Chapter 4: The First Gym
June and her Pokémon had been training together for two hours before they finally went to take on the Pewter City Gym.
In that time, June had gotten the chance to learn what moves Paige could currently use so she was able to work with her fighting style for any future battles, Ace had gotten a chance to show off her speed and Wing Attacks and Ray had surprised everybody by learning Double Kick. This was unusual because Pikachu weren't normally able to learn Double Kick, yet Ray had managed.
While honing his Thunder Shock and Quick Attack moves, Ray had practiced kicking moves alongside Paige in the hopes that he'd be able to use one himself. He felt June would fare up better against the Rock Gym if she had another Pokémon with a Fighting move in case Paige took an early exit. June thought he had the right idea and so she'd put the two up to the task. Paige showed off her kicking attacks by using Low Kick on some rocks nearby. Every single rock was reduced to pebbles by the attack. As a Mankey, her leg muscles were incredibly powerful and well-developed and her kicks were strong enough to break concrete. Pikachu weren't Pokémon that used their legs for fighting compared to other species so their leg muscles weren't anywhere near as powerful. But Ray was willing to give it a go and prove that maybe he could defy the usual expectations of a Pikachu and learn a kicking move.
He kicked repeatedly at a large boulder that was sitting by a couple of trees nearby and spent a whole hour just kicking and kicking and kicking the boulder, hoping he'd get somewhere with it and he'd be able to break it like Paige had done. It had seemed to be a hopeless cause for he wasn't even able to make a dent in the rock. June had tried to make him stop but Ray had stubbornly refused to give up. Paige couldn't resist snickering at his persistence.
"And I thought MY species was the stubborn one." she joked.
"You sure you're not a Mankey disguised as a Pikachu?" June chimed in with a wisecrack of her own.
"Stow it you two! I'm gonna break this thing, you see if I don't!" Ray retorted.
"I love taking on challenges, but I think this is a challenge even you aren't cut out for fellow comrade." Ace murmured.
Ray ignored her and continued kicking at the boulder. In the end, the sarcastic remarks had been just what he needed for his determination to succeed eventually lead to him learning Double Kick. He jumped up into the air, his feet suddenly glowed white and he kicked at the boulder with both feet one after the other. His kicks were so hard that the boulder cracked heavily under the pressure of the attacks. Everyone stared incredulously at Ray as if he'd managed to somehow send the boulder hurtling into orbit. Ray panted heavily as the exercise had left him worn out but he was triumphant and couldn't resist smugly boasting about his achievements.
"And there you have it! Looks like Pikachu CAN learn kicking moves after all!" he crowed.
"This is incredible! You actually managed to learn Double Kick!" June cried in astonishment, "I can't even…just…how did you do that?! Pikachu can't learn Double Kick!"
"Well THIS one can!" Ray sneered.
"It's clear you're no ordinary Pikachu." Paige acknowledged, "Who knows what else you're capable of…"
June even suspected if that was why Team Rocket seemed so keen to get him back. Ray was clearly not your average Pikachu so in their eyes, that made him valuable. She supposed if she'd been in Tricia's boots, she would've chased after this Pikachu as well. All it did was make her even happier that Ray was her Pokémon. She scooped him up and cuddled him affectionately.
"You're amazing Ray! You defied all expectations of what Pikachu are capable of and you learned a new move!" June cheered, "I'm so proud of you my incredible little partner!"
"Heh, thanks June. No need to rub it in how incredible I am, I'm aware enough of that already." Ray preened.
"Alright mister, don't you start getting a swelled head." June said sternly, "I'm not having you getting too big for your tail. Remember, you still got creamed very easily by Tricia's Gyarados yesterday. You may have learned a new move but that won't make you invincible."
"Geez, am I not allowed to be even a little confident about myself?" Ray retorted.
"A little is fine but that's it." June insisted, "But still, I am really proud of you. All of you in fact!" she said happily, addressing her team, "You've trained so well today. I think we're ready for this Gym battle."
Ray, Ace and Paige beamed with pleasure and gathered around June for cuddles. They were feeling very pleased with themselves for how well they'd been training and how happy their trainer was with them. They were feeling ready to take on the Gym as well. June returned Ace and Paige to their Pokéballs and Ray rode on her shoulder as the Galarian girl headed back to Pewter City. She stopped in a nearby café for lunch to rest up and allow her Pokémon to regain their strength for the battle to come. After everybody had eaten and gotten something to drink, she headed on over to the Gym.
Pewter Gym was true to its status as a Rock-type Gym. It looked as if it was made entirely of stone with very few features to show it wasn't just a giant stone. If it weren't for the front doors leading inside, June would've never guessed it was a building at all. She imagined this building might've been a boulder at some point and humans had converted it into the Gym it was today. As she was heading towards it, she saw the doors fling open and someone ran outside, clearly excited and very happy with themselves. June's eyes twinkled with delight for it was someone she recognized.
"Hey Trace! I haven't seen you since our battle yesterday!" June called to her friend.
Trace stopped dancing about with joy and saw that June was there. He grinned happily.
"Well if it ain't June! Great to see ya new friend!" he said jovially, "How have you been getting on?"
June filled him in on everything that had happened since they'd last seen each other. She was massively uncomfortable having to recap yesterday's encounter with Tricia, the close call with Doomsday and Mega Gyarados and her panic attack that had resulted from the whole skirmish. But she gleefully told about her new catches and Ray learning Double Kick, which Trace was also impressed by.
"I didn't think Pikachu could learn that move but here we are! I guess you learn something new every day." he acknowledged, "I'm so sorry you got attacked by Team Rocket." he added sympathetically, "I wish I could've been there to help you! Then we…"
"You would've gotten your arse kicked too, mate." June said grimly, "Neither of us would've stood a chance. I'm glad it was just me back then so you wouldn't have gotten caught up in it too."
"That's nice of you, but I still would've loved to have helped." Trace muttered, "I owe Team Rocket a beating for what they've done! Me and my Pokémon will take them down for good!" he growled.
June recoiled at Trace's sudden aggressive turn. He seemed like such a friendly and easy-going guy but any mention of Team Rocket just made his blood boil. What was he hiding?
"You really do seem to hate Team Rocket a lot. Did they hurt you real badly in the past?" June asked sympathetically.
"More than you can guess, bud." Trace sighed, looking away grimly, "I really don't wanna talk about it."
"Oh…OK." June said respectfully, "I'm sorry if I upset you."
Trace just smiled warmly at his friend.
"Nah, it's nothing to do with you." he dismissed, "But if you're interested to know, Team Rocket's the reason I chose to be a Pokémon trainer. I won't stand by and let those criminals go unpunished! So I want to be the very best like no one ever was, get as strong as I can and then take them down! I bet my family would be real proud of me if I became Kanto's biggest hero…" he said thoughtfully, smiling at such a thought.
June was impressed. So his reason for being a trainer was to take down Team Rocket? It was certainly nobler than her own goal. She was just in it to follow in her mother's footsteps and to have fun! Maybe she could also have Team Rocket's defeat as an end goal too.
"Maybe I could help with that." June offered, "We can both get stronger and take Team Rocket down together. I bet we'd make quite a team!"
"You bet! I'd appreciate that very much!" Trace said graciously, "But you're going to have to catch up to me. You see, I have my first Gym Badge!"
He presented to his friend the unmistakable grey coloured, stony looking Boulder Badge. From a distance, it would look like he just had a pebble between his fingers but June could see it was no pebble. The Boulder Badge glinted in the sunlight. Trace had probably polished it shortly after winning it.
"No fair, you got there before me!" she whined playfully, "Luckily I'm not too far behind for I'm just about to challenge the Gym. Do you want to watch me?"
"Sure thing. I'm fine with that." Trace said kindly, "You may not have been there to root for me but I can root for you. Besides, it'll give me an idea on how strong you are now so I can plan on defeating you next time we battle." he teased.
"That's not going to happen." June teased back, "Cause I'll win!"
"OK, we get it, you're both awesome. Can we go in now?" Ray complained.
"Flippin' heck Ray, did anyone ever teach you the importance of patience?" June said, rolling her eyes.
She and Trace went into the Gym together. If the Gym looked like a giant rock outside, then it looked just as rocky on the inside. The walls were clearly made of stone and a Japanese rock garden stood proudly in the centre of the Gym. Everything looked neatly arranged and built-up, showing great care had been taken when making this garden and building these walls. The atmosphere was dark but not to the point of being imposing. It was still possible to see. Standing strong and proud on a rock plinth on the other side of the Gym was the Pewter Gym Leader. His name was Brock.
Brock looked as rock solid as his profession would suggest. He was in his thirties and had the body of a pro-athlete. His strong muscles bulged under his clothes. He had short spiky brown hair, squinty eyes that always looked to be closed, huge shoulders, a broad chest and a serious expression on his face. He was dressed in a green, black and orange shirt that clung tightly to his muscular body and baggy grey trousers. June blushed at the sight of him. Brock was said to be a handsome man and the proof was right here in front of her! All those girls that turned him down must've been crazy! Brock took in the sight of his new challenger with a welcoming smile.
"So is this a friend of yours, Trace?" he asked.
"She is." Trace confirmed, "She just got here shortly after I won and she wants me to watch her."
June stood where she was, still spellbound by Brock's appearance. Trace patted her on the back.
"Get a move on, you're making a fool of yourself!" he hissed.
June gasped and stumbled forwards, nearly tripping over her own feet. Brock chuckled and approached June. He held out a hand and smiled at her. Despite his impressive her appearance, he still managed to look warm and friendly as he greeted her.
"It's OK. I get that a lot from the girls." he said casually, "Welcome to Pewter Gym. I'm the Gym Leader. The name's Brock. What's yours?"
June shook Brock's hand, her face still a blushing mess. She could feel how strong he was just from having his hand around her own. She swallowed a lump in her throat.
"Nice to meet you June! My name's Silver Brocklock!" she introduced, speaking louder than she'd meant to.
She suddenly realized her mistake and put her hands over her mouth in shock. Her face went even redder from her embarrassing slip-up. Ray face-palmed while Trace doubled over laughing. He hadn't meant to but he couldn't keep it in.
"S-s-sorry, I mean nice to meet you Brock. My name is June Silverlock." June tried again, "Do forgive me, I'm not usually this awkward…"
"It's OK. You're nervous. Lots of challengers get nervous in their first Gym battle." Brock said understandingly, "So you're June Silverlock. Say…by any chance are you related to Ruby Silverlock?" he asked.
"Oh yes of course I am! She's my mother!" June babbled excitedly, "Let me guess, it was the hair that gave me away?"
"You look a lot like her as well." Brock acknowledged, "Same eyes, same silver hair though yours is purple-tipped, similar looking face. I might've guessed you were her daughter even before you told me your name."
"Everyone says I do take a lot after her." June said meekly, "Though that's mostly in looks. Personality wise, I'm hardly like her at all. Have you two met before?"
"I was there with Misty in the audience watching her and Ash battle together years ago*." Brock explained, "It was quite a close match but your mother came out on top. Watching her battle was incredible. Yeah…it's easy to see why she's Galar's Champion. Though Ash told me he did beat her in a rematch one time she visited Kanto. Me and Misty didn't see that fight, which was a shame. It would've been great to watch that too."
"I'm sure." June agreed, "Mum's told be about those two matches she had with Ash. I hope I get to meet him while I'm here. I'm one of his biggest fans!"
"Heh, if you beat me, you'll get to meet him over in Cerulean Gym." Brock said with a wry smile, "He lives there with Misty nowadays and helps her around the Gym."
June grinned excitedly at such a thought. She'd get to meet them BOTH if she won this Gym battle! Meeting her biggest celebrity crushes would be the best thing ever! June was about to say something else until the doors opened up and two more people walked into the Gym. June turned around and gasped in amazement. Ruby and Hop had arrived at Pewter Gym! The two smiled at their daughter.
"Looks like we haven't missed it." Ruby said happily, "We got here just in time."
"Not a moment too soon love." Hop concurred.
"Mum! Dad! What are you two doing here?!" June exclaimed wildly.
"We're here to watch you, silly!" Ruby teased, "We wouldn't miss our chance to watch your first ever Gym battle while we're here!"
"Doomsday's still healing so we can't leave yet." Hop explained, "We've been combing this city for any signs of Team Rocket and have found nothing so we thought while we wait for Doomsday to recover, we'd watch your Gym battle."
"That's great of you! I hope I don't mess up while you're watching." June said anxiously.
"You'll be fine my girl. We know you will." Ruby said reassuringly.
She walked over to Brock and shock his hand.
"It's been a long time Brock. You're looking well." Ruby complimented.
"It sure has." Brock agreed, "It's great to see the Galar Champion again. And might I say…you've really grown to be very beautiful." he purred flirtatiously, taking in the sight of the silver-haired woman. She'd changed much from the teenager he'd once watched battle against his close friend years ago.
"Careful what you say lover boy. My husband's only a few feet behind me." Ruby teased.
Hop nodded in agreement as if to say "She's mine so don't get any ideas, mister!" Brock saw the joke and chuckled good humouredly.
"Of course, I'd never stand in-between a married couple." he declared, "I bet you two are very happy together."
"Like you wouldn't believe." Ruby confirmed, "But we digress. We best take our seats ready for the Gym battle."
She, Hop and Trace went over to the audience stand and took their seats. Anyone who visited Gyms would sit in the stands to watch the battle. Some Gym battles in Kanto had no audience at all and sometimes they'd have a whole audience watching. It was a very different atmosphere from Gym battles back home where they were full blown stadiums and Gym battles were akin to a major sporting event everyone had to watch. June waved to her parents and friend, trying not to look too nervous. Brock looked to June.
"So how many badges do you have?" he asked.
"Oh? I don't have any. I'm a first-timer." June confirmed.
Brock understood and walked over to the back walk. A shelf extended out of the wall and presented him an array of Pokéballs that had Pokémon of varying strength levels. It was an industry standard that Pokémon Gyms had to have Pokémon that were accustomed to the number of badges a trainer had for not every trainer did the Gyms in the same order. A trainer who did Pewter Gym first had to face the Gym Leader's weakest team so they weren't too challenging while a trainer who had more badges would face stronger teams so the gym wasn't too easy and a trainer who did the gym last would get the Gym Leader's strongest team. Brock picked up two Pokéballs.
"In that case, I'll use these two Pokémon." he said, "It may be the team I use for newbies, but they'll still give you quite a challenge…"
June was OK with that. She didn't want these Gyms to be too easy after all. How would she get stronger if she just won with ease all the time? She was sure even Brock's weakest team would give her a challenge. She breathed in and out to keep herself calm. Her heart pounded. This was it! Her first Gym battle! She kept her eyes focused on Brock, who stood on the other side of the arena looking cool and confident. Ruby and Hop held hands as they stared down from the stand at their daughter. Trace clenched his fists, excited to watch the battle that was to come.
"The rules of the Pewter Gym are as follows: the challenger may use as many Pokémon as they wish and substitutions are only allowed for the challenger!" Brock announced, his voice echoing all around the gym, "The winner will be the trainer who has knocked out all of the opposing side's Pokémon! Are you ready?!"
"Bring it on! Let's do this!" June cried.
"Then let the battle begin!" Brock declared, "Geodude, let's rock!"
The Pewter Gym Leader threw one of the two Pokéballs he'd picked up and out came his chosen fighter. June found herself staring at the unmistakeable, instantly recognizable Pokémon that was Geodude. No Pokémon trainer in the world didn't know what one was for how common they were to find and how distinctive they looked. Geodude literally looked like a floating rock with muscular arms and a face on it. They were slow but very durable and packed a powerful punch. Geodude lived in just about every region except for Galar, but June knew what it was regardless. They were among the most common Rock-types living in Kanto. She studied her opponent.
"Geodude: a Rock/Ground type Pokémon. It weighs about 20.0kgs and is often mistaken for a rock out in its natural habitat." she murmured, "It also has a Rock/Electric-type variant living in Alola. Pity I haven't got any Grass or Water-types to deal with it, but I have other ideas…"
Trace watched as June selected her first Pokémon. Having beaten Brock himself, he had to see what his friend had in store for him. Ruby and Hop held hands and watched the battle unfold as June sent out her first Pokémon. To the surprise of everyone in the Gym, she'd chosen Ace to go first! Ruby, Hop and Trace did a double take in astonishment. What was June thinking?! Flying-types were a bad match-up in a Rock-type Gym! Why did she send out Ace?
"I dunno what my girl's up to, but I'm interested to see how this goes…" Ruby murmured.
"I'm guessing she's following Ash's example and trying to be unorthodox." Hop suspected, "She is one of his biggest fans after all."
"Really?" Trace said with interest, "Well let's hope she can fight as well as he does or she's screwed!"
It was soon made clear what June's plan was as she made the first move. She commanded Ace to use Sand-Attack on Geodude. Ace swiped at the ground with her wings and sent sand flying into Geodude's face. Some of the sand got into its eyes and forced them shut as it stung. Geodude winced in pain and rubbed at its face furiously to get the sand out. Now it was distracted, June immediately recalled Ace and sent out Paige in her place. Geodude was still trying to get the sand out of its eyes so it was helpless to fight back as Ace charged towards Geodude and swung her leg in a neat arch straight into her rocky opponent. Paige hit it with incredible force and knocked Geodude away. Geodude crashed into a nearby rock on the battlefield and grunted heavily. Paige flexed her muscles, feeling excited and energized by this battle. Finally, she got to use her skills for real and wasn't just practicing on rocks anymore! June also noticed her usual friendly, polite demeanour was gone and now she looked like she was just ready to punch or kick things.
"Aw yeah, this is true strength!" the Mankey cried excitedly, "All that training is paying off for me!"
"Great job Paige! I knew that would be a powerful hit!" June cheered.
"Mankey are very strong fighters." Brock acknowledged, "That doesn't surprise me. It was also clever of you to throw me off with that Pidgey at the start and distract Geodude with its Sand-Attack so your Mankey could attack without retaliation. If I didn't know any better, you were planning on that before the fight even started…" he accused.
"My Auntie Sapphire taught me the importance of planning your battles in advance so I try to follow her example." June explained, "And it seems to be working for me!"
"For now. But this battle's just getting started…" Brock said ominously, "Geodude, use Rock Polish and then follow it up with Rollout!"
Geodude flexed its thick, muscular arms and its body glowed completely white for a moment. June knew what Brock was up to. Rock Polish increased a Rock-type Pokémon's speed. Geodude were slow by nature so this was a handy way to overcome that weakness. Geodude finished glowing and then curled up into a ball by folding its arms across its face. It rolled forwards and launched itself towards Paige, moving incredibly quickly. The Rock Polish had made it so fast that Paige didn't have time to react as Geodude rolled into her. It ploughed into the monkey-like Pokémon and knocked her off her feet. Paige landed on her back but she wasn't down for long. Fighting-types resisted Rock attacks so Rollout didn't hurt all that much. But it would soon get worse if Paige couldn't stop Geodude.
"Be careful June! Rollout gets stronger the more times Geodude hits!" Ruby called to her daughter, "You'll have to act fast before it overwhelms Paige!"
"I'll try to! I just have to hope Paige is fast enough for it…" June murmured.
Her Pokémon picked herself up and braced herself as Geodude came hurling towards her like a runaway boulder. Geodude was once again too quick and it slammed straight into Paige. As Ruby had warned, Rollout would do more damage every time Geodude hit. This second blow already felt worse than before and Paige was left wincing from the impact. Geodude circled around the arena, still rolling away and it began to make a U-turn towards Paige again. Acting quickly, June ordered Paige to use Low Kick again. Paige lunged towards Geodude just as it rolled towards her and managed to land a hit. Her kick tripped Geodude up and broke it out of its rolling attack. Geodude cried out and hurled face-first into a nearby rock. It was stunned by the attack and that left it wide open for Paige to finish it off. She scampered towards Geodude, picked it up and held it above her head. Despite Geodude's weight, it seemed to weigh nothing in Paige's paws. Then June commanded her Mankey to use a powerful Seismic Toss. Paige jumped into the air as high as she could, spun around with Geodude in her arms and then threw it straight down towards the ground. Geodude plummeted from orbit like a falling meteor and it crashed down into the floor of the battle arena. As the dust settled from the impact, Paige landed back on the floor. She remained standing. Geodude didn't get back up again. Brock smiled casually, impressed with June's performance.
"So that's that. I take the first loss." he acknowledged.
"Wahoo! That was amazing! Great fighting there June!" Trace cheered.
"Our girl's really learning her stuff." Hop said with awe, "She's remained calm under pressure, has planned ahead for her battle and is putting her Pokémon's moves to good use. And to think she only just started yesterday!"
"It's kinda like me and my sisters. We were fast learners too." Ruby said proudly, "But Geodude was just a warm-up. I bet Brock's second Pokémon will really make her work for that badge…"
Brock returned Geodude to its Pokéball while June stood where she was feeling very pleased with herself. Her first Gym battle and already she had the advantage! Sure she had a plan going into this but it was still impressive to see it had worked for her! She waited for Brock's next Pokémon to come out.
"You may have beaten Geodude, but this one might be too tough for you to handle." Brock said cryptically, "Onix, time to rock!"
He threw his Pokéball and out came his ace Pokémon and one of the most powerful Rock-type Pokémon living in Kanto, the mighty Onix. Onix looked like a giant serpent creature made of boulders with its midsection having the largest rocks and the tip of its tail being made of the smallest rocks. It had a singular large horn protruding from the top of its head, narrow eyes and a large toothless mouth. Onix easily towered over everyone in the Gym. It was so big that it could easily reach the ceiling if it wanted to. It let out a thunderous, bellowing roar that made everyone shake. June felt as if her insides were turning to jelly by the incredible sound. She summed up her opponent.
"OK…an Onix. It's also a Rock/Ground type. It weighs 210.0kgs, is about 8.8 metres high and can dig underground at tremendous speeds. It's known to cause tremors when it digs and roars. I'm also hoping to catch one myself on this journey." she mused, "While I still have a type-advantage, Onix is no Geodude. It's MUCH stronger so I really have to stay on my toes for this…"
She ordered Paige to use Leer on Onix to lower its defences. Onix were notable for having very high defences and that would make damaging it more difficult for Paige. Lowering Onix's defences would make her job a little easier. Paige narrowed her eyes and glowered at the Onix with the most threatening glare she could give. Onix didn't even flinch at the Mankey's glare. Its defences did drop but not for long as Brock ordered Onix to use Harden to make them go back up again. Onix's body glowed as a metallic sheen covered its body for a second. It made Onix shine in the light of the gym. Its lowered defences returned to normal. June frowned. Leering at it wasn't going to work, otherwise they'd be stuck in this never-ending cycle of lowering defences and boosting them back up again. She had no choice but to attack.
"Guess we have to go on the offensive. Paige, use Low Kick!" June commanded.
Paige scampered quickly towards Onix, her paws becoming a blur as she quickly ran towards it.
"Use Headbutt!" Brock commanded.
Onix lowered its head and lashed out at Paige. The Mankey's foot slammed into the Onix's head and both Pokémon were knocked back by the impact of their collision. Paige winced for a moment as pain flared through her foot. Even for a Fighting-type like herself, Onix were rock-solid opponents! Onix shook its head as it was momentarily dazed from Paige's kick. It managed to regain its senses and came on the offensive again as Brock ordered it to use Rock Throw. The huge boulder snake chomped down on a nearby rock in the arena and flicked its head to throw the rock straight at Paige. Paige tried to counter but the rock came in too quickly and slammed into her. Paige was knocked down onto her back by the blow. The audience winced in response.
"Ooooh, that looked painful!" Trace grimaced.
"I'd hate to be on the receiving end of that!" Hop winced.
It had been a powerful hit but Paige wasn't down yet. She stood back up again, looking no worse for wear than before and clearly having plenty of energy left in her to fight. Brock ordered Onix to use Headbutt again but Paige dodged the attack. She jumped away, leaving Onix to slam its head into the ground. Paige landed beside Onix and used Low Kick on it. Her powerful foot slammed into Onix and caused it to overbalance. It careened to one side and crashed down on the floor, making the whole Gym shudder for a minute. June fought to keep her balance but Brock didn't even flinch, staying completely still with his arms folded and his determined expression unfaltering. It was as if he was so strong and mighty that even a tremor wouldn't budge him.
Brock by name, rock by nature! June joked in her head, I bet even a tornado wouldn't make him shift!
She ordered Paige to use Seismic Toss next. Unfortunately, that proved to be her undoing in the end. Paige ran up to Onix and tried to pick it up. But Onix was far too big and heavy for a small Pokémon like Mankey to pick up. She strained her muscles and pulled as hard as she could on her arms but try as she might, she couldn't pick Onix up. Seismic Toss was useless in this battle. And now Paige was up close to Onix, that allowed Brock to make a counter attack by having Onix use Bind. The boulder snake wrapped its tail around Paige and gave her a huge squeeze. Paige cried out as she was constricted by Onix. It felt as if it was trying to squeeze her skeleton out of her body. June recoiled. She could feel herself getting really worried and for the moment, she was left wondering what to do next. What COULD she do?! Paige couldn't get out of this mess! With Paige in its grasp, Onix was free to use Headbutt on her. It simply swung its tail up and smashed Paige against its head. Onix repeated this manoeuvre over and over again until eventually, Paige couldn't take it anymore. She slipped into unconsciousness, taking her out of the match. Onix let her go and she slumped on the floor. A large bump protruded from her head from where she'd been hit by Onix.
"Oh no! Paige lost!" June cried in dismay, "She was my best hope of winning this Gym!"
"That's a big blow for her." Trace said grimly, "Unless she has any Water or Grass-types to fall back on, she's finished."
"How did you manage to beat him?" Ruby asked curiously.
"I was REALLY lucky and found a Bulbasaur in Viridian Forest." Trace explained, "It made my time a little easier, though Brock still gave me a tough fight regardless. Unless June has one too, she might struggle without that Mankey."
"It's not always about type-advantage that wins the battle." Ruby noted, "It's about strength and skill. Maybe June's remaining Pokémon will have what it takes to win this battle…"
All eyes were on June as she returned Paige to her Pokéball. She patted the ball softly.
"I'm sorry Paige. I panicked back there and that cost you the battle. I'll make it up to you, I promise." she swore.
She turned to Ray.
"It's all up to you now Ray. Let's see if your new move can turn the tide for us." June declared.
"Yep! Here goes nothing!" Ray said enthusiastically.
He scampered onto the battlefield and stood before Onix. Its huge size made it look incredibly intimidating but he knew that size didn't matter in a Pokémon battle. He would win this for June no matter what! Brock took in June's next Pokémon and smirked.
"Now you're starting to remind me of Ash." he acknowledged, "He brought a Pikachu to my Gym at the start of his journey. Don't think about setting off the sprinklers cause that won't count as a win." he warned.
"You seriously think I'm going to cheat?" June retorted, "I idolize Ash, but not to the point I'm gonna copy his less than ideal wins! I play fair and square so I'm not setting off any sprinklers." she insisted, "Ray, use Growl!"
Ray growled loudly at the Onix, making it recoil from the noise and shudder as its Attack was lowered. With Ray's growls, Onix wouldn't be able to hit as hard as before, which would hopefully give him a chance in this match. Once Ray was done, June ordered him to use Growl again to lower Onix's attack even more. Ray did so but in retaliation, Brock ordered Onix to use Harden to make its defences stronger. Onix may be weaker but it wasn't going to make it any easier for Ray to win! June worried that if Onix used Harden to many times, Ray would take forever to beat it so she had to take it down quickly. She ordered Ray to use his newly learned Double Kick. Ray scampered towards Onix and kicked it twice in the face. His little feet were surprisingly powerful and did more damage than Onix expected. It reeled to one side from the blows and Ray followed on by using Quick Attack. But he didn't use it to attack Onix. Instead, he used it to disorient the giant rock serpent. He ran around in circles, moving at blinding speeds all around Onix. Onix tried to stop him with Headbutt but every move it made was too slow and it missed them all. It just kept slamming its head into the floor seconds after Ray sped past and leaving huge dents in it. The constant banging of its head against the floor left Onix feeling dizzy for a few seconds. Seizing his chance, Ray ran up its back with Quick Attack and used Double Kick again. Two terrific slams against Onix's face sent it reeling to one side again and it crashed into one of the rocks in the arena, reducing it to pebbles. Ray landed back on the floor and held up two fingers on each paw as he celebrated.
"Aw yeah! Who's the Pikachu of the hour?! That's right, it's me!" he cheered.
"This is incredible! I thought Ray would have no chance against that Onix!" Trace gasped in amazement.
"I'm more astonished at what he's doing." Ruby said in disbelief, "Since when can Pikachu learn Double Kick?"
"Either Ray's no ordinary Pikachu or we've just never met a trainer who's taught one to use Double Kick." Hop murmured, "I know many of my professor friends would be interested with such a discovery, especially Sonia…"
They continued to watch as Ray celebrated his success and Onix picked itself up. June quickly caught Ray's attention and ordered him to focus for the battle wasn't done yet. Ray watched Onix rise up and stare him down. Its face said it all: "I'm FAR from done yet little guy!" He braced himself for retaliation. Onix fought back by using Rock Throw. It picked up one of the broken rock chunks lying on the floor and threw it towards Ray. Ray dodged by using Quick Attack but Onix just picked up another piece of rock and threw it towards him. The chase carried on for a whole minute until eventually, Onix caught Ray. Its Rock Throw managed to hit him and he was sent hurling sideways as the rock slammed into him. June looked away, feeling Ray's pain as the rock hit him. Now Ray was down, Onix took the opportunity to use Bind and ensnare him just as it had done to Paige earlier. Its tail coiled around Ray and Onix squeezed him hard. June watched in horror as Ray was constricted. Oh no, not again! Ray was going to lose the same way that Paige had done! She was close to panicking again but June forced herself to remain calm. No, don't panic, that won't help Ray! There had to be some way out of this, but what? Onix swung its tail up towards its head and smashed Ray against it. It intended to repeat this process until eventually, Ray was knocked out. But that was when June suddenly got a great idea. Onix was slamming Ray against its head, so that would give him an opportunity to do this…
"Quick, use Thunder Shock now!" June cried.
Brock was confused. Surely June knew that Electric-types didn't work on Ground-types? But he soon realized Ray wasn't using it to attack Onix. As it swung him up towards its head again, Ray used Thunder Shock. Because he was so close to its head, the bright electric shock struck out and hit Onix directly in the eyes. Onix bellowed in anguish and screwed its eyes shut in pain. Thunder Shock was too weak to do any real damage to its eyes but it still hurt very badly and Onix was left unable to see for the moment. It rubbed its tail against its eyes to get rid of the pain. All that did was leave Onix wide open for an attack. Ray sped towards it with Quick Attack and then used Double Kick once again, kicking it twice in the face once more. The pain in Onix's eyes was so great that Ray was able to get away with using Double Kick several times over. By the time Onix was able to open its eyes again, it was too late. Ray came in for the finish and used Double Kick one last time to take it down. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion as he launched two last kicks in its face. With the last kick, Onix's head snapped backwards and it collapsed backwards onto the floor with a huge crash. It let out a low moan that rumbled all around the Gym…and then it passed out. Ruby, Hop and Trace stared for a minute as if to make sure they weren't seeing things and that June had just won the battle. Then they cheered.
"Alright! Way to win June! That was amazing!" Trace cried.
"That's our girl! Well done June!" Hop cheered.
"You and Ray really pulled off a surprise win there! Great work!" Ruby applauded.
"Yay! We won Ray, we won!" June cheered, bouncing up and down with excitement, "It was quite a gamble with that Thunder Shock but it paid off and we won!"
"That was quite a workout! Glad it's over now, but it was a fun battle!" Ray puffed, wiping his forehead.
June scooped Ray up and cuddled him with joy. Ray nuzzled her cheek in return. Brock let them celebrate for the moment. They'd more than earned their victory in this battle. He returned Onix to his Pokéball and thanked it for a good battle. He then approached June and smiled down at the Galarian girl.
"That was quite a battle! I'm really impressed with your skills and ability to improvise in battle." Brock complimented, "I think we can tell you're a fan of Ash! You keep this up and I think you'll reach the Indigo League in no time!"
"Gosh…I'm all a flutter! I-I r-really don't know what to say…" June said bashfully.
"Just nod your head and say thank you." Ray sniffed, "That works well enough."
June did just that, much to everyone's amusement.
"In any case, as you've beaten me, I hereby present to you the Boulder Badge. You've truly earned this badge June Silverlock. Very well earned indeed." Brock said with pride in his voice.
He handed June the Boulder Badge. The teenage girl stared at the small badge in her hand as it to reassure herself that yes, she really was holding an actual Gym Badge in her hand and this wasn't her imagination. She shook Brock's hand gratefully.
"Thanks so much Brock! It's been fun battling you and I'm so proud of myself for this big win!" June said excitedly, "Look at that everyone, I have the Boulder Badge!" she squealed gleefully, holding up the badge for everyone to see.
Ruby, Hop and Trace clapped for June, thrilled with her victory. But unknown to them, someone else was in the audience too and had watched the entire battle. Sitting in the back row at the far end of the stand was Tricia. She'd naturally ditched her Team Rocket uniform in favour of a disguise that made it impossible to recognize her should anyone take the chance to spot her. She was wearing a white tube top, a large furry scarf that covered her shoulders, neck and part of her face, large sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat. She had dyed her hair blonde. This disguise made her look like a millionaire's daughter, which sharply contrasted with her poor background. Tricia knew she couldn't steal Ray while Ruby and Hop were here watching their daughter battle but she hadn't been here to carry out her mission anyway. She'd been interested to watch June battle and see if she had improved from last time. She was impressed with what she'd seen.
"Looks like the little cutie pie has some fight in her after all." Tricia purred, "Good. I want to at least give her a fighting chance before I complete my mission. I hate to do this, but my family comes first…"
She waited for everybody else to leave the Gym before leaving herself. She would pursue June again and the next time she was away from Ruby and Hop, she'd make her move…
June spent the rest of the day recuperating from the excitement of the Gym Battle. Whenever she did anything particularly exciting, thrilling or stressful, she liked to have a cooldown period for an hour or so to rest up and recollect herself after big moments like this. After her cooldown was over, she, Ruby and Hop decided to have dinner together to celebrate her first ever Gym victory. Trace was invited to join them and the celebration was made in his honour as well. The two teens were feeling the competition building between them now. They both had one Gym Badge each and were getting much stronger. At this rate, they'd be duking it out for the title of Champion together! After they'd eaten, Ruby was given the news from Nurse Joy that Doomsday had finally recovered and was able to fly again. Ruby was thrilled to hear this. Now she and Hop could continue their hunt for Team Rocket.
"We best get a move on if we're top find Team Rocket's hideout and take them down." Ruby declared, "We'll collect Doomsday and take flight immediately."
"Do you have to go so soon?" June asked sadly, "I was hoping you two could at least see me off before I head off to Cerulean City tomorrow."
"Sorry June, but duty comes first." Hop said solemnly, "The longer we wait around, the longer Team Rocket remains unopposed. And it also gives them another chance to come after you and try stealing Ray again."
"Which reminds me," Ruby said quickly, turning to Trace, "Trace, can I trust you to keep our daughter safe for us? You two are good friends and you're proving to be a strong trainer given you also have the Boulder Badge. I'd feel more relaxed knowing June's at least got someone to back her up if Team Rocket attacks again."
"It'd be my honour Mrs. Silverlock!" Trace said with pride, "Anything for Galar's reigning Champion!"
"Don't do this for Galar's reigning Champion. Do this for a very worried mother who would do anything to keep her child safe." Ruby insisted.
"Oh, OK. I get what you mean." Trace said meekly.
"June, if Team Rocket comes for you again, don't take them on by yourself. You and Trace must fight them as a team." Ruby said firmly, "You two will be stronger together and will stand more of a chance. Personally, I hope they don't come for you again but beggars can't be choosers. If they're too strong for you, then run. Don't ever let them catch you or steal from you. Do you understand?"
"Completely mum!" June declared, "And if I end up panicking again, I'll call you both to help me calm down."
"Of course." Hop said warmly, "We can still practice our breathing exercises over the phone after all. Oh and one more thing…"
He reached into his lab coat and pulled something out to show June. The young trainer's eyes lit up with excitement. She was staring at a huge orange slab that had old fossil bones encased inside it. It was a hardened, fossilized chunk of amber from prehistoric times. It was very special thanks to one important thing about it…
"Wow! Is that an Old Amber?" she asked.
"Sure is. I managed to grab one from the Pewter City Museum for you." Hop informed, "I know you want an Aerodactyl for your time so I had to get one for you. I know someone on Cinnabar Island who'll be able to revive Aerodactyl from this Old Amber for you so I'll send it to him by post before me and Ruby leave. I'll give him your number so my friend can call you and let you know your Aerodactyl's ready, then he'll post it to the Pokémon Centre nearest to you at the time he calls you so you can receive it. I thought it'd save you waiting until you get to Cinnabar Island before you finally get an Aerodactyl."
"Oh wow, this is amazing! You're the best dad! Thanks so much!" June cried, hugging her father happily.
"You're lucky to have such great parents June." Trace said with awe, "That really is nice of them to do that for you."
"We love our daughter more than anything, so we'll do anything in our power to make her happy." Ruby said with pleasure.
She, Hop and June shared one last hug together. They knew this was goodbye for now so they wanted to make the most of it. Trace respectfully stood back to let them have their moment. After they finished hugging, Ruby kissed June goodbye.
"We'll see you soon sweetheart." Ruby said softly, "We'll stop Team Rocket in no time at all. In the meantime, you and Trace have fun together and keep it up at those Gyms. You two will win them all in no time."
"We will mum, we will! Goodbye for now. And please, be careful out there." June said anxiously.
"We will." Ruby promised.
She and Hop headed off to the Pokémon Centre together to pick up Doomsday. Minutes later, June and Trace watched them both take off into the sky on Doomsday's back. The Eternatus flew on out of Pewter City and headed off to parts unknown. June imagined they might be going to Cerulean City next. They might meet Ash and Misty there and ask them for help in stopping Team Rocket. Trace was left awestruck at what he'd seen.
"That's some Pokémon!" he gasped, "Is that some powerful Pokémon from Galar?"
"Sure is." June confirmed, "Eternatus it's called, but mum nicknamed it Doomsday. It actually nearly destroyed Galar back when she was a kid but she and dad teamed up with Zacian and Zamazenta to beat it and now she has Doomsday under her control and helping her fight against evil! How cool is that?!"
"Ridiculously!" Trace agreed, "Fancy taming a Pokémon that nearly doomed the world…your parents really are amazing!"
"I know, but it's not just the amazing things they've done that makes me love them so much." June said with admiration in her voice, "It's the fact they're amazing parents to me and they care for me and love me so much. I really don't know what I'd do without them…" she added.
"Aww, that's sweet." Trace said kindly, "I wish I could share that sentiment." he murmured.
June noticed that his face had become sullen upon saying that.
"Oh no…do you not like your parents or something?" she asked worriedly.
"Oh no, nothing like that!" Trace said quickly, "Gosh, sorry I gave off that impression! No, what I mean is…" he paused for a moment, clearly unwilling to divulge any further.
"N-never mind. It's pretty painful for me to talk about." Trace said tightly.
"Oh I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." June said apologetically.
"No, it's not you. It's the memories that are upsetting." Trace dismissed, "You're not doing anything wrong buddy. Maybe someday, I'll tell you about it."
"That's OK." June said agreeably, "So what do you want to do now before nightfall?"
"How's about we go into Route 3 and train some more?" Trace suggested, "I could show you my current team and maybe we could have a friendly battle again!"
"That's fine with me. I've been wanting to go there again anyway as I'm hoping to catch a female Nidoran." June said eagerly, "Let's go!"
The two friends headed off together to carry on their day. They would train together, maybe catch more Pokémon and then camp on Route 3 for the night. Come tomorrow, they'd be on their way to Cerulean City where they'd get the chance to battle Misty for the Cascade Badge. With a Pikachu by her side, June was confident she would win this badge with ease but she also knew that Misty was a Gym Leader. She wouldn't make this battle easy. But with Trace beside her, she and her Pokémon would have someone to help them hone their skills, build up their strength and be strong enough to take on any challenge…
June had a tough battle, but she made it in the end thanks to Paige and Ray! Now she's the proud owner of the Boulder Badge! She and Trace will be off to Cerulean City now but it seems Tricia's still on their trail. Join us next time as our heroes get caught up in "A Cave-In at Mt. Moon"...
Trivia: That scene with Brock asking June how many badges she has and picking his two Pokémon accordingly is a deliberate reference to the Pokémon Origins miniseries where the same exchange happens with Red and Brock in Episode 1.
Also Brock mentioning that Ash beat Ruby in a rematch during a visit in Kanto is an indicator for a future Plot-Scorbunny I have planned where you'll see just that. Ruby visits Kanto and has a rematch with Ash. I'll write that when I return to the Plot-Scorbunnies. ;)
Trace finding a Bulbasaur in Viridian Forest is a reference to the Let's Go games where you can find one there as a rare spawn. I bet if June didn't have that confrontation with Tricia, she'd have got one too. XD
*See Pokémon Plot-Scorbunny 1: Ruby vs. Ash over in Pokémon Plot-Scorbunnies.