gligar safely. Even if it was mostly mellow compared to its species, that did not make it easy to work with or unaggressive in his book. Adrian didn't even have the foggiest idea what a Gligar looked like.
Still, he was grateful for it and wasn't about to turn it down.
"Thank you very much, sir," Adrian dipped his head politely.
Giovanni nodded back. "You may thank me when that Gligar proves to be useful. Now, you'd best get going. There's plenty of daylight left for trekking through Viridian Forest and I have a meeting in ten minutes. Farewell, Mr. Glaves."
Adrian took his leave quickly, pocketing Gligar's pokeball and recalling Diablo. Shinx jumped back into his arms and the boy left the Viridian Gym without another word.
The Gym Leader's eyes bored into his back right until the door closed behind him.
He pulled out his Pokedex again before leaving for the Viridian Forest. It was the last obstacle before Pewter City and frankly his only opportunity to give Diablo, Zeus and his newly acquired Gligar experience in battle. If Adrian was going to use the ground/flying type in his gym battle against Brock, he had to train with it to get an idea of its capabilities. Holding up Gligar's pokeball to the Pokedex, he let the scan feature activate and waited patiently as the computer retrieved and recited the data to him.
Gligar, the Flying Scorpion Pokémon. It usually clings to cliffs. When it spots its prey, it spread it's wings and glides down to attack.
This Gligar is male and knows the moves: Bite, Dig, Sand Tomb, Cross Poison, Fire Fang and Thunder Fang. It's ability is Hyper Cutter, which prevents other Pokémon from lowering it's attack power.
"Listen, I want to try and get along with the Gligar Giovanni gave me, okay? But I don't know if he'll be aggressive or not. So I need you two with me, just in case he gets snappy. Don't attack him when he appears and do your best to look friendly. If he attacks, stay away from his pincers and his stinger that will really hurt."
His two friends nodded, so Adrian pulled out Gligar's pokeball. He took a deep breath and tapped the release, unleashing its contents.
The Pokemon that materialized following the white flash of light was the color of pink, it's resemblance similar to a cross between a bat and a scorpion. It stood on its two clawed hind legs and large pincers on its forelegs. For the most part, the small Pokemon didn't look too threatening.
Gligar peered up at him with a curious expression. Adrian decided to introduce himself. "Hey, Gligar. Are you feeling good?"
The flying scorpion thought about that for a moment before shrugging. He looked over Diablo and Zeus, then back to Adrian, who crouched down to avoid looking like a threat.
"My name is Adrian. This is Diablo, and that's Zeus," he gestured to each of his Pokemon in turn. Diablo barked a greeting and Zeus squeaked politely. Adrian went on. "Listen, I'd really like you to travel with me. I'm on a journey with Diablo and Zeus to become the greatest Pokemon Master in the world. If I'm going to do that, I'll need a team of the best Pokemon out there working with me. If you decide to travel with us, I promise I'll train you into the strongest Gliscor that there is."
Gligar's eyes gleamed at the prospect. Adrian definitely had his attention now. He was just glad he remembered the name of Gligar's final evolution from his brief glance at it in the Pokedex. Adrian wanted to get across to Gligar that he knew what he was doing, so he could better earn the ground type's friendship and respect.
"What do you think, Gligar?" He asked. "Would you like to come with us?"
The ground and flying type considered it a moment longer and finally answered with a nod. Adrian smiled at him. This was easier than he'd thought it would be. Maybe Gligar really was as mellow as Giovanni claimed him to be.
"Would you like a nickname? Diablo and Zeus has one, but it's up to you."
Gligar seemed to ponder that for a bit before nodding his head to with a fanged smile. Adrian took that as a yes and thought about it. He would admit he'd had trouble thinking of names for Gligar off the top of his head, so had cheated slightly by looking up acceptable nicknames for the scorpion-like Pokemon. Only one had really stood out to him, but would Gligar like it?
"How about Venom?"
Gligar bared his many sharp teeth in a fierce smile. Adrian grinned. It seemed as though Gligar agreed it was a good name. Venom was the name of a epic warrior that was thought to have come from space during ancient times. Adrian couldn't think of anything more appropriate for the Pokemon that he hoped would grow to become the most powerful of his species.
Venom it was.
Adrian didn't get a chance to think any further as the newly dubbed Venom stepped forward on his short, stubby legs and brushed the tip of his nose against the boy's leg. He froze, uncertain as to what the ground/flying type was trying to do. The Gligar's throat vibrated again and the resulting sound was almost…relaxing.
Hesitantly, Adrian reached up and carefully set his hand against Venom's head, feeling the tough, pinkish scales under his fingers. Venom's only reaction was to (for lack of a better word) purr even more.
He frowned briefly. The Pokedex was completely inaccurate for this particular specimen of Gligar, it seemed. Apparently, Giovanni hadn't been kidding when his contact had bred all of the uncontrollable aggressiveness out of Venom. This Pokemon didn't have even a hint of the hyper-aggression he had been warned about.
His frown deepened. Adrian wasn't sure if that was healthy or not. Sure, he'd much rather have a calm Pokemon than one with uncontrollable rage, but this was pushing it given the reputation of the Gligar line. He made a mental note to ask Professor Oak about Venom at some point.
Adrian stroked Venom's scales again and turned his frown upside down. He and Venom were getting along, and that was the best he could ask for right now. "Listen Venom, I'm going to recall you now. We're about to go through a big forest. There will probably be a lot of trainers in there, so I'll probably call on you at some point to battle. Is that okay?"
Venom grinned toothily again and nodded. Adrian felt more relaxed seeing the Gligar's eagerness to fight- maybe his aggression had only been curbed outside of combat. If Venom had even a touch of his breed's typical fury, the place to see it would be in a battle.
"Alright. I'll let you out as soon as I can, Venom. Rest up."
Adrian recalled the Gligar and let out a sigh of relief. That had gone well. Diablo and Zeus both made small noises to get his attention and he was pleased to see they both looked happy.
"Well, you guys know the plan. Hop on, Zeus. We've got a forest to get through."
His Pokemon chirped and squeaked agreement. Adrian grinned, recalling Diablo as Zeus hopped into his arms, then started walking towards the vast green curtain that was Viridian Forest. _
Their first day of trekking through Viridian Forest saw a lot of action. Adrian must have battled a dozen trainer, all of them bug catchers. Each and every one of them was using freshly caught bug types from the surrounding woods, except for a couple that seemed to actually train the bugs they captured.
Diablo, Zeus, and Venom all saw a good bit of action. Diablo could destroy the bug types with ease, but his fur were getting longer and his moves stronger every time he won a battle. It was at the point where lesser bug types like Caterpie and Weedle would get knocked out by a single Rock Throw. Even the chrysalis stages Metapod and Kakuna got wiped out quickly before long. The only Pokemon he'd battled thus far that had given him even a hint of trouble was a Butterfree, and even then Diablo had won by shooting the bug out of the sky with a well place Rock Throw. His tail getting longer and he was starting to get more aggressive and Adrian could see a faint trace of evolution, signalling that Diablo was getting close to evolving.
Zeus had made a great amount of progress as well. Adrian only used him to battle the weaker bugs, (he still wasn't strong enough to take on something like a Butterfree or Beedrill) but took the opportunity to try and get Zeus started on Wild Charge. The easiest way to start was by having Zeus just Tackle his opponents while using Thundershock. It was an effective combination anyway, but hopefully it would start to channel electricity into his secondary charge organ that was necessary to learn Wild Charge.
But Venom saw the most use, especially after Adrian battled with him the first time. In battle, Venom wasn't especially fast, but his biting attacks one-shotted basically everything he met. He didn't waste the Scorpion-like pokemon time against Caterpie and Weedle (though he was mostly afraid Venom might fatally injure them) and tested his power against Metapod and Kakuna instead. Their shells could stand up to the bites, though they fainted immediately after taking one or two of the attacks. Those battles weren't where Venom truly stood out.
No, where Venom had really impressed Adrian was when he snagged an enemy Beedrill out of the air with Fire Fang and knocked it out by shaking it ruthlessly. The ground/flying type had finished off the strongest Pokemon they had encountered in the forest thus far within a grand total of ten seconds. Adrian could see the aggression he had been warned about when Venom fought, but he mellowed quickly when he wasn't fighting. He felt much better about the Venom's health now that he'd seen the sheer fury Venom tapped into when he was in combat.
By the time the sun began to set, Adrian had covered only about a third of the forest. He had been slowed down by all the battles, but was in no mood to complain. On the contrary, he couldn't stop smiling. His Pokemon had gotten a good deal stronger by constantly fighting the bug catchers. They'd also been fortunate enough to avoid getting poisoned.
Adrian set his team loose once he found a decent spot to make camp for the night. Diablo smiled happily upon seeing him again, though Zeus blinked in confusion when he found there wasn't a fight to be had.
"We're about to sleep for the night," Adrian explained to the scorpion. Venom blinked and nodded in understanding, so he pressed on. "I usually set everyone loose at night so that you can enjoy the fresh air. Would you like that, or would you prefer staying in your pokeball?"
Venom snorted and immediately flu up in a tree and hung upside down using his stinger . The ground/flying type stayed in a position where he could keep an eye on Adrian and the others, but he seemed content to close his eyes and fall asleep quickly. Adrian smiled at his newest partner fondly.
He got his sleeping bag out and made himself comfortable. Once Adrian was settled, Zeus crawled onto his stomach as usual and Diablo settled beside him, careful angling himself to watch out for predators.
Adrian slipped into a peaceful slumber before long, tired out by the day's events and all they had accomplished. _
His awakening was not so pleasant.
Adrian felt something cold touch his throat and frowned as the sensation woke him up. He blinked and froze immediately. Above him was a figure clad in strange armour, holding a katana to his neck. Diablo, Zeus, and Venom were all still asleep.
"Are you from Pallet Town?" The intruder asked quietly.
Adrian kept his eyes on the sword at his throat and nodded shortly, scarcely remembering to breathe. The figure's eyes flashed and he raised his voice. "I was defeated by a trainer from Pallet Town once! Now face me in battle so I may redeem myse- AGH!"
His scream was caused by a rush of sand scales and a furious hiss. Venom had woken because of the intruder's raised voice and immediately attacked when he saw that his trainer was in danger. The Venom jaws snapped shut on the sword, yanking it away from Adrian and then ripping it from the intruder's hands. Venom glared furiously at the intruder with the sword still in his jaws. His jaws clenched tightly and the blade snapped like a twig.
The commotion brought Diablo and Zeus out of their sleep and they immediately got between Adrian and the intruder. Diablo and Venom were hissing aggressively and Zeus's body sparked with electricity. Adrian quickly got up to call them off before they could seriously hurt the guy.
"Hey, hey, it's alright, guys! Settle down! He just wants to have a battle!"
They didn't really settle down, but his Pokemon didn't attack, either. Adrian figured they would control themselves for now and glared at the intruder, who he realized now was a boy barely taller than himself.
"What's wrong with your Pokemon?!" The kid exclaimed furiously. "It just up and attacked me out of the blue! It even broke my precious katana!"
"What's wrong with my Pokemon? What's wrong with you?!" Adrian snapped back. "What kind of idiot wakes up a guy with a sword at his throat?! Did you think my Pokemon wouldn't try to defend me when they saw you doing that?! You're lucky Venom didn't take your hand off!"
The kid reddened with anger and grabbed a pokeball. "I am Samurai. I challenge you and that little monster of yours to battle. My Pokemon and I shall regain our honour!"
"Diablo, Zeus, step back," Adrian ordered, still furious. "Venom, get ready. We're going to crush whatever bug he's got and get out of here."
Venom hissed agreement. After Diablo and Zeus moved back to stand beside Adrian, Samurai walked off a few paces and then spun around to face him. He threw the pokeball and yelled. "Pinsir, to battle!"
Adrian blinked in surprise when the Stag Beetle Pokemon appeared. He hadn't expected to see a Pinsir in this forest, even if the only trainers here used bug types. Pinsir were rare and notoriously aggressive. Adrian kind of doubted the kid was a skilled trainer, but the sight of Pinsir gave him pause.
"Watch out for those claws on its head," Adrian muttered to Venom. "If it gets too close, try to bite one and smack it around."
The Gligar's hiss rose in pitch. Evidently, he was more than ready to beat the ever living snot out of this bug. He certainly wasn't fazed by it, even if Adrian was being more cautious.
Samurai struck first. "Pinsir, attack! Use Vicegrip!"
Pincer menacingly clicked its pincers together and began to stalk towards Venom. It was fairly slow, so Adrian had plenty of time to respond.
"Dig. Trap it with Sand Tomb," he ordered.
Venom quickly dug underground. That was something Adrian had noticed about the Gligar after all the battles they'd fought yesterday. Venom could practically swim through the earth and move just as fast in the air, but on the surface he wasn't especially fast except in short bursts. Underground was where he was at home, and his strikes were far quicker when they came from below an enemy's feet.
Pincer paused after seeing its prey disappear and looked around dumbly. Samurai yelled at Adrian. "Hey! That's an underhanded tactic! You have no honour!"
"It's completely fair and I'm pretty sure Pinsir can learn Dig too," Adrian retorted. "Maybe you should train your Pokemon better."
Samurai looked furious, but didn't get another word in as Pinsir suddenly sunk into the ground at its feet. It clicked its claws frantically and struggled to escape Sand Tomb.
Adrian liked that particular combination. Venom would use Dig to get beneath an enemy, homing in on the vibrations they produced through his sensitive scorpion/bat Pokémon nose, then used Sand Tomb to weaken the earth they stood on and trap them. The move could immobilize pretty much anything that didn't fly and the heavier the target, the more effective it was. It basically turned the ground their foes stood on into quicksand.
He had been thinking about just shortening the combo's name to Sand Coffin, after a move he saw on TV that trapped its prey in an identical manner. It seemed appropriate, although there was one more step before the move was actually complete in his eyes.
With Pinsir trapped in the sand, Adrian ordered Venom to complete the process Sand Coffin used to catch their prey. "Bite!"
Pinsir made a shrieking sound as Venom erupt from the quicksand around it and snapped his fangs into the bug's midsection. The Gligar's powerful jaw muscles punched right through the armored carapace.
"No! Pinsir, shake it off! Quickly!" Samurai commanded frantically.
Adrian was impressed that Pinsir still had fight in it. The bug was obviously at a low level and had probably only hatched a short while ago. Looking at it, it was a fair bit smaller than the description of Pinsir in the Pokedex. Even so, Pinsir were tough to knock out. Adrian decided a follow up move was necessary.
"Fire Fang."
Venom's jaws flickered with hot embers as he added fire type elements to his assault. It was an egg move that Venom still had to work on a lot- he couldn't generate actual fire yet, but the heat and small amount of embers that he could produce would do the job in this instance.
Sure enough, Pinsir tried to wriggle away from the heat furiously, but collapsed after just a few seconds. Samurai seemed utterly beside himself from the loss and recalled his Pokemon with a large frown.
"That was a dirty trick. Using super-effective moves is not an honourable way to battle!"
Adrian shrugged. Samurai could keep his opinions, but fighting the way he had was strategic. He still had a long way to go in Viridian Forest and didn't want to risk Venom getting injured by a potentially dangerous foe. Besides, the warrior-wannabe annoyed him.
Venom looked at Adrian now that the battle was over. Adrian smiled and nodded. "Good work, Venom. That was excellent."
His Pokemon grinned toothily, but turned back to glare at Samurai a moment later. The kid hadn't left yet.
Samurai glared at them. "I shall train harder, and if you should ever return to my forest again, I shall defeat you!"
Adrian smirked. "I'm looking forward to it."
The kid practically growled at him and then stomped away into the trees, not even bothering to pick up the sword Venom had destroyed. With their opponent gone, Adrian's Pokemon relaxed.
"Alright guys," Adrian turned back to their camp and went to grab the cans of Pokemon food in his bag. "Who wants breakfast?". _
Adrian and his team ended up spending two more days in Viridian Forest, battling many more opponents and the occasional wild Pokemon. They got some serious training and combat experience in that would no doubt be useful when it was time to face Brock in Pewter City.
Diablo had finally perfected Iron Tail. There weren't many rocks in Viridian Forest, but the armored bug types they fought helped a lot, not to mention that Adrian had the Rockruff slashing at thick trees whenever they stopped to make camp. He had also tried working on Counter, though it was far from complete. Diablo still took about twenty seconds to actually build up enough energy for the move to take effect. It would probably get easier when he evolved.
Zeus got a good bit stronger as well while in the forest. Right towards the end, Adrian began to let the little Pokémon battle against some of the stronger bugs they met. He was pleased when Zeus managed to take out a Venonat that belonged to one of the more skilled trainers with a well place Iron Tail. Zeus's electric attacks became a lot more formidable as well. Adrian was still having him work on using Thundershock and Tackle in tandem, hoping that it would be enough for Zeus to learn Wild Charge before he evolved.
Venom had basically mastered the Sand Coffin combo Adrian had him working on. It was really easy for the Gligar to use and quite effective against most foes. He was glad Venom had gotten used to battling with him while in the Viridian Forest, because Adrian intended for the ground/flying type to be his trump card against Brock. Venom was Adrian's only chance at defeating the Onix Giovanni had told him about. If he couldn't do it, then Adrian would have no choice but to go to Cerulean City first and try to capture a water type. It was going to be a trial by fire, but Adrian had full confidence in his team.
The boy finally stepped out of the Viridian Forest tree line and grinned. He could see Pewter City just a few miles away. The sun was still out, but Adrian figured he would spend the rest of the day training once he actually made it to Pewter- he would challenge Brock tomorrow.
In his arms, Zeus nudged him to get moving. Adrian smiled at the little Pokémon and scratched his furry ears before turning towards Pewter and walking down the trail that would take them to their first gym battle. _
A/N: Okay, here's chapter 2 I've been promising, sorry for the wait I'll try to post more quickly next time.