"Thanks Nurse Joy." The two got their Pokemon back from Nurse Joy in the Pokemon Center and left heading towards the Pewter City Gym.
"Who's going first?"
"What do you mean?" Nile was confused as the Pewter Gym came to view making Kendall stop him beginning to get mad.
"I MEAN WHO'S TAKING ON THE GYM FIRST!"
"Why?"
"THE GYM LEADER CAN'T TAKE ON BOTH OF US AT THE SAME TIME DOOFUS!"
"Excuse me is the Gym Leader here-Brock!" The two entered the gym for Nile to see a familiar Pokemon Doctor talking to his younger brother.
"Huh? Nile! I figured you would be coming soon. How have you been?" The two shook hands while Charmander and Kendall were confused with what was going on.
"How do you know him?"
"Brock is a friend I made back when he stayed at Pallet Town for a while. You're the Gym Leader?"
"Actually I'm just doing a routine check-up, my little brother Forrest is the Gym Leader."
"You're here for a badge?"
"You bet I am!" Forrest and Nile looked at each other with looks of determination that rivaled Ash and Brock's.
"Ahem!" Kendall cleared her throat very loudly making her friend sigh and point at her with his thumb.
"But first Kendall wanted to battle."
"How many Pokemon do you have?"
"Uh...just my Bulbasaur."
"Alright then, normally this would be a 2-on-2. But since you only have one I can make exception this time."
"THE 1-ON-1 BETWEEN KENDALL FROM VERMILLION CITY AND FORREST THE PEWTER CITY GYM LEADER IS ABOUT TO BEGIN!" Brock yelled acting as referee for the battle as Charmander and Nile watched from above. "THE BATTLE WILL BE OVER WHEN ONE SIDE IS UNABLE TO BATTLE!"
"Good luck."
"CHARMANDER!"
"BEGIN!"
"LET'S GO: BULBASAUR!"
"GO: GEODUDE!" The two threw their Pokeballs making Bulbasaur and a Geodude appear on the battlefield and they immediately charged at each other. "MEGA PUNCH!"
"DODGE AND USE VINE WHIP!" Geodude's fist began to glow yellow and he swung it at Bulbasaur who dodged by jumping up and followed it up by hitting him with vines that protruded from its sides. "NOW USE RAZOR LEAF!"
"DODGE AND USE SANDSTORM!" Geodude rolled out of the way of Bulbasaur's Razor Leaf and trapped it in a twister of sand.
"BULBASAUR!"
"USE MEGA PUNCH!" Geodude appeared in the sandstorm and punched Bulbasaur sending it flying backwards shocking Kendall as it struggled to get up.
"Bulbasaur please...get up."
"Bul...ba...saur..." Bulbasaur got up and looked at Geodude ready to attack, but collapsed after taking a step forward.
"BULBASAUR IS UNABLE TO BATTLE! GEODUDE WINS AND THAT MEANS THE WINNER IS FORREST!" Brock announced making Forrest smile as Kendall looked down in sadness.
"Thank you Nurse Joy..." Kendall got her Pokeball from Nurse Joy and slowly trudged out of the Pokemon Center until she bumped into a familiar boy.
"Is that it? You lose once and you give up?"
"Nile...you don't under-"
"A WISEMAN LEARNS FROM DEFEAT!" She looked up wiping tears from her eyes to see Nile looking at her with an expression that told her not to argue. "You learn more from losing than winning. As you win: you become more confident and that becomes your weakness as you feel like you should give up right away if you are defeated. But losing is a whole different lesson: it teaches you that no one is unbeatable, that you should know what you did wrong. That you need to battle is if...your own heart is connected to your Pokemon's...that you're fighting alongside them and they aren't out there by themselves because you're there. Not to be their boss telling them what to do. Your Pokemon is your friend and you shouldn't give up, become stronger with your partner as they'll only become stronger if you're with them." Nile looked at Charmander making him smile causing Kendall to look at Bulbasaur's Pokeball drying her tears.
"Is that what makes you so strong?"
"Yes it is, and those same bonds will make me the Champion."
"Thanks Nile...I needed that."
"Good, now look at what I mean."
"So you ready Nile?" Forrest stood on the battlefield as Brock stood in between him and Nile as Kendall watched from the stands like he had done for her.
"You bet I am."
"THE 2-ON-2 BATTLE BETWEEN NILE FROM PALLET TOWN AND FORREST THE PEWTER CITY GYM LEADER! BOTH SIDES MAY SWAP OUT WHENEVER AND THE BATTLE WILL BE DECIDED WHEN ONE SIDE IS UNABLE TO BATTLE!"
'Ready Charmander?'
"BEGIN!"
"STEELIX LET'S GO!"
"LET'S BRAWL: NIDORAN!" Brock's Steelix rose up and roared as Nile sent out his female Nidoran against him. "USE PECK!" Nidoran's horn began to glow white as she ran up to Steelix and hit him with her horn making the two on the other side chuckle.
"USE IRON TAIL!"
"DODGE AND USE DOUBLE KICK!" Nidoran jumped to the side avoiding Steelix's glowing tail and hit him in the head twice making him fall back in pain. "A critical? NOW USE ROCK SMASH!"
'WHEN DID SHE-' Kendall thought seeing Nidoran headbutt Steelix so hard the ground shook making him roar and fall over unconscious.
"STEELIX IS UNABLE TO BATTLE! NIDORAN WINS!"
"Alright Nido-" Nile's celebration was cut short by Nidoran being covered in a blue light as her shape changed until a pink Nidorina took her place. "ALRIGHT YOU'RE A NIDORINA NOW!" Nidorina jumped into her trainer's arm as he laughed still reeling what had just happened.'
"Alright no time for celebrating. RHYPERIOR GO!" Forrest returned Steelix and replaced him with a Rhyperior who roared making Nidorina run back onto the field.
"Ready girl?" Nidorina nodded before running up to Rhyperior feeling confident. "DOUBLE KICK!"
"MEGAHORN!" Rhyperior tried to hit Nidorina but she jumped over his attack and kicked him twice sending him stumbling forward. "HORN DRILL!" Nidorina had no time to react as Rhyperior's horn began to spin and was hit by it making her fly back unconscious.
"Nidorina is unable to battle! Rhyperior wins!"
"Return, you fought well my friend." Nile looked at his Pokeball smiling before looking at Charmander with the same determination he had in his eyes. "READY BUD?"
"CHAR!" Charmander ran onto the field making Kendall look at the two of them in shock.
"GUYS HE ISN'T-" She stopped yelling seeing Nile look at her grinning.
"Ash wouldn't give up, he won his badge here using Pikachu so I won't give up! CHARMANDER USE SCRATCH!" Charmander ran up to Rhyperior and scratched him making Forrest and the Rock/Ground type chuckle.
"USE HORN DRILL AGAIN!"
"DODGE USING EMBER!" Right as Charmander was about to be hit by the attack, he unleashed the strongest ember he ever had sending Rhyperior backwards. Meanwhile he used it to do a backflip and looked at Rhyperior with a smile making his trainer smile as well. "We're about to go all out." Nile looked at his partner in surprise to see him be enveloped in fire.
"Is he evolving too?"
"CHAAAAR...MAAANDER!" Charmander flew forward and hit Rhyperior making him slide back in pain as the baby fire type was smiling with a look that would make a champion's pokemon jealous...it looked like he knew he was about to win.
"That was Flame Charge...CHARMANDER USE FLAME CHARGE THEN SCRATCH AND FOLLOW IT UP WITH ANOTHER FLAME CHARGE!"
"USE MEGAHOR-" Before Rhyperior's attack could land, Charmander hit him in the head with Flame Charge and then scratched him twice making the rock type groan in pain until he was hit one more time by Flame Charge making him fall back unconscious.
"Here you go Nile, the Boulder Badge." Brock handed Nile his first Gym Badge making the boy smile and look at it in the light.
"Thanks Brock...hey where's Ash right now?"
"Well he was on his way to Celadon City but something came up and he went back to Cerulean."
"Alright I hope I'll meet him before he leaves."
"You know your friend just won against Forrest right?"
"Yeah, I made a trade with her." The two looked into the Gym to see Kendall holding Bulbasaur and Nile's male Nidoran celebrating her recent victory. "I traded her my Nidoran for a Spearow she caught a few hours ago that wouldn't stop attacking her."
"You know you remind me a little of him. But do you think when the time comes, you can beat Ash?"
"I hope so but if I can't...then I'll train until I can beat him and show him I'm not the squirt he knew since before he left on his first journey."
