Author's Note: I would have put this chapter up sooner, but I'm sure I'm not the only one who's been experiencing that error message that keeps popping up.

For those of you who still can't update: when you click on the name of your story to edit it, just change the word "property" to "content" in the address bar, and there you go :) (Just so you know, I got this information off of 's facebook page xD)

Anyway...I revised Chapter 4-6, but all the basic information is still the same. I think I'll be running occasional revisions like that throughout my story to make sure that I'm doing my absolute best. Well, here's Chapter 7. Don't forget to review! :)

Chapter 7: Onwards

Training no longer seemed like a great idea after our ordeal with the Eevee, and none of us could figure out how three Normal type Pokémon could generate attacks that were impossible for the rest of their kind. Saying that they were unique was just the tip of the iceberg. In any case, we departed the following morning for Pewter City, the site of our first Gym battle.

We made our way towards Viridian Forest, which separated us from Pewter City. It was well known for its variety of wildlife, a fact that my friends and I soon got to experience firsthand. I was going to need another Pokémon if I hoped to win the Boulder Badge without having to use Hisa, and Eevee certainly wasn't going to be much help.

First, Riley and I both spotted a Pikachu, which was one of the rarest Pokémon around. We argued competitively over who was going to catch it since we'd both seen it at the same time, but in the end, Lance caught it while we weren't looking.

"And you thought I was slow?" he teased, happily twirling the Poké Ball on his finger. Riley and I had glared at him, twitching in agitation. We decided not to answer him.

Further down the road, I almost thought that Riley had lost his mind when he randomly threw a Poké Ball into the undergrowth. When he retrieved it, however, he opened it and revealed to us the magenta form of a Nidoran and the fact that he was still sane. I began to think that I really would have to use Hisa in my Gym battle if I didn't catch anything before we arrived in Pewter.

Soon enough, however, I spotted a round, purple form sitting in the branches of a tree. Two long, white antennas protruded from the top of the Pokémon's head, somewhat erect over a pair of large, ruby, compound eyes. A pair of short, clawed hands grew out from underneath its miniature pincers, while two, flat feet kept it balanced on the branch which it stood on.

Without really thinking, I hurled a Poké Ball through the air, hoping that somehow I would be able to catch the Insect Pokémon. It might have been disadvantaged against Pewter City's Rock type Gym, but hey, it was better than nothing. The Bug type disappeared with a flash of red light, and the Poké Ball snapped shut, shaking violently on the forest floor. After trembling once, twice, three times…a chime filled the air, and the sphere was still.

"Sleep Powder!"

The bud on Ivysaur's back began to quiver, releasing a wave of glittering blue powder that drifted towards us. Just looking at the attack made me drowsy, but I knew that drifting off now would be consequential.

"Quick, use Supersonic!" I ordered. My newly caught Venonat immediately began to emit a high-pitched, squeal-like sound from his antennas, releasing yellow sound waves that caused the air to waver. The powder dissipated on contact, although our attack hadn't reached the target. "Now, close in with Tackle!"

The Bug Pokémon leapt through the opening in the Sleep Powder, swiftly barreling towards the Grass type. That was when Riley smirked.

"You haven't lost your touch, have you? Even still…you can't close the gap between our Pokémon's strength. Ivysaur, if you would."

Before I could comprehend Riley's words, vines shot out from the Seed Pokémon's bulb, swatting Venonat into the air. Without a moment's hesitation, a barrage or razor-sharp leaves flew from Ivysaur's back, buffeting the Insect Pokémon and blowing him back towards my side of the field.

"Venonat!" I called, reaching out to catch the Bug Pokémon. His purple fuzz was patched with dust, and his antennas drooped over his eyes.

"Veno-nat…" Venonat's usually clear voice was faint, a clear sign of his defeat.

"You did a good job today," I praised. It was the truth, considering the fact that I had only had him for a few hours. We had arrived in Pewter a short while ago, but the sun was already beginning to set. Using our last few hours of daylight to train seemed reasonable, although Lance had made a bee line for the cafeteria as soon as we checked into the Pokémon Center.

"Are you ready for the Gym?" Riley asked after I had returned Venonat to his Poké Ball. I frowned at him, wondering why he would ask such an obvious question.

"Of course! Why wouldn't I be?"

Riley withdrew his Pokémon, returning the Poké Ball to his belt and stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"Well," he began with a shrug, "in case you haven't noticed, none of your Pokémon are exactly…...effective against Rock types."

I froze, suddenly realizing that Riley was right. Charizard were twice as vulnerable to Rock type attacks, even though I was sure that Hisa could easily defeat the Gym Leader without so much as a scratch. Eevee was out of the question, and a Bug type like Venonat was susceptible as well.

"I'll figure something out," I said stubbornly. "I just need another day."

"Why don't you just use Hisa and take them out?" Riley suggested. There was a hint of cockiness on his face, as if to suggest that using Hisa was equivalent to cheating. I narrowed my eyes at him.

"I'll do it I without Hisa," I asserted. "Or at least, he'll be my last resort. That's why I need another day." Riley's expression fell, as if he hadn't thought that I would actually do it.

"But...won't figuring out how to defeat a Rock type Gym with only a Bug type to use take a long time? Besides, you won't be able to watch Lance's match or mine if you're too busy training."

"Yeah," I sighed. "But hey, there's still the rest of the Pokémon League to go."

"True."

That's why I need to build up on my other Pokémon as much as possible, I thought. I can't win the Indigo League with just Hisa.

And so, our training began.