Author's Notes:

Thank you so much for the reviews. Hope you enjoy this next chapter!

Brock

Rasheed Nervously stepped up for the next match, which was a one on one. His opponent; a white kid from out of town with brown hair and matching eyes. This guy has been cleaning up every night for the past three days; his Pokémon has never been beaten.

The stakes were high; Rasheed had three hundred riding on this match. Plus, his girl was watching. There was no way he was going to lose to this kid, the one everybody called Jet.

The editor of the match said, "Ok, for the pot, both trainers send out their Pokémon!"

Jet pulled a Pokeball from his waist and sent out a Pichu, that he called Spark. Rasheed only had three Pokémon; two Spearow and a Pineco. It wasn't exactly a difficult decision who he should send out.

"Let's do it, Pineco!"

The editor called, "Begin!"

"Pineco, use Takedown!"

"Dodge it and use Thundershock!"

The Pichu was much too fast; it jumped out the way and sent a torrent of electricity at Pineco before he was halfway to his target. Pineco let out a shrill cry after being zapped.

"Spark, hit him with another Thundershock!"

"Pineco, use Protect!"

But Pineco was apparently paralyzed, as it only shivered before it was hit with the second wave of electricity. Once hit again, Pine co dropped, unconscious.

"Pineco is unable to battle, Pichu is the winner!"

Jet smiled and recalled Spark, "Time to call it a night." He went up to the ref to collect his winnings. One of the trainers in the crowd said, "I got one twenty five that says my Rattata can beat that Pichu into a bloody pulp!"

Jet took his money and said, "I'm done for the night, maybe next time."

He walked through the crowd to the exit, while a bunch of trainers were spouting out challenges. "C'mon, me and my Geodude can take you!"

"How about a three on three? I'll bet my great ball if you can put up six hundred?"

"This guy's Pichu is no match for my Metapod!"

Jet left the lot where all of the local battles were being held and set off for the Pokémon Center. Over the past three days, Jet had been able to grow all of his Pokémon to level sixteen. The only exceptions were Pugsly, who was now level eighteen, and Thorn, who was currently at level twenty.

More importantly, the favorite Pokémon of Pewter City seemed to be Geodude. Jet had gotten a chance to have all of his Pokémon test their training against rock types. He was thoroughly convinced that his Pokémon were as prepared as they were ever going to be for this match in a matter of three days.

After healing his Pokémon at the infirmary, Jet headed up to his room to get some sleep for the match that would take place the next day. Amy and Natalie were still out watching some movie about some natural disaster.

Jet showered and laid on the floor with his sleeping bag and pillow, and found his sleep riddled with nightmares about his upcoming match. By the time he woke up, he felt his heart racing.

The whole day he avoided conversations with Natalie or Amy, and instead focused on going over various strategies. As long as he doesn't send out a high level Pokémon, then I'll be fine. But then a little voice in the back of his head asked, What if he sends out a Golem? Or a Steelix? Or an Aerodactyl or some shit? I mean, he is a Gym Leader!

Jet didn't feel like eating, but the girls forced him to, anyway. "Here Jet, have some pancakes, they're amazing!"

"Jethro, eat my sausages! I don't like the turkey ones!"

The clocks seemed to speed up; no matter how much Jet wanted them to slow back down. Soon, it was time to leave the Center and head for the Gym. At this point, Jet had felt as if all of his internal organs had simply disappeared.

They were in front of the Gym; Jet wondered if either of the girls could see his legs fidgeting. They were at the service desk; was it healthy for a human heart to beat this hard?

"Ah yes, right this way Mr. Brown, the Gym Leader will face you at the main battle area."

As they walked through the hall way Jet noted just how much he had to go piss, but now was not the time. Now was the time to hold his head up and face his new and powerful opponent. Now was the time to see if he could squeeze blood from stone.

The main battle area was about the size of a basketball court. On the sides, were bleachers filled with people. Most of them, Jet saw, were local trainers from the battle lot. The ground was made up of dirt, sand, and rocks. The ceiling was high.

On either side of the field were platforms that the opposing trainers were meant to stand on while their Pokémon did battle. Jet was more nervous than ever now. The fact that people were watching made things about ten times as bad. Jet had always had stage fright; he didn't even like getting his picture taken!

A man walked toward them accompanied by a young kid wearing glasses and carrying a clip board. The man stood at about six one, with tan skin and spiky brown hair. He dressed in cargos with hiking boots and a brown t shirt. He wore a necklace with a charm that looked like a boulder. There was no doubt about it; this man was the Pewter City Gym leader.

Natalie looked surprised when she saw him, "Brock? What are you doing here?"

The Gym Leader looked dumbfounded, "Nat? What are you doing at my Gym? Why didn't you call?"

"Your Gym? You're the Gym Leader of Pewter City?"

Amy chimed in, "I'm confused."

Natalie said, "Amy, Jethro, this is my ex; Brock."

Jet felt his heart sink, No fucking way!

Amy said, "Oh." And Brock walked up and took both of Amy's hands in his, "I've missed you so much! I tried to get in contact with you-"

"But I changed my number?" Natalie finished for him, "Yeah, I'm well aware of that."

"But Natalie," Brock pleaded, "I'm a changed man. I know I've been an idiot! I let the best thing in my world slip away when you left me! Please Nat, please forgive me?"

Natalie looked away and said, "Please, can we not do this right now? I'm just here to watch the battle."

"Battle?" said Brock, "Oh, I clear forgot!"

Brock looked at Jet and asked, "Are you the challenger?"

Jet nodded. Brock turned to the kid with the clipboard and said, "Cliff notes!"

The boy pushed his glasses up on his nose and looked at his clipboard, "Jethro Brown, a trainer from Pallet Town. He used to work for Professor Oak at his research center. He's had a license to train for years, but got his first Pokémon only a month ago when he got his Class A. Since then he hasn't registered at any Gyms or competitions, other than a Bug Catcher Contest a couple weeks ago that was canceled due to the death of two contestants. He currently owns eight Pokémon."

"A Class A bug catcher, huh?" Brock looked at Jet and smiled, "Listen," he said in a kind voice, "The fact that they'd give kids like you a Class A license without any real battle experience is a real disservice. You've only been out doing your thing for what? A month? Do you know what I've been doing the past month?

"I've been put in charge of a Gym. Do you know what I've done before that? I was a champion underground trainer and an accomplished breeder. You may have won a few battles against the locals but this," Brock gestured to the battle field, "is a bit out of your league. You don't want to start challenging Gym's until you've had more experience.

"Tell you what. I'll let you walk away now with a full refund, I don't want to see your Pokémon get hurt."

Jet was shocked. Here was Natalie's ex-boyfriend treating him like a kid and telling him come back when he's older! "Thank you for your concern," said Jet, "But I'd much rather fight and lose than give up before I even try."

Brock looked shocked at first, but then smiled, "It's your spirit as a trainer that compels you to challenge me? Very well, we shall battle."

He then turned to Natalie and said, "You and your red headed friend go sit in the bleachers, I want to talk to you after the match, ok?"

Both Natalie and Amy wished Jet good luck and went to the bleachers to watch the match. Brock asked, "How many Pokémon do you have on you?"

Jet's heart pounded as he answered, "Six."

Brock told his assistant, "Six on six, he can switch out, I can't."

Jet said, "Wait! Either you can switch out, or I can't. A handicap match is no real victory."

Brock smiled and said, "I like you kid. You're dumb as fuck, but you got spirit."

Jet noted as he took his place on the challenger's platform, that he actually liked Brock up until that last comment. When Brock stood on his platform, the audience applauded.

Brock's assistant stood on the editor's platform and said, "This is an official league match between Jethro Brown and Brock Takeshi! Both trainers will use a total of six Pokémon for the match. Both trainers will have the ability to switch at any time throughout the match. The match will continue until all of the Pokémon on one side are unable to battle or until someone forfeits the match.

"Are trainers on both sides ready?" When both trainers signaled that they were ready, the editor said, "Send out your first Pokémon!"

Brock went first and sent out a Zubat. When Jet sent out Spark, Brock laughed, "So, you're not just a bug catcher, huh? This just got a whole lot more interesting! Still, it's foolish to send a Pichu out on my field!"

The editor then said, "Begin!"

"Zubat, use Supersonic!"

"Thundershock!"

Spark's attack hit first. Zubat dropped to the ground after being hit. Spark took advantage and hit its foe with Quick Attack, just as it was trying to get back in the air. Zubat was knocked backwards; it did not get back up.

"Zubat is unable to battle, Pichu is the winner!"

Everyone in the audience looked shock.

"Did he just take out one of Brock's Pokémon in two moves?"

"I battled him last night, that Pichu is a beast!"

Brock smiled as he recalled his Pokémon, "Ok, I underestimated you. Now the real match begins! Go, Geodude!"

As soon as Geodude was released Jet recalled Spark and sent out Pugsly. Brock laughed again, "Playing at type advantage? Good, Geodude could use the challenge, use Magnitude!"

"Jump and counter!"

Geodude pounded the ground, sending out a powerful seismic wave of energy. But Pugsly jumped just in time and was going for an attack when Brock said, "Use Rollout!"

Geodude rolled out the way and started to move about the field to gain momentum. Jet told Pugsly, "Remember, don't attack head on! Step into his attack and pivot until you get and opening!"

Pugsly nodded and dodged Geodude gracefully while looking for an opening. The crowd cheered as Pugsly continued to avoid Geodude's Rollout. Brock called to Geodude, "Try and aim for where you think Mankey is going to dodge!"

Jet suddenly had an idea, "Use Hidden Power!"

Pugsly began to glow and released his attack just as Geodude was about to hit him. Geodude was knocked back, and his Rollout attack was stopped. Jet grinned and said, "Use Karate Chop!"

"Use Defense Curl!"

Geodude curled into a ball, just as Pugsly's attack hit him. The force from the blow made Geodude sink a little into the sand below, which cushioned the attack. Geodude, who was left unscathed, grabbed Pugsly's arm and threw him.

Pugsly was tossed several meters, but landed upright and unharmed. The crowd cheered as they watched both Pokémon do battle with such skill. Jet told Pugsly, "When he puts up his guard like that, use your Hidden Power to break it!"

Brock told his Geodude, "Use Magnitude!"

Once again, Pugsly jumped to avoid the attack. When Pugsly dropped down with a Karate Chop, Geodude used Defense Curl to cushion the blow. Pugsly immediately started to glow, but Geodude grabbed Pugsly's tail before he could use Hidden Power. Jet said, "Take his arm!"

Pugsly aggressively grabbed Geodude's arm and did a straight arm bar. Brock said, "What the hell?" While Jet said, "Thrust your hips!"

Geodude tapped the ground and Pugsly let go and stood back. The editor looked in shock and didn't know how to react, but Brock recalled Geodude and told the editor, "Geodude is out. He tapped and that counts as a forfeit."

"Oh, Ok then," said the editor, "Geodude has forfeited, so Mankey is the winner! That brings the count to Brock- four, and Brown- six!"

The crowd cheered and Brock shook his head, "An arm bar? Nice one, kid! This might be one of the best battles I've had in a while!"

Jet smiled, "Still think I should've taken the refund?"

Brock laughed, "And deprive me of this much fun? Nah, I'm glad you signed up! Go, Mudkip!"

The small water Pokémon popped out of its pokeball. Jet was surprised Brock had a water type in his arsenal, but not unprepared. After recalling his Mankey, Jet sent his Pichu back out.

Brock immediately yelled, "Dig!"

Mudkip went underground with extraordinary speed, and resurfaced just as quick with a type effective attack on Spark. Jet said, "Quick, use Thundershock!"

But Mudkip was already back underground. Spark went over to the entrance of the hole Mudkip had just dug and sent a Thundershock down it, but a second later he was hit again by dig. Jet called out, "No, Spark!"

Mudkip shot Spark with a water gun before he could recover. After hitting Spark, Mudkip once again went underground. Jet said, "Spark, use double team!"

Before Spark even had a chance to, he was knocked out by Mudkip's dig attack.

"Pichu is unable to battle, Mudkip is the winner!"

The crowd cheered loudly. As Jet recalled Spark, he had to admit to himself that Mudkip was definitely going to be a problem.

"Ok, let's switch it up. Go Hornet!"

The crowd cheered more when they saw a Beedrill enter the fray. Brock smiled and said, "I was wondering when you were going to send out your bug Pokémon! Mudkip, return! Go, Vulpix!"

"Fuck me." Jet mumbled under his breath. Before him stood a gorgeous Vulpix, which meant trouble for Hornet.

"Vulpix, use Flameburst!"

"Dodge it and use Cobweb!"

Hornet wasn't able to dodge Vulpix's attack, and that fight was over before it even begun.

"Beedrill is unable to battle, Vulpix is the winner!"

The crowd cheered louder than ever at the one hit KO. Recalled his Beedrill in disappointment; never before has one of his Pokémon been defeated that easily.

"Go Sora!"

Brock smirked when the Pidgey flew around the arena, "C'mon, a Pidgey? Is that all you got? Vulpix, use Flameburst!"

"Sora, dodge!"

Sora was a lot quicker than Hornet, and easily dodged Vulpix's attack. Jet smiled and said, "Use sand-attack!"

Vulpix was about to use another Flameburst when Sora kicked up a huge cloud of sand. No one was able to see what was going on. No one that is, except for Sora. Everyone listened as Vulpix yelped again and again after being repeatedly attacked by a foe she could not see.

"Vulpix, listen for the Pidgey's attacks!"

"Sora," said Jet, "Use sand-attack again, keep your opponent's visibility low!"

Back on the stands, Amy whispered to Natalie, I bet you Brock isn't too happy that his arena is filled with sand now! That Vulpix may have a killer Flameburst, but it's good for nothing if Pidgey is the only one that can see."

Vulpix continued you yelp louder and louder. Finally, the yelping stopped and the dust cleared. In the middle of the field, Sora was flying circles around an unconscious Vulpix. The crowd cheered as the editor said, "Vulpix is unable to battle, Pidgey is the winner!"

Brock recalled his Vulpix and sighed. "I thought for sure we had that one. Good job Vulpix. Ok, go Rhyhorn!"

Jet said, "You have to be fucking kidding me."

Rhyhorn stomped onto the field and let out a mighty roar. The crowd clapped appreciatively and Jet recalled his Pidgey. His hide is too thick for physical attacks, so why not try mental?

"Go, Butters!"

Butters flew onto the field to a lot of oh's and ah's. Jet told Butters, "Keep to the ceiling, and be prepared to dodge any projectile attacks!"

Brock frowned, "Just what are you planning?"

As an answer, Jet said, "Hit him with Confusion!"

Rhyhorn roared in pain as Butters' attack took effect. Jet then said, "When he roars, use Sleep Powder!"

Butters used another Confusion, before dropping a purple powder down on Rhyhorn. Within seconds, the beast was asleep.

The crowd went quiet as the editor proclaimed, "Rhyhorn is unable to battle, Butterfree is the winner!"

Jet breathed a sigh of relief as Rhyhorn was recalled. But then he watched in horror as Brock sent out his next Pokémon. There aren't a lot of things in this world that could scare a man like standing in front of a twenty five foot rock like snake with nothing in between an overgrown butterfly. Or, at least, that is what Jet thought to himself as Onix uncoiled itself.

"Butters, use confusion!"

"Onix, use Rock Throw!"

Jet could tell the Confusion had taken effect, but that didn't stop Onix from knocking Butters out with a single attack. Its speed was incredible. Jet would have never thought it to be that fast with that amount of bulk.

"Butterfree is unable to battle, Onix is the winner!"

The crowd cheered and Jet began to feel his nerves go into overdrive; how in the hell was he supposed to beat that thing? "Go Pugsly!"

"Onix, return! Go, Mudkip!"

"Pugsly, use Leer!"

"Mudkip, use Dig!"

Pugsly's eyes began to glow, and Mudkip shivered as Leer took effect. It then burrowed underground. Jet told Pugsly, "Go after it!"

Without a second's hesitation, Pugsly dove into the hole Mudkip had just dug. No one could tell what was going on beneath there. After a few seconds, there were some cries coming from the hole. Thirty seconds later, some water spurted out. Jet did not take as a good sign.

After another full minute, Pugsly jumped out of the hole, carrying Mudkip by its fin. Everyone watched in amazement as Pugsly tossed Mudkip against a rock, breathing heavily. Mudkip stood up with difficulty. Then, without warning, both Pokémon collapsed.

Everyone gasped; what could have happened to those Pokémon while they were underground?

"Both Mudkip and Mankey are unable to battle! Trainers, call your next Pokémon!"

Jet already knew what was coming next as Brock sent out his final Pokémon; Onix. Brock called over to Jet, "I'm surprised, you've actually gotten this far! But it's over now. Onix can take whatever you throw at it."

Jet pulled the ultra-ball from his belt and enlarged it. He said to it, "Time to come out, guns blazing." He kissed it, and then sent out his next Pokémon, "Go, Thorn!"

As soon as Thorn emerged, he shot past Onix and used Metal Claw to scratch the entire length of Onix's right side. Thorn then rolled out of the way of Onix's counter attack and landed upright, facing his opponent.

The entire crowed started buzzing about Thorn's color, "Wow, look how dark it is!"

Brock smiled and said, "Nice Charmander, too bad it's going to get squashed! Onix, use Rock Tomb!"

"On his back, Thorn!"

Thorn jumped out the way as rocks erupted from the ground and grabbed onto Onix. Jet yelled, "Climb up with Metal Claw!"

"Get him off, Onix!"

Try as Onix might, he could not shake Thorn. Like a lizard climbing someone's leg, Thorn quickly navigated the boulders that was the physique of Onix. As he did so, he would claw at every opening he found; and he found a lot of openings.

"Onix, use body slam!"

"Thorn, on his head!"

Onix tried to slam his entire body in hopes of crushing Thorn, but to no avail. Thorn was already at the head. Jet called, "Burn its eyes with Ember!"

Thorn let out a burst of flame and Onix roared. It tossed about and slammed its tail every which way. Thorn held on for dear life. Jet said, "Now the neck, use Metal Claw!"

Thorn then slid from Onix's head, to its neck, and then down its front all while digging his claws deep into Onix's rock, hard skin. Thorn then jumped off of Onix as it hit itself with its own tail. Onix fell, and Thorn landed safely on a nearby boulder. Brock said, "Ok, I want that fucking Charmander!"

Jet said, "Quick, burn it's wounds!"

Just as Onix was getting up, Thorn began to climb its body again. This time, however, it used Ember on all of the spots he had previously scratched. Onix tried and tried, but it could not stop that little Charmander.

After a while the crowd started cheering Thorn on. Brock was getting more and more frustrated that nothing he was trying worked. Finally, Thorn had finished burning the wounds and he dropped down, exhausted from his hard work. Onix was having difficulty moving and fell down. Jet told Brock, "You should stop the match now, before your Pokémon gets hurt."

Brock got angry for the first time, "It's not over yet, Onix can still fight! Onix, stand up!"

Jet did not know why people didn't know when to quit when they were given an out. Jet had hurt too many Pokémon because their trainers refused to lose. Still, Jet would not deny his Charmander this victory. Not when they have come this far!

When Onix got back up, it struggled to do so and its balance was off. Taking advantage of this, Jet told Thorn, Aim for the middle, use Takedown!"

Thorn jumped at Onix with all his might, tackling it around its center of gravity. Onix fell backward into the Platform where Brock was standing. Brock barely had time to get out of the way as his Pokémon fell, now unconscious.

"O-Onix is unable to battle. Charmander is the winner! The Victory goes to Brown!"

The crowd erupted with cheers. Jet jumped down from his platform and ran at Thorn, who was now standing on Onix. Jet picked Thorn up and tossed him in the air, saying, "You did it, buddy! You beat him, by a landslide! I'm so proud of you!"

Thorn started glowing and Jet put him down. The crowd cheered even louder as Thorn evolved into a Charmeleon. Jet was speechless; all his life he always wanted a Charmeleon.

Thorn was now about two feet taller. The muscles that Jet had tried to work during training were now more pronounced than ever. His claws were white and sharp, his fangs were more deadly than ever. Thorn let out a roar of fire from his maw, it was bright blue.

Jet laughed and grabbed Thorn by the back of his head. Putting his brow against Thorn's, Jet said, "You and me, we'll take on the fucking world! Together we'll step into the fire, and come out fucking champions!"

Thorn closed his eyes and growled appreciatively. Jet recalled him with a large smile on his face. If nothing else, Jet felt, this was a sign that he was going the stars. Fuck the regionals, Jet and Thorn were going for the world championships.

Brock walked up with his assistant and said, "You were really something. That was my first loss since becoming a Gym leader, and I couldn't even get a hit on your last Pokémon. By the power invested in me by the Pokémon League, I now present you with the Boulder badge!"

He handed Jet a badge that looked like charm he wore around his neck. He handed Jet a check and said, "Here is your winnings, the odds of you beating me were five to one, so that's a pretty significant check."

Jet raised his eyebrows, "I get odds?"

Brock nodded, "League rules. All Gym's offer odds. And finally, I present you with this TM; Rock Tomb. It's my signature attack."

Jet grinned and said, "Thanks, you didn't have to-"

"Actually, I do. League rules."

Jet laughed and said, "I'll take what I can get."

Author's Notes:

I figured it was best to do the whole Gym battle in one chapter. In case you're wondering; when Mankey and Mudkip were fighting underground Mudkip flooded the tunnel while Mankey choked him. Some stuff happened before that, but I'll leave that to your imagination.

*Jet's Team:

Charmeleon/Thorn- Lv. 21

Mankey/ Pugsly- Lv. 18

Pidgey/ Sora- Lv. 17

Butterfree/ Butters- Lv. 16

Beedrill/ Hornet- Lv. 16

Pichu/ Spark- Lv. 16

*Brock's Team

Zubat- Lv. 15

Geodude- Lv. 17

Mudkip- Lv. 19

Rhyhorn- Lv. 16

Vulpix- Lv. 24

Onix- Lv. 18

So, what did you think of the first Gym battle? Too long? Too short? Too unrealistic, (C'mon, its Pokémon, guys!), or did you enjoy it overall?

Leave me a comment to let me know!