I'm gonna start suggesting music to be played just as an extra little thing for those who would like to spice things up to listen to.

Music:

VS Roark-HGSS Kanto Gym Leader

HGSS: Sinnoh Saga

Season 1

Chapter IX: Rock'd

Dawn stood inside the Pokemon Center, gripping her pokeballs tightly.

"This is horrible! I don't have three pokemon to challenge Roark with!" She shouted out loud, but not quite enough for anyone in earshot except for her friends to have heard. Except one.

"Hey, ms?" A boy tugged on her sleeve. She turned and faced him. "You can have two to three pokemon for that gym..." In a second, he dashed out of the Pokemon Center.

Dawn glanced towards the doors as he exited.

"Really?" She thought to herself. Jim and Ethan stood up and stood next to her.

"Seems like you can battle him after all..." Ethan said with a smile.

Dawn shrugged. "That seemed kind of convenient..." Dawn sighed and smirked. "OFF TO THE GYM!" Dawn barreled out of the Pokemon Center. Ethan and Jim shot glances at each other.

"Well, I'm gonna head to the gym..." Ethan started.

"Well, I'm not. I'm gonna blow it off and head to the Oreburgh Mine," Jim said, and without another word or eyecatch, he was gone. Ethan crossed his arms and rolled his eyes, following out of the Center.

Ethan stands in the front of the Pokemon Center, which is at the center of town. He sees a crossroad, where a sign stands and reads, "Left: Oreburgh Gym, Right: Oreburgh Mine."

Ethan sighed and his arms fell in front of him. "I suppose Dawn is my friend as well, so I have to watch her match. I might also get some tips for how to beat Roark!" Ethan beams and heads down the left path, towards the Gym.

Up ahead, at the Gym, Dawn stands in the front, gazing at the large rocky structure. It was all dark gray, shaped as a dome with a strange feeling around it, as if everything was silent. Large craggy 'spikes' at the top made it look almost menacing.

"Gah, I didn't realize Gyms would look so...frightening!" Dawn thought to herself. Looking forward, she saw Cody, the kid who had saved her in Oreburgh Gate. Dawn walked slowly forward. Cody was actually facing the door to the Gym, but farther ahead.

Tapping on his shoulder, he turned around. His face brightened. "Oh, it's you! Dawn?"

"Yeah...I was just about to face the Gym Leader..." Dawn answered.

"Cool, I was actually about to talk to him about something..." He beckoned her to enter. Inside, it was like a lobby, almost. There was a large room with a desk and chairs, carpet and a rock 'chandelier' hanging from the low ceiling. A tunnel led into the battlefield. Cody walked towards the tunnel and knocked. Someone answered the door. It was Roark.

"Yo, bro, a challenger is here!" Cody greeted.

"Brother?" Dawn asked. Suddenly, the front door to the gym was thrown open and Ethan walked in, surveying the area. "Ethan!" She backtracked to where Ethan stood. "Did you know that Roark had a brother?"

"Of course I didn't know that..." Ethan shrugged it off.

"Well, we are. Anyway, Dawn, that battle?" Roark waved his hand for her to follow.

Ethan followed, and stopped at the doorway where Cody stood.

"So, you're a trainer too, I assume?" Cody asked, crossing his arms.

"Mhm. I'm battling Roark after Dawn...Are you a trainer?"

"No, but I will be today. After Roark gets my Pokemon!" Cody answered, ecstatic.

"What? After he gets your pokemon?" Ethan glared at Cody. "It's not just about owning them. It's about capturing them yourself, creating a bond, creating a bond of friendship. You can't just rely on someone else to get your own pokemon for you..." Ethan, without another word, walked into the battlefield area, leaving Cody to follow, angrily.

In the larger room, Roark and Dawn set up on opposite sides of the boulder-infested field.

"So, you have three pokemon right?" Roark asked, taking out a pokeball.

"Nope!" Dawn cheered. "Only two."

Roark tripped forward in astonishment. "You mean, all this time and you didn't come prepared?" He asked, putting the ball away.

"What? Some kid told me that you could use two pokemon...or three!" Dawn shrieked back, kicking a pebble.

"I'm sorry. But, this Gym has strict rules that you need three pokemon to battle me with. I guess our battle is canceled until further notice!" Roark informed her.

"Wait! If she can't battle, can I?" Ethan asked.

"ETHAN!" Dawn screamed at him.

"What!" Ethan shouted back.

"If you have three pokemon, my schedule is technically free!" Roark agreed. Ethan cheered and his face turned to seriousness.

"All right then! Let's go!" Ethan stomped.

Roark and Ethan set up on opposite sides of the rocky terrain battlefield.

Ethan draws a pokeball as the referee sets himself up.

"Trainers. This battle is between the Gym Leader Roark," he waved a green flag towards the man in the construction hat, "and the challenger Ethan," he waved his hand towards Ethan. "This match shall be a three on three match, and the challenger may only substitute. The winner will be decided when either side has been knocked out completely! And...Begin!" He waved the flags.

"Let's go, Onix!" Roark threw a ball and it sailed through the air, finally releasing a large, bulky snake to lay across the ground. "Onix will break you!" Roark exclaimed with a smile.

Ethan twisted and tossed his pokeball with all his heart into the air. "Come out, Piplup, show 'em who's boss!" Piplup came shining out of the ball, flipping through the air and finishing with a land on a flat rock.

"Onix, use Slam!" Onix flipped its tail across its head and it came plummeting down over Piplup.

"Piplup, jump on its tail and use Bubblebeam!" Piplup waited for a moment, then sprang off the boulder, avoiding the potentially painful attack. Twisting, it landed on one of Onix's rocks, releasing a barrage of bubbles from its beak. They collided and exploded harshly on Onix's head, leaving a cloud of smoke. Onix toppled backwards, seemingly fainted.

Ethan waited for a moment, realizing the ref was not calling the faint. Suddenly, Roark shouted, "Onix, Iron Tail!" Suddenly, the tail of the pokemon lashed upwards and struck downwards at the unsuspecting blue penguin standing oblivious atop a rock on Onix's body.

"Piplup, use Bide!" The tail slammed down as Onix's body shifted to the side, dropping Piplup as the attack landed. Suddenly, when the air's tension was highest, a white light erupted and Onix was taken within. In a few moments, Onix lay sprawled on the ground, fainted. Piplup stumbled backwards and fell against a boulder, panting.

"Onix is unable to battle!" The referee announced.

Roark recalled his pokemon with the red laser. Tossing another ball into the air without hesitation, he smirked. "Geodude, let's go!" A boulder with arms crashed onto the field. "Rock Throw!" Driving its hands into the dirt, it raised them and released sharp edged rocks towards Piplup.

"Piplup, use Bubblebeam!" Piplup stood straight and released a team of bubbles that collided with the rocks and destroyed them. Piplup dashed forward, releasing more bubbles.

The constant raid of bubbles slammed into Geodude, shoving it back inch by inch. Soon, it crashed into a rock and tumbled backwards, fainted.

"What?" Roark shouted in disbelief.

"Geodude is unable to battle!" The referee declared.

Roark shamelessly recalled his rock and stood erect. "All right, my Cranidos will put you out of your misery!" He tossed a ball into the air and released a prehistoric looking pokemon. It stomped and roared. Its head was cocked, like a gun, ready to fire its strength.

Piplup reared forward. "Piplup, use Pound!" As Piplup started, Cranidos fired its speed and rammed its head into Piplup, tossing it back through three rocks consecutively. Piplup rolled in front of Ethan, fainted.

"Piplup is unable to battle!" The referee announced.

Ethan drew a ball and tossed it, hopefully. "Starly, let's hit it!" Starly fluttered from the beam of white and into the air, chirping wildly. "Starly, Aerial Ace!" Starly, with a little hesitation, dove down, surrounded by piercing air.

"Cranidos, use Flamethrower!" Cranidos pointed itself upward and opened its mouth, releasing a large eruption of fire that engulfed Starly, tossing it to the ground. Starly was released from the flames, barely able to stand. "Cranidos, use Stealth Rock!" The horns on Cranidos' head sparkled and small particles shot over to Ethan's side, puncturing the ground. In their place when the light cleared, rocks stood, sharp, menacing rocks. "Cranidos, Headbutt!" Cranidos rocketed into the air, flipped and shot down towards Starly. It collided and a cloud of smoke and dirt exploded. Starly was left fainted in a crater. Cranidos stumbled back, and gave a battle cry.

"Starly is unable to battle!"

Ethan recalled his Starly and scratched Aipom's head, who was atop Ethan's shoulder. It hopped down onto the battlefield.

"Aipom, let's take them down!" Ethan called out. Aipom stood on its tail and cheered.

"Cranidos, douse them in flames!" Cranidos released another sharp Flamethrower.

"Aipom, jump!" Aipom sprang into the air, the flames passing by and shattering a boulder. Aipom flipped and towered down. "Focus Punch!" Aipom's tail glowed and it struck downwards fiercely.

"Cranidos, use Head Smash!" A blue energy exploded around Cranidos and it shot into the air like a dart, its head reared.

"Aipom, dive away!" Aipom flipped its tail and threw itself in a different direction, latching itself onto the wall of the Gym. Cranidos went flying, but then came out of Head Smash state, floating in the air slowly.

"Headbutt!" Cranidos used the momentum from before and rocketed towards Aipom.

"Aipom, use Swift!" A second passed where Aipom released a few stars, then Cranidos crashed into Aipom. The smoke billowed, and Cranidos fell downwards, into a rock, laying on its side. Aipom was thrown and rolled across the ground, finally settling against a boulder.

"Let's settle this! Focus Punch!" Ethan ordered. The weakened monkey stood and dashed forward, tail readied.

"Agreed! Cranidos, use Head Smash!" Cranidos stood weakly and rammed forward, coated in powerful blue energy. In the middle of the field, the two Pokemon clashed. As the energy cycled and split between them, Aipom's threw its fist through all of it and slammed into Cranidos' forehead, lobbing it back roughly through the dirt.

It settled in front of Roark. Aipom knelt down, panting.

"The winner is..." The referee started as he glanced from pokemon to pokemon. Cranidos toppled. "Aipom! The challenger Ethan wins the match!" He waved his flag.

Ethan jumped up in the air and cheered. Aipom hopped into his arms.

"Woo hoo! We won! Great job buddy!" He congratulated the pokemon in his arms.

Roark recalled his Cranidos and smiled. "Thanks, friend. And as for you, Ethan..."

Later, outside, Roark handed Ethan a badge.

"That was a well-fought and drawn-out battle...I hope we can have another some time...!" Roark beamed.

"Thanks, Roark..." Ethan gripped the badge and hopped. "We got...the Coal Badge!" Ethan smiled brightly.

Cody stood next to Roark, and tapped him on his shoulder.

Roark glanced down and smirked. "I know, I'll head over to get your pokemon..." Roark started.

"No!" Cody cut in. "I actually want to get it myself..." Cody smiled.

Roark nodded. "So, you really want to do it all by yourself? That's wonderful...How about we head over to the mine now?" Roark suggested.

"Sure!" Dawn cheered. "Hey, Jim's down there isn't he? He'll want to know how this all turned out..." Dawn started.

Suddenly, the group heard a loud explosion coming from the other side of Oreburgh.

Roark grimaced. "Why do I have a stunning feeling that can't be good?"

The group hurried away from the Gym.