Chapter 10

The Boulder Badge

The howling wind died down as Patrick ducked into the dark cave. This high up in the mountains the air was frigid and cut through Patrick's hoodie, chilling the skin beneath. Shivering slightly, Patrick rubbed his hands together to warm up the numb digits. Bounding into the cave behind him Meowth and Nidoran stretched and shook out their fur, happy to be out of the wind.

"Meowth, check the back of the cave. Make sure we are alone." Patrick said in a soft voice. "Nidoran, stay at the entrance, listen for anything approaching. Bug, you're my light while I double-check the map."

Without hesitation, all members of Patrick's team sprang into action. Meowth slunk into the darkness of the cave, her wide eyes seeing far more than Patrick's own. Tentatively, she checked each rock and boulder she passed, wary of sleeping Geodude or Graveler. Meanwhile, Nidoran crouched at the entrance of the cave, radar-like ears twitching back and forth searching for any noise.

As Patrick pulled the map out of his jacket pocket Bug glowed a soft yellow. Clinging onto the front of Patrick's hoodie, the small spider illuminated the map enough for Patrick to make out where they were.

Brock had given him the rough map earlier that morning with instructions to retrieve the 'Pokémon egg' from the mountain Patrick was currently climbing. While not a totally realistic scenario, the first test for the Boulder badge assessed a Trainer's ability to navigate mountainous terrain and retrieve objects of value.

6 hours later, Patrick was miles away from Pewter and finally climbing the correct mountain. The hike up to the top wasn't particularly difficult and Patrick had already passed the most dangerous part, a narrow ridge dug into the side of a sheer cliff face that served as the path. All that was left was to get the light blue egg. Brock had said the egg wasn't hidden, so finding it shouldn't be difficult.

Confident he knew where he was Patrick folded the map and tucked it into his jacket. Whistling softly, he made his way back to the mouth of the cave. Summoned by the command, Meowth leapt out of the darkness to follow her trainer. Patrick and his team now had over a dozen non-verbal commands comprising of whistles, gestures, and hand signs to help coordinate quickly and quietly.

Resuming climbing the rocky trail, Patrick took a moment to admire the view from his perch on the mountain. Stretching out before him was a wide, flat valley surrounded on three sides by steep mountains and a carpet of dark green foliage far to the south. Nestled in the center of the valley where the city of Pewter and the patchwork of farmland that fed the city. Slightly north of the city, Patrick could still make out the circular scar in the grassland that was the Pewter Gym. Despite it being early summer, the mountaintops surrounding Patrick were still capped in white snow.

Climbing over a particularly large boulder, Patrick got to his feet and raised his eyebrows.

"That was easy," Patrick said happily, looking at the light blue egg sitting on a grey stone pedestal on the plateau in front of him. "All right guys, we are going to grab this and head back to Pewter for our gym battle."

Cautiously walking towards the egg, Patrick's eyes scanned the terrain, searching each shadow for any Pokémon that may have been left to guard the egg. As Patrick got closer to his goal, a pale blue egg almost a foot long, he started to relax and didn't notice the shadow hurtling towards him from high above.

A flash of purple and a blast of wind sent Patrick stumbling back and landing hard on his back. Before Patrick could issue a command, Nidoran and Meowth leapt to his side. Hissing and growling softly, they crouched low to the ground, guarding their downed trainer while looking for the assailant.

Patrick was the first to spot their opponent. Lying on his back, he couldn't help but look at the giant purple bat slowly flapping its multiple wings high above them. Crobat slowly descended until it was hovering just above the egg. Its triangular mouth hung open, showing off its needle-like fangs and long purple tongue.

Carefully, Patrick got back to his feet but the Crobat made no move against him, instead hovering protectively over the egg. Slowly putting space between himself and the bat, he flashed the hand sign for 'retreat' and his two Pokémon followed their trainer as the three walked backward, careful not to make any sudden movements or take their eyes off their opponent.

Stopping at the edge of the plateau, Patrick grabbed his collapsible baton with his right hand and flicked it out to its full length. Tapping his left wrist twice, Bug crawled out of his jacket's hiding spot and latched onto Patrick's wrist. Ready to fire at a moment's notice.

Crouching low with his Pokémon and ready should the Crobat pursue them, Patrick analyzed the situation before him.

Crobat was stronger and faster than Patrick or any of his Pokémon, Patrick had conducted those tests himself. Even fighting four against one it was unlikely that Crobat would be defeated, the power gap was simply too huge. However, since this was a first badge test, there was no way Brock expected Patrick to defeat Crobat. After all, Patrick's mission was to retrieve the egg, so maybe getting the egg and running away would be enough.

The environment didn't give many advantages that Patrick could use. It was a flat rocky plateau, roughly circular with a pedestal in the center. Several boulders were scattered around the stone platform but were too small to offer any cover from the agile bat. The only other feature was a dead tree protruding from a crack in the stone, its bare branches stretching out above the egg. However, it was too thin for Patrick to climb and too narrow to hide behind, so it too was unhelpful.

A vague plan slowly forming in his mind, Patrick whispered hushed instructions to his Pokémon before standing up. Slowly, one step at a time, Patrick moved closer and closer to the pedestal bracing for the imminent gust attack. While Patrick continued his slow advance towards the pedestal Nidoran and Meowth split up, each one circling the outside of the plateau until they were equally spread out.

Once Patrick passed the threshold of 'too close' Crobat struck, blasting a gale of wind at Patrick that send him stumbling backward. Prepared this time, Patrick was able to catch himself from falling again. To the sides Nidoran and Meowth relaxed and backed up slightly, both having begun to charge when Crobat moved.

Estimating where he was standing before he got attacked, Patrick scratched a small line into the stone with the tip of his baton. The scratch was roughly 10 feet from the base of the pedestal and as Patrick attempted to approach the pedestal from multi directions, he found that 10 feet was the boundary no matter his approach.

A few minutes later, Crobat was getting annoyed but Patrick had finally scratched a jagged circle around the pedestal, denoting the 'safe' and 'unsafe' zone. With a nod to his tense Pokémon, the three approached until they all stood on the safe side of the white line.

Hoping to take the bat by surprise Patrick sprang forward to the blue egg, trying to grab it before Crobat could react. His efforts were in vain however because he hadn't even taken a second step before Crobat disappeared in a blur and slammed into Patrick's stomach with a wing attack, blasting the remaining air out of Patrick's lungs and sending him rolling backward. Fighting the urge to help their trainer, Nidoran and Meowth instead both leapt at the egg while Crobat's back was turned.

The two Pokémon got slightly closer than Patrick before Crobat turned and unleashed a gust attack that sent the light Pokémon flying back. Far from the pedestal, Nidoran landed heavily on its side and let out a small groan as it got to its feet. More agile than its comrade, Meowth twisted in the air and landed lightly on the stone next to Nidoran, smirking at the pink rodent.

Patrick took a moment to catch his breath before standing up again, a line of purple bruises already forming along his abdomen. The thin body armor he wore beneath his hoodie had done little to dissipate the force of the attack. Crobat had been faster than he had expected and their first attempt at the end had been a failure.

Cautiously approaching the scratched line, the three team members braced themselves for another try. Inhaling deeply, Patrick tensed before lunging forwards once again. This time he wasn't aiming at the egg, his eyes were tracking the quick bat.

Quickly raising his left arm, Patrick aimed at the big purple bat. As soon as his target was identified, Bug let loose a small bolt of electricity that arced from Patrick's wrist and raced through the open air.

Just before the tendril of electricity hit its mark, Crobat disappeared in a burst of speed and struck Patrick with another wing attack before turning and assaulting the two Pokémon leaping at the egg behind its back.

As one, Patrick and his two Pokémon landed heavily on their backs, each sporting a colorful assortment of bruises. Sitting up, Patrick checked on his two Pokémon who were shakily standing up and stretching out bruised limbs. Crobat's attacks were slowly getting more and more painful, and Patrick feared his Pokémon might be seriously injured if they couldn't get the egg soon.

Noticing that he had fallen next to the old dead tree, a new idea popped into his mind. Using the trunk for support, Patrick pulled himself back up to standing. With a deep breath, Patrick tapped the tree trunk twice with his left hand before striding back to the line, trying not to limp on his bruised hip. Seeing their trainer readying for another attempt, Nidoran and Meowth spread out and took their positions next to the line.

Patrick locked eyes with each of his Pokémon, silently asking if they were ready to continue, and was met with a defiant nod from each. Smiling at their determination, Patrick prepared to lunge, toeing the line with one foot while bracing his back foot behind him he got into a sprinter's start.

Tensing for a moment Patrick yelled "String Shot!" and lunged at the blue egg.

Pulling back its wings to strike the human once again, Crobat didn't notice the web of sticky goo spray from the branches above it. The strands spread out in midair and enveloped the bat in a net that quickly hardened, restricting any movement.

Unable to remain airborne, Crobat struggled against its bonds as it fell from the air and landed heavily on the stone below, its wings awkwardly pinned to its sides. Shifting around on the stone, Crobat looked up at the tree branch that had attacked it and noticed for the first time the yellow spider clinging to the thin branches.

With a grunt of exertion, Crobat ripped through the strands binding it and with a powerful flap of its wings was back in the air. Those few extra seconds were all Patrick needed and by the time Corbat spotted the trainer he was proudly holding up the pale blue egg.

Seeing that Patrick had successfully passed the first test, Crobat smiled at the trainer before turning and gliding back to Pewter, where Brock would likely reward him for a job well done.

Leaping from the tree branches, Joltik landed in Patrick's outstretched hand. With his team all together he quickly gave praise to each member, congratulated them on what they did well, and commented on what he thought could be improved on next time. Fishing in his pockets, he threw Nidoran and Meowth a handful of treats and offered Bug an AA battery. Happily accepting the battery Joltik dragged it into Patrick's hood where it began draining the stored electricity. With the 'egg' firmly tucked under his arm, Patrick started the long descent back to Pewter and his first gym battle.

0000

"Begin!" The referee called from the perimeter of the large black circle.

Patrick's first gym battle had begun with significantly less fanfare than the 8-badge gym battle he had witnessed weeks earlier. For starters, gym classes were still in session. All around the designated battlefield trainers and Pokémon were working out, battling, or participating in classes with very few of them giving any attention to the battle that was about to start. Rob and Ed luckily had the day off from guard duty and were standing on the sidelines, simultaneously cheering on Meowth and heckling Brock's Geodude he had just released.

"Rock smash that Geodud! I've seen tougher rocks in the bottom of my shoe!" One of the brothers yelled.

Ignoring his friends… creative… insults, Patrick turned his attention to the battle at hand.

Brock had predictably released a Geodude, famous for their tough hide and infamous for their low intelligence. Roughly the size of a basketball Geodude used their thick arms to either walk or manipulate objects but were unable to do both at the same time. This was considered one of the main weaknesses of their species, which was luckily corrected once Geodude evolved into Graveler. Some Geodude were able to manipulate their body's magnetic field and could levitate, allowing them to move while keeping their hands free. Judging by the fact that this Geodude was firmly on the ground, it did not possess that ability.

Crouched low to the ground across from the Geodude, Meowth hissed. The big house cat was slowly circling the perimeter of the battlefield, forcing the awkward Rock-type to pivot to keep its eyes on her. Ears pressed flat against its skull and hackles raised, Meowth was significantly bigger than the malnourished Pokémon Patrick had captured in Viridian.

Brock quietly watched the two Pokémon assess each other and allowed Patrick to put whatever strategy he had imagined into play. Slightly behind Brock and to the side, one of the Pewter gym trainers held a clipboard and quickly scribbled any observations that Brock made during the battle. That paper would be used to decide whether Patrick's performance was worthy of the Boulder badge or not.

Seeing that Brock was making no moves to begin the fight Patrick made eye contact with Meowth and with a snap of his fingers instructed his Pokémon to engage.

Darting forward, Meowth quickly closed the distance between the two. Ducking under Geodude's slow swipe, Meowth unleashed a flurry of fury swipes. Each swipe raked against the Geodude's spherical body, covering its rough hide with crisscrossing scratch marks. Before Geodude could attempt another attack Meowth disengaged and leapt backward, safely putting some distance between the two.

Bewildered at the rapid attacks, Geodude carefully patted down its body looking for any injuries but its hands came away clean, the cuts too shallow to even draw blood. Satisfied that its fast opponent hadn't injured it, Geodude shuffled around on the ground until it was once again facing its opponent. Meowth hissed and flicked its long tan tail behind it in annoyance.

Stunning Patrick and Meowth, the Geodude firmly grasped the stone floor before it and with a grunt of effort launched itself at the feline. As it sailed through the air on its short flight, Geodude clasped its hands together and raised them above its head before smashing them down where Meowth was standing.

Stunned, but still considerably faster than the Geodude, Meowth was able to leap out of the way and avoid the crushing blow. Geodudes' fists harmlessly slammed into the stone with a dull thud. Grumbling to itself Geodude rubbed its sore firsts together, slightly bruised from the missed attack.

Not allowing the distraction to go to waste, Meowth leapt at Geodude again and slashed its small, sharp claws at the rocky Pokémon. Caught unaware, Geodude could do nothing but blindly grasp at the feline as Meowth covered every inch of its body with tiny cuts.

Disengaging once again to inspect the damage it had caused, Meowth was unsettled to see that Geodude was once again unbothered by the attack and she had been unable to draw a single drop of blood.

"Just focus on the plan." Patrick encouraged, seeing his Meowth was beginning to lose patience. At his feet Nidoran was intently watching every movement Geodude made, ready to be substituted in when needed.

Trainers typically approached gym battles with one of two strategies. Some trainers preferred to keep their Pokémon hidden in their Pokéballs until the moment before they battled. This had the advantage of not showing your opponent what kind of team you had and allowing them to pick more favorable matchups later in the fight. The drawback to this however was that your own Pokémon would be going in effectively blind, unaware of what their opponent was or what it could do. That's why the second group of trainers preferred to release all their Pokémon at the start of the fight, so their Pokémon could watch the battle and size up their opponents themselves. Considering Brock already knew what Pokémon Patrick possessed, it only made sense to go with the second option.

Once again engaging her opponent, Meowth raked her claws against Geodudes rough hide and dodged each of its retaliatory punches and grabs. Not letting up, Meowth kept up the assault. Weaving in and out of the grasping hands, jumping out of range only to lunge back in once she saw an opening. Meowth's dimwitted opponent could barely keep track of the agile cat as the tan blur raced around it, constantly attacking its blind spot and forcing the Rock-type to awkwardly pivot with its arms.

Brock nodded to himself and quietly spoke to the trainer behind him, who jotted the notes down on his clipboard.

While not being particularly hurt by the shallow cuts, Geodude was quickly becoming exhausted trying to keep up with its opponent. Every time it tried to grab Meowth, the cat would simply lunge backward out of reach. If it tried to turn or move to see Meowth, the cat would attack while its arms were planted supporting its body.

Carefully watching Geodude's body language from the sidelines, Patrick held his breath waiting to call out his next command. After a particularly long engagement where Meowth landed several consecutive hits before Geodude could even react, Patrick called out.

"Sand Attack!"

Nodding at the command, Meowth darted forward and while Geodude was busy pivoting with its arm she threw a paw full of sand directly into its eyes. Exhausted and blind, Geodudes survival instincts kicked in and overrode any commands Brock had given it before the battle. Covering its face with its stony palms, Geodude went completely motionless on the ground. Not attacking but covering any vulnerable parts, making it almost indestructible.

"Recalling Meowth, Releasing Nidoran!" Patrick yelled which was met with a nod from the Referee.

Meowth darted back to its trainer and as soon as her paws touched outside the perimeter Nidoran shot forwards, sprinting towards its cowering opponent. Patrick said nothing as his Pokémon entered the battle, Nidoran already knew his part of the plan.

Racing across the stone, Nidoran didn't even slow down as it twisted in midair and attacked Geodude with a powerful double kick. Striking the Rock-type hard enough to elicit a grunt, the misshapen sphere rolled a dozen feet across the flat stone. Charging after the boulder Pokémon, Nidoran unleashed a second double kick that caused the Geodude to curl even tighter and roll even further. Just before Nidoran could unleash a third kick, the referee blew his whistle.

"Geodude is out of bounds, Challenger wins this round!"

A beam of red light cut through the air, recalled the confused Rock-type, and returned to the Pokéball in Brock's outstretched arm.

"Very good! You overwhelmed and disoriented my Geodude until it panicked, and defense curled, then you released your second Pokémon to roll it out of bounds. Very clever." Brock said, praising Patrick while grabbing a second Pokémon from his belt. "I don't think that strategy will work against my next Pokémon, however!"

Tossing the red and white orb into the ring, it exploded into a ball of light before coalescing into a large hulking shape in the middle of the arena. Over four feet tall and completely circular, the living boulder brought its four rugged three-fingered hands together and cracked its knuckles, smirking menacingly down at the Nidoran standing opposite it. Nidoran to his credit didn't back down, glaring defiantly up at the larger Pokémon.

"Shit," Patrick muttered looking across at his formidable opponent. Graveler were incredibly hardy Pokémon, able to take a huge amount of damage and still get up again. If Patrick had a Grass-type he could leech seed the big Pokémon and wait for its energy to be completely drained. Likewise, a Water-type could attack around the thick hide by aiming at joint lines or cracks, blasting high pressured water at the weak points in its armor. Patrick, of course, had neither and had hoped Brock's second Pokémon would be a more harmless Diglett or Sandshrew. He had already drilled his Pokémon on the correct strategies for either, not so for the huge Rock-type standing in front of him now.

"Round 2, 3… 2… 1… Begin!" The Referee called from the sidelines.

"Recalling Nidoran, Releasing Meowth," Patrick called out. In the center of the ring, Nidoran backed away from its opponent, heading towards the black boundary line but unwilling to take its eyes off Graveler. As Nidoran made its way out of bounds, Patrick quickly and quietly gave instructions to Meowth. Just as Nidoran's foot touched the boundary, Meowth leapt into the ring and the fight resumed.

Not wasting a second Graveler charged the feline, sending small vibrations through the stone floor with each heavy step. As the Rock-type neared it drew its two right hands back and swung its arms around, trying to slap the lighter Pokémon clear out of the ring.

The attack may as well have been in slow motion as Meowth easily darted around the attack and unleashed a fury swipe at the Graveler's exposed back. Meowth raked her small sharp claws across its wide back, attempting to draw blood but only managing to chip a claw.

Landing lightly on the ground, Meowth had to quickly leap to the side as Graveler once again tried to catch his nimble opponent. Following Patrick's directions to 'tire him out,' Meowth continued to weave through attacks, always leaving a comfortable amount of space between her fragile body and the crushing blows.

As Meowth continued to dance around her slow opponent Patrick's mind raced, formulating strategy after strategy deeming each one unrealistic, too dangerous, or flat-out idiotic. Glancing down at his Nidoran, he had to hope his Pokémon would somehow be able to defeat the living boulder currently swatting at the Meowth. Nidoran had taken virtually no damage in his short time in the ring and was still brimming with energy. If Meowth was able to exhaust and then blind Graveler too, Nidoran may stand a chance.

On Patrick's shoulder, Bug watched the fight with great interest. The spider had been deemed too small to be able to participate in a gym battle like this. Brock's Pokémon were just too big and powerful to guarantee Bug's safety as one misstep from Graveler would kill Joltik. Perhaps when he had evolved into a Galvantula he would be able to participate in gym battles but currently, Bug was classified as a companion Pokémon.

Several more minutes passed as Patrick watched Meowth fall into an easy rhythm of dodging and counterattacking before dodging again. Although Meowth had failed to damage Graveler, she still took every opportunity to put its armor to the test. Meanwhile, Graveler was grunting and growling with every missed attack, frustration, and the faintest hints of fatigue beginning to sink in.

After a particularly near miss, where Graveler almost grabbed Meowth's tail as she shot past him, Patrick decided it was time to switch Pokémon and give Meowth a rest. Nudging Nidoran to get ready, Patrick instructed Meowth to sand attack Graveler and then retreat.

Landing from her latest failed attack, Meowth gathered up some sand in her paw and turned to her bigger opponent. Leaping at the boulder Pokémon before it could prepare another attack, Meowth threw the sand directly into Graveler's small black eyes.

Even as the sand hit its eyes, Graveler's foremost arms shot up and clamped its thick fingers around Meowth's frame. With a startled yowl Meowth struggled against her capture, biting, and clawing at the digits but unable to escape the vice-like grip.

Blinking against the sand still stinging its eyes, Graveler slowly moved towards the edge of the ring before tossing the still struggling cat high into the air and out of the arena. Flipping in midair, Meowth was able to land on her feet but she was already far past the black boundary line and was subsequently disqualified.

Angrily padding over to her trainer, Patrick congratulated her for tiring out and blinding the much bigger opponent. Even while irate, Meowth still leaned into Patrick's hand and purred as he gave her a quick neck scratch. Nidoran was called into the ring then, the last of Patrick's Pokémon registered to fight in the badge match.

Hopping into the ring for the final round, Nidoran once again stood before his massive opponent. The Graveler had used the break between rounds to wipe most of the sand out of its eyes and glared down at the pink rodent with red irritated eyes.

Once both opponents were ready, the referee began the fight.

Not wasting a second, Nidoran shot forward. Dashing across the stone towards Graveler, whose arms were out wide ready to catch its small opponent and toss Nidoran out of the ring. Without breaking stride Nidoran shook its poisonous quills and released a volley of poison stings that sailed through the air towards Graveler.

Using one massive hand to shield his vulnerable eyes, Graveler let the tiny white needles shatter against his thick skin. The weak attack did no damage whatsoever.

Lower its hand Graveler's eyes widen in surprise at the airborne rodent flying towards him. Before the Rock-type could react, Nidoran kicked him directly in the forehead with its strong back legs and causing the big Pokémon to stagger a step backward.

The second Nidoran's feet touched the ground, he charged his off-balance opponent once again. Brandishing his horn rather than his hind legs, Nidoran struck the Graveler with a horn attack and forced the huge Pokémon back another step.

From the sidelines, Patrick watched with pride as his Pokémon overwhelmed the Graveler with a barrage of double kicks, horn attacks, and poison stings. Graveler had already been driven back a dozen feet from where the match had begun and had been unable to land even a glancing blow against Nidoran.

Brimming with energy while his opponent had been tired out fighting Meowth, Nidoran darted around the boulder Pokémon's slow grabs and swings and landed another sold blow against his opponent. Taking another step backward, Graveler was beginning to near the black line and a ring out.

Before Nidoran could land another blow, however, Graveler clamped its arms tight to its sides and leaned forward to begin a slow rollout.

Patrick's heart dropped as the large Pokémon became a sphere. Graveler was nearly unstoppable once their rollout picked up speed. Only the most powerful physical or special attack could even injure them in this state. The best way to deal with a rolling Graveler was to simply avoid their attacks until they tired themselves out or ran into something solid.

Before Patrick's mind could sink further into despair, however, Graveler uncurled itself and got back to its feet. Once again standing in the center of the ring.

Seeing the attack abruptly called short, Patrick nodded to himself. The ring was too small for Graveler to fully roll out, as he would quickly lose control and shoot past the boundary line. However, he could still use it to reposition himself safely inbounds and Nidoran wouldn't be able to stop him.

Nidoran let out a growl of irritation as he watched all his progress get reversed with a single move. Now Graveler was just as far from the line as before and Nidoran was panting lightly.

Unwilling to stop, however, Nidoran once again threw himself at the larger opponent. Swarming around the Rock-type and attacking every exposed body part and then darting away when Graveler swung at him.

As Nidoran pressed the offensive, Graveler's attacks were coming closer and closer to striking Nidoran, as the bigger Pokémon began to learn Nidoran's attack patterns and attempted to predict where the pink Pokémon might attack next.

Throughout the battle, Brock said nothing to Graveler. Allowing his Pokémon to create and implement their own strategy. Instead, Brock watched Nidoran and Patrick intently as the two attempted to topple his massive Pokémon.

With a thud of flesh hitting flesh and a cry of pain, Nidoran went flying. Spinning in the air before bouncing and rolling across the stony battlefield. After a dozen failed attempts Graveler had successfully predicted Nidoran's next attack and met it with a fist the size of Nidoran's torso.

Lying on the ground, Nidoran took deep heaving breaths as every body part throbbed with pain. A massive purple bruise was beginning to form on his side, and he now sported tiny cuts all over his body from rolling across the rough floor.

Rolling over, Nidoran slowly and painfully stood back up. He swayed once as joints and muscles protested the movement but remained on his feet.

Not allowing his opponent to recover, Graveler was already charging the downed rodent, ready to knock out or ring out the smaller opponent. With a grunt of effort, Nidoran was just able to dodge the next fist that came hurting towards it but took a glancing blow from the second fist that quickly followed.

Nidoran once again tumbled across the unforgiving floor, a new bruise and a dozen more cuts covering his battered body.

Unable to watch his Pokémon take any more damage, Patrick slowly raised his hand.

"Referee, I fore-" Patrick began but was immediately silenced by Nidoran who shot Patrick a furious scowl.

"Challenger, do you wish to forfeit?" The referee prodded.

Locking eyes with Nidoran, Patrick almost took a step back by the sheer intensity of the small rodent's gaze. Searching the rodent's eyes for any fear, any doubt, or hesitation, all Patrick could find was a wild fury and a desire, a need to continue this battle. To walk out of the ring a victor, or not walk out at all.

"We will continue," Patrick said after a moment, nodding at his Pokémon and allowing Nidoran to continue the fight. Through sheer willpower, the pink rodent once again got to its feet and glared defiantly at Patrick, Graveler, the referee, and anyone else who thought the fight was over.

With a growl, Nidoran stomped, challenging the bigger Pokémon to attack again.

Bemused by his opponent's actions, Graveler responded to the taunt by leaning into a tackle, intending to drive the rodent out of the ring once and for all.

Staring down the big Pokémon charging toward him, Nidoran dug his small claws into the ground. Just as Graveler was about to reach him, Nidoran leapt out of the way. Clearing the attack by inches before pivoting and tackling the big Pokémon's back. Slightly injuring the Graveler with his small horn.

Patrick watched on with concern as his Pokémon continued to fight against the indestructible monster Brock had released. Fighting more cautiously than he had at the beginning of the match, Nidoran was now waiting for his opponent to charge him before making moves to dodge, forcing the big Pokémon to cross the arena each time. Several times Nidoran attempted to trick the bigger Pokémon into stepping out of bounds by backing up to the boundary line and dodging a tackle at the last moment. Graveler had been in far too many gym battles to fall for a strategy like that however and simply stopped short of the boundary each time.

The two Pokémon held a stalemate for several minutes this way. Nidoran forced Graveler to chase him across the battlefield, attacking any openings he saw before darting away again. As the minutes dragged on, tempers started to flare. Graveler began to charge more recklessly and Nidoran in turn began to take more risks, hitting harder and more often.

Slowly, the tide began to turn as Nidoran seemed to become stronger and faster with each passing minute.

Nidoran began dodging Gravelers reckless attacks by wider and wider margins. Nagging injuries that had been limiting Nidoran's movements were now shrugged off as the Pokémon raced around the ring. Nidoran's lungs gasped for air as his muscles screamed for rest, but Nidoran refused to stop. Falling into a trance-like fury, Nidoran allowed his instincts to guide him. Dodging attacks, he didn't see but felt coming and responding with his own increasingly powerful attacks.

The outside world fell away as Nidoran sped up even more, attacks now hitting with echoing cracks that sent the boulder Pokémon to its knees. Bewildered by the onslaught, Graveler could do nothing but attempt to block the heavy blows.

As Patrick watched his Pokémon dominate the battle, he realized what was happening and let himself smile before quickly schooling his features.

Brock chuckled as he too realized what was happening and said a few quiet words to the trainer with the clipboard. The trainer's eyes widened as he looked back at the battle before quickly scribbling down a series of notes.

A handful of trainers who had finished their classes now stood on the outskirts of the arena, watching the fight unfold. Scattered whispers swept through the as they watched Nidoran hit Graveler with another crushing blow that send the big Pokémon to his knees.

Blindly swiping its thick arms, Graveler managed to hit Nidoran and knocked the rodent across the arena with an impact that would have previously been debilitating. But Nidoran shrugged the attack off and as soon as his feet touched the ground he once again raced at the Graveler, striking it with a vicious horn attack that left a bleeding puncture wound in Graveler's thick, grey skin.

Groaning in pain, Graveler gave up all attempts at defending and instead went on offense, hoping to finish the fight with a single blow. As the two Pokémon fought, Patrick's suspicions were confirmed when a soft white glow began to fill the arena.

Glowing brighter and brighter Nidoran continued to pressure the bigger Pokémon, racing around the arena with speed he had never shown before. Hitting harder and harder. Not giving Graveler time to react or recover.

Glowing with the light of a miniature sun, Nidoran tackled Graveler with an echoing boom that knocked the Pokémon clear off its feet onto its round back. Trainers and Pokémon alike shielded their eyes as the white light pulsed once more before fading.

In the ring, Graveler lay on its back, bruised, and bloodied but not daring to move. An 8-inch, wickedly sharp purple horn hovered inches from its face. Thick, three clawed legs stamped painfully on two of Graveler's arms, pinning them to the ground. Breathing heavily, a rush of endorphins and adrenaline coursed through Nidorino's veins as he glared down at his opponent.

"I forfeit." Brock finally said, breaking the silence.

The fight won, Nidorino collapsed onto the ground and promptly passed out.

0000

"Please deal with that." The tall man in a dark red cloak drawled, barely heard over the blaring alarm that had just been triggered.

"S-Sorry sir, I'm on it." One of the grunts stuttered as he directed his Magnemite over to the control panel. Pressing its red-and-blue-tipped magnetic appendage over the panel, it let out a burst of electricity that fried the circuits within. At once the alarm stopped and the door in front of them sprung open, a safety feature should the museum ever lose power during a disaster. "The alarm wasn't active long enough to alert the main office. No one will come to investigate." The grunt reassured.

Ignoring his grunt's report, the leader of the group strolled forward into the darkened wing, hard boots clicking with every step. The other 6 members of the group, clad in black uniforms, wisely held their tongues as they quietly followed.

Venturing deeper into the museum, the group passed various display cases holding artifacts from all over Kanto and beyond, many of which could be sold for a small fortune, without a second glance. They had been instructed to retrieve one particular artifact, any who deviated from those instructions would be punished ruthlessly.

Rounding the last corner, they came face to face with their target, a massive suit of armor 12 feet tall.

"The seven of us are supposed to carry this thing out of here?" One of the grunts groaned.

"Six of you. And yes, now get to work." The leader corrected, one hand lightly resting on the hilt of his slender rapier that hung at his waist.

Grumbling amongst themselves, they began the task of breaking the suit of armor into smaller pieces, gently wrapping each piece in cloth, and placing them individually in black duffel bags. One of the grunts released his Machoke, who was tasked with carrying out the massive chest piece once the rest had been packed.

As his underlings worked, Dimitri gazed down the darkened corridors. Despite his protests that his talents were better suited elsewhere, the boss had insisted he be here for this job. To retrieve a useless statue for her collection, as far as he could tell. He absentmindedly traced the ornate, sweeping metal of his hilt.

"Careful with that!" Dimitri barked, as one of the grunts almost dropped the heavy gauntlet. "If you so much as scratch a finger, I'll give the boss your arm as a replacement."

Dimitri was cut off from making more threats by the appearance of a pair of flashlights entering the far end of the museum wing. The bobbing lights slowly began winding between the exhibits, heading in their direction.

"Keep working, I'll deal with this…" Dimitri said, stalking off into the darkness.

The remaining members of the group resumed their work, doubling their efforts to deconstruct the armor and prep it for transport.

0000

"You sure Zubat said there was something down here?" Matt said, sweeping his flashlight back and forth across the exhibits. The swinging beam of light created distorted and elongated shadows of the fossils, shadowy claws, and snapping jaws stretched across the corridor. Having been a security guard at the Pewter Museum of Science for over 8 years, the eerie shadows no longer bothered him. At his side, Growlithe panted happily, similarly unconcerned with the shadows and just pleased to be walking with his trainer.

Night security at the Museum was always a slow, simple affair. The two guards would spend most of the night playing cards, complaining about something their boss or coworkers had said, and occasionally walk a lap of the corridors to make sure nothing was amiss. They had been halfway through a game of cards when Scott's Zubat had gone wild, darting around the security office, and banging on the closed office door.

"Yes, just a little further," Scott said, training his flashing down the hall but unable to pierce the darkness at the far end. Above his head, his Zubat let loose another blast of high-pitched soundwaves and listened intently for the subsequent echoes. A second later, it heard the response and zipped around their heads, clicking excitedly. "See," Scott said, motioning to his agitated Pokémon.

Creeping forward down the corridor, the pool of light from their flashlights slowly illuminated more exhibits and the hard tile floor… and a small envelope on the ground.

Looking back at his partner and shrugging, Matt reached down and grabbed the envelope, and opened it. Revealing a wad of cash.

"Take the envelope and say you didn't see anything tonight." A voice said from the darkness, causing both men to jump and swing their flashlights around to the source of the noise. Leaning against the glass of the nearest exhibit was a tall man, his body enveloped by a long red cloak, and his face was hidden in the shadow of his hood.

Spotting the intruder, Growlithe immediately jumped in front of the two guards, growling threateningly.

"Th-This exhibit is closed." Matt began to say, still rattled by the sudden appearance of the man. "I'm going to… going to have to charge you with trespassing."

"Trust me… Take the cash. And leave." Dimitri said with annoyance, folding his arms over his chest and shifting his cloak enough to reveal the hilt of his sword.

"Sir, place the sword on the ground and turn around. You'll be detained until the police arrive." Scott said, taking a step forward and attempting to gain control of the situation. "If you don't comply with these directions, we'll be forced to use our Pokémon to make you comply."

Growlithe let out another deep growl and Zubat began fluttering above their heads in agitation.

"With your puppy and your little bat? Please." Dimitri scoffed.

"You asked for it." Scott growled, "Bring him down." At his trainer's command, Zubat opened his mouth and unleashed a blast of concentrated supersonic sound waves that slammed into the human.

Dimitri's ears rang and bile rose in his stomach as he was assaulted with waves of nausea. Through sheer force of will, he maintained his balance as the room began to spin. However, barely a second after the attack began, it abruptly ended and Zubat fell from the air with a pitiful cry. Three glowing leaves were lodged into its torso. Landing heavily on the tile, Zubat didn't attempt to get up, only shuddering slightly against the pain.

Seeing its companion injured, Growlithe's eyes narrowed and prepared to lunge, flames trailing from between bared teeth.

Three seeds shot from the shadows and struck the Growlithe on its left side, knocking the small dog over. As Growlithe struggled to stand, vines burst from the bulbous seeds and wrapped around the downed canine.

Glaring at the pulsating seeds, Growlithe opened its mouth and unleashed a blast of flames that seared the first seed, destroying it and causing the vines to wilt and fall away. Inhaling to destroy the remaining seeds, Growlithe stumbled forward, suddenly feeling very weak as the seeds continued to leech away at its life force.

Coughing up a few embers, Growlithe fell to the ground, too exhausted to stand, and drifted into unconsciousness.

"I told you to take the money and leave." Dimitri chastised, glaring down at the two guards who had gone pale, their Pokémon defeated in an instant. "Finish them off, Roserade."

Stepping into the light for the first time, a green humanoid half the size of Dimitri crept towards the humans who were frozen in fear. White petals grew in the place of hair from the Pokémon's head and each of its hands was obscured by bouquet-like bunches of red and blue petals. As it drew near, a sickly-sweet aroma filled the corridor, and the two guards felt their bodies relaxing despite their growing panic.

Red eyes crinkled in amusement as it raised its red petalled arm and with a swift chop, released a cloud of gold powder that gently sprinkled over the confused humans. Scott tried to speak, to ask what it had done, but only a low groan came out as he found his mouth was unable to form the words. His eyes widened as the rest of his muscles began to fail and he crumpled to the ground. Next to him, Matt had also collapsed on the ground, unable to move his body.

"Don't worry, the effects will only last a few hours and then you'll recover," Dimitri said, walking over to the bodies on the ground, careful not to touch any of the gold dust sprinkled across the floor. "You're lucky I'm the one overseeing this job. If that bald brute or the tiny psycho had been the ones assigned… Well, your deaths would have been unpleasant."

Only able to move their eyes, the two guards watched as Dimitri donned a glove and carefully picked up the crumbled envelope that had fallen from Matt's fist. "And since you didn't play by my rules, you don't get the prize."

Stepping over their bodies, Dimitri and Roserade slipped back into the darkness to rendezvous with their team who had already finished disassembling the Golurk's body. The only sound the two paralyzed securities could hear were ragged breaths of their injured Pokémon and the fading click of hard boots on the tile floor.