Chapter 5: First Badge Pt. 1
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"Caterpie! Let's do this!" Leaf shouted as she threw her Pokeball.
"Peeee" Caterpie squeaked, staring down the bigger Geodude opposite of her. Brock raised an eyebrow at the Pokemon, clearly not believing it to pose much of a threat.
"Huh, odd choice. However, I won't underestimate you. Geodude, start us off Rollout!"
Geodude tucked in his arms, compacting himself tightly into a ball. The Pokemon swiftly charged towards its opponent, moving at an alarming pace. Maintaining her calm composure, Leaf ordered her Pokemon next.
"Slow it down with String Shot."
Caterpie shot several lines of string at Geodude and the floor in front of it. Slowly, Geodude lost momentum into he was only moving just a foot a second. It didn't take long before Geodude almost stopped rolling entirely.
"Caterpie, hit him with Tackle." Since Caterpie was just a few feet from Geodude already, Brock was powerless as he watched his first Pokemon be sent reeling. Despite the direct hit, Geodude was barely sent back a couple of feet.
Geodude shook his head, shaking off the attack before otherwise seeming perfectly fine. Before Brock could order his next Pokemon, however, he watched in confusion as Caterpie used String Shot across the battlefield without the command of her trainer.
Lines of string were shot in random areas, connecting across boulders and the roof alike. What was even more confusing about the attack was that they were at a height taller than both Caterpie and Geodude, as they were both extremely small Pokemon. Not wanting for Leaf to continue her odd strategy, Brock continued yet again.
"Don't let Caterpie continue. Bombard it with Rock Throw!" Brock exclaimed, drawing Leaf to grit her teeth.
Geodude obeyed, forming sizable rocks, as large as his own body from out of nothing, before throwing them overhead.
"Get out of the way, Caterpie!" Leaf ordered, seeing no way to stop this kind of attack using String Shot. Caterpie barely dodged the first rock, before crying out in anguish as the second rock grazed her side.
"Keep it up!" Brock and Geodude continued to pressure Caterpie, with most of the rocks missing Caterpie. Still, the resulting debris would connect with Caterpie, slowly accumulating damage.
"Get behind the large boulder to your right!" Leaf shouted, motivating Caterpie to get out of harm's way. Narrowly dodging yet another rock, Caterpie crawled behind the boulder.
"Lob it over, Geodude." Brock smirked confidently, watching Geodude throw another rock with a precision and trajectory difficult to match.
"No!" Leaf panicked, seeing Caterpie cry out in pain as the boulder connected directly. Smoke covered Caterpie's body, making it impossible to view his likely fainted form.
Leaf bit her upper lip, finally revealing signs of losing her confident nature. Brock maintained a neutral expression, watching as the air finally cleared. Caterpie lay still, face first on the hard rocky floor.
"Call it, Jacob." Brock calmly told his apprentice, waiting patiently for him to signal that Caterpie had fainted.
"Caterpie is-"
"Wait!" Leaf cut off the referee, drawing the attention of Brock and Jacob. Their eyes widened in surprise, noticing Caterpie had now been developed completely in a white color. Slowly, his white form morphed into a different shape. After a few seconds, it was evident that Caterpie had evolved.
"Yeah! Way to go, Metapod!" Leaf encouraged her newly evolved Pokemon while viewing her Pokedex, scanning Metapod to see any changes. Brock waited for Leaf to finish with her Pokedex, as it was common etiquette for Gym Leaders to allow the use of a Pokedex for Gym battles. After all, Gym Battles were key learning tools to build trainers up from seemingly nothing.
"Geodude, hit him with Rollout. Sway in a zig zag to not get caught in its String Shot." Brock ordered, noticing there was a thick patch of string behind Metapod. Metapod had little room to run, deeming it vulnerable to a direct physical attack.
"Let him come close, Metapod."
Metapod obeyed, watching calmly for Geodude to come closer. Geodude rapidly rolled towards her, closing distance in little to no time. Brock watched confusedly, cursing to himself at the girl's unpredictable battling.
"Now! Harden!" Leaf finally ordered. Metapod stayed completely still, before turning a light metal shade. Geodude crashed into Metapod, pushing the Pokemon just a few inches. Metapod grunted, no doubt taking at least some damage from Geodude's Rollout.
Leaf waited for Geodude to completely stop its momentum. Once it did, she ordered her next move.
"Hit him with a Bug Bite!" Metapod bit down onto Geodude, who was already pressed up against Metapod's hardened form. Geodude cried out in anguish, attempting to rip off Metapod with his arms.
"Get it off you!" Brock shouted, his voice carrying clear concern. Geodude grabbed Metapod with both hands, though struggled as Metapod had appeared to be latched on quite seriously.
"Keep using Bug Bite! Don't let go, Metapod." Leaf shouted, encouraging Metapod. Metapod swayed, barely holding as she clamped down every harder. The more time Metapod continued to use Bug Bite, the more damage Geodude would accumulate. It took much longer than Brock would have liked, but Geodude finally ripped the Bug type Pkemon off of his body.
"Slam it into the ground, and hit Metapod with Rock Throw, point blank!" Brock shouted, with Geodude pressing the Pokemon to the ground. Before Leaf could order another move, Geodude had already formed a small ball, leaving Metapod no time to dodge as it connected.
This time, Metapod showed no signs of getting back up, as she remained motionless with swirls covering her eyes.
"Metapod is unable to battle! Challenger must send out her next Pokemon, or she will forfeit the battle." The referee raised a red flag on Leaf's side of the field, illustrating Metapod's defeat. Ash watched on from the spectators stand, worried as he watched Leaf now have to defeat both Geodude and Onix with just her Bulbasaur.
From where Ash sat, the circumstances appeared bleak at best for Leaf. Before the battle commenced, Ash didn't have high expectations for Caterpie.. Well, now Metapod since she had evolved during the battle. Regardless, it was impossible to have high hopes. It was literally a Caterpie, battling against durable Rock Types. On top of that, all of Caterpie's moves would be not very effective, just like his Nidoran or Charmander.
Despite this increasing concern for Leaf, there was still one aspect of the battle that hadn't left Ash's mind. As he watched Leaf return her fainted Metapod, his mind was racing about the webs of string around the battlefield. The patterns and locations were sporadic, without any certain patterns.
'Why the hell would Metapod have done that, especially if it didn't affect Geodude during their battle?' Ash thought, before his eyes lit up suddenly after remembering Brock's team. Ash laughed to himself, adjusting his black cap while shaking his head.
'Well, I guess this is why Professor Oak always called her the smartest of us three.'
'Well, everything from here on out is the easy part.' Leaf thought confidently, retrieving Bulbasaur's pokeball as she tossed it calmly.
"Bulba Bulbasaur." Bulbasaur said, scanning the battlefield as it acknowledged the webs. Geodude glared at Bulbasaur, appearing to be quite healthy despite battling with Metapod.
"Bulbasaur, huh… Quite the effective Pokemon to use for this Gym Battle." Brock stated out loud. "Though, I won't make it easy for you. Geodude, rollout!"
Once again, Geodude tucked its arms in before charging towards the Grass type. Bulbasaur lowered his head, crouched down slightly as it waited for Leaf's command.
"Jump over it, Bulbasaur."
As Geodude was just a few feet away, it flew past Bulbasaur. Geodude crashed into a large boulder, creating a sizeable indent as it finally stopped. Bulbasaur landed behind Geodude, watching as it slowly separated from the large rock.
"Hit it with a Vine Whip." Leaf commanded, taking advantage of the slight delay in Geodude composing himself.
"You have to dodge it!" Brock stated, his words falling to deaf ears as Geodude didn't have time to dodge, being struck harshly by Bulbasaur's vines. Leaf mentally cheered, knowing the attack likely did a number on Geodude.
"Strike it down again with Vine Whip! Don't hit any of the webs!"
"Use Rock Throw to stop him!"
Both Pokemon raced each other to fire off their attacks first. It was Brock's Geodude who was able to react quicker, throwing a rather small boulder from its arms. As Ash watched, he attributed the change in rock size due to Geodude being rushed.
"Use one of the vines to knock it back towards him." Leaf ordered, utilizing Geodude's own attacks. Due to the small size of the boulder, Bulbasaur easily used one of his vines to send it back to Geodude.
"Quickly, use Defense Curl!"
Geodude curled itself into a ball once again. This time, it was for defensive purposes as it braced itself to be struck by the rock. The boulder made direct contact, evoking a cry of pain from Geodude. Geodude's move was late, but likely had an influence on the amount of damage it took. However, his efforts proved to be in vain as just a few seconds later, Bulbasaur's second vine struck Geodude's head.
The ground beneath Geodude crumbled slightly, with a clear indent being made from the collision. The referee didn't waste a second.
"Geodude is unable to continue. Please send out your next Pokemon."
Brock grimaced at the scene, registering Leaf's abilities as a trainer. The girl was extremely quick on her feet, which was something rare for a trainer just beginning on their journey. She was also strategic in her commands and actions, with not just the webs covering the battlefield.
It took Brock much more time than he would have liked to realize what the String Shots from Metapod were for. He had been too preoccupied in Geodude's current scenario, rather than thinking steps ahead of their battle. Nevertheless, he would deal with it as soon as possible.
"You've done much better than most of the trainers I've seen. Even better than the other boy from Pallet Town. But it ends now. Onix, lend me your strength!"
Out of the blue light emerged the lengthy Rock Type, who roared in anger as it stared down the much smaller Bulbasaur. However, Onix's voice cut off after just a few seconds as it glanced around its body. As expected, Onix was surrounded and partially covered in Metapod's thick webs from String Shot. The webs may not have been tall or wide enough to entrap the two smaller Pokemon previously, but they were easily suitable for one as massive as Onix.
"Onix, you have to break the webs. Use Tackle through the area!" Brock ordered, before Leaf issued her own commands.
"Oh, no you don't! Razor Leaf!" Ash's eyes widened, learning of Bulbasaur's new move. The girl had never used it before, so it was safe to assume that Bulbasaur had either learned it very recently, or Leaf had never chosen to use it prior.
Waves of small, sharp leaves were launched through the air, colliding into the almost thirty foot Pokemon. Onix roared at being hit by the upper effective attack, rolling around the ground to escape. The webs limited Onix's movement, though they were also way too small and weak to hold the Pokemon efficiently. Razor Leaf also played a role in cutting the String Shot as the leaves soared through the air.
Bulbasaur's Razor Leaf stopped after a few seconds, with almost none of the leaves missing its target. Onix already appeared to be breathing heavily as it finally freed itself from the webs it was initially trapped in upon release.
"Rock Throw!"
Like Geodude, Onix created several rocks as they levitated in the air. The only difference between the two was the clear size difference in the boulders. Several boulders came flying overhead, directly towards the small Kanto starter.
"Knock them away with Vine Whip!"
"Tackle!"
Bulbasaur focused on the boulders, expertly deflecting them to the side. Onix charged towards Bulbasaur, slithering quite quickly for its impressive size. It broke through the webs fairly easily, though the effect the String Shot had across the battlefield was easily noticeable.
"Don't let Onix get close, use Razor Leaf." Leaf ordered.
Bulbasaur used the grass type move yet again, piercing Onix as it roared yet again. However, Onix had already gotten close enough, crashing against Bulbasaur despite its apparent pain. Bulbasaur was lifted airborne from the heavy blow, rotating as it struggled to survey his surroundings.
Nevertheless, Leaf sighed in relief seeing Bulbasaur get caught in a web, just a few feet above floor level. Although Metapod's String Shots weren't used for that purpose, Leaf would take what she could get. As the brunette turned her attention back to Onix, her eyes widened in surprise at the sight.
"Onix is unable to battle. The challenger is the winner!" The referee raise his white flag to signal the winner, as the result was clear with Onix motionless. Brock returned Onix, praising the Pokemon as he attached the Pokeball to his belt.
"Great job, Bulbasaur!" Leaf praised Bulbasaur as he jumped into her hands.
"That was incredible, Leaf." Ash told the girl, having come down from the spectator stands. The brunette let down Bulbasaur momentarily, sprinting towards Ash and hugging him tightly. Catching Ash off guard, it took a moment before he returned the embrace.
"Congratulations, Leaf. It is my honor to present to you the Boulder Badge." Brock stated, handing the smaller girl the badge.
Leaf admired the badge for a second despite its simplicity. It was a simple, gray octagon that shined just barely.
"Thanks, Brock." Leaf thanked the older man as she placed the badge in her Badge case.
"Unfortunately Ash, I'm going to need some time for my Pokemon to recover. Would it be alright for you to swing by tonight?"
"Of course." Ash replied, not letting his disappointment show too much. It was a reasonable request, considering both the Pokemon had just fainted in battle. Besides, it gave him just a bit more time to strategize, with the advantage of having seen Brock live in battle.
Leaf had already won her first Gym battle. He couldn't afford to lose so early in his journey, in spite of his disadvantages. The Boulder Badge was his for the taking.
"How are you my boy?" Professor Oak greeted Ash through the video call. Ash was currently at the Pokemon Center, calling Professor Oak as he hadn't talked to his mentor since departing from Pallet Town. It would also be useful to ask the wise man for advice. Leaf was back in the room, watching some sappy romance movie with her Pokemon. That may have also been a determinant for getting out of their room so late.
"Hey Professor! Sorry for calling you so late."
"Nonsense. Have you already challenged the Pewter City Gym? I can see that's where you are calling from."
"Not yet. I'm scheduled to battle Brock tomorrow morning. Though, Leaf actually did today and won."
"That's great for her! I'll be sure to congratulate her next time I see her." Professor Oak reminded himself.
"I heard Gary has already defeated Pewter City Gym too." Ash stated blandly, no doubt the thought souring his mood.
"He told me briefly over a video call a day or two ago. It sounded like he didn't have any difficulties with it. Then again, Gary hasn't always been one to be humble." Professor Oak laughed, his voice carrying affection for his grandson. Ash groaned, letting his face drop onto the screen, drawing skeptical looks from other guests in the Pokemon Center.
"Yeah, well I don't think I'll be having the same success."
"Why's that?"
Ash then went on to explain his current situation, detailing having caught Nidoran. Although he now had two Pokemon to use, both were weak to rock and ground type attacks. Even worse, every single move the Pokemon knew was not very effective.
"Why don't you attempt to capture other Pokemon? I'm sure you could find a water type Pokemon, or something else nearby the city?"
"I… I can't." Ash mumbled, earning a confused look from Professor Oak. Seeing Professor Oak waiting for Ash to continue, he did so.
"It's so early in my journey as a trainer. Hell, I haven't even gotten my first Gym Badge yet. I know it's the smarter move to get a Pokemon with a type advantage. It's why Bulbasaur was able to defeat Onix so easily." Ash recalled the events of earlier, remembering Bulbasaur's near perfect condition.
"But… I feel like if I can't deal with a tough situation like this so early in my Pokemon journey, then I'm not going to make it very far. It's just something I have to do." Professor Oak remained silent at his words. After a moment, Ash raised his heat at the older man's next words.
"Have I told you about when I first became a Pokemon Professor?" Ash shook his head.
"Well, as you know, it is a sought after and competitive profession." Ash nodded at the truth in his words. Professor Oak was the most famous Pokemon Professor in all of Kanto. It was easy to forget due to their relationship, that there were hundreds and thousands of other people, aspiring to achieve the same notoriety and respect in their line of work.
"In my early days, I was ridiculed and mocked by my coworkers. It was common for professors to pay scientists, historians, and others for their work. It was extremely appealing early on, though I never engaged in the activity. This resulted in myself falling behind my peers."
"Well, clearly not too much judging by your status, Professor Oak." Ash interrupted, eliciting an eye roll from his mentor.
"I said in my early days, listen you punk." Oak joked before continuing. "These same bullies then received awards, acknowledgement, even opportunities to shadow more famous and accomplished professors. I was just left with my field work receiving nothing."
"So what changed?" Ash asked, confused where Oak was going with his story.
"Well, as time went on, these same professors burned out over time. It didn't take long for the world to be able to tell who was genuine and knowledgeable about their work. How could somebody teach a student, when they didn't even understand the work themselves? More importantly, how could you teach yourself, when you aren't even willing to put in the work necessary?" Professor Oak paused, allowing the boy to take in his words.
"I was able to surpass many because I challenged myself. I pushed through this adversity, rather than taking the easy route like most of my peers. So when the time and all of us were challenged, it was just another day for me. Unlike the others, who had never done any honest work in their whole career. I'm not saying that Leaf is taking the easy route by utilizing type advantages. I mean, any capable trainer would do so."
"So what are you saying?" Ash questioned, holding his head up with his hand. Professor Oak smiled at Ash's slightly childish exterior.
"I'm saying…. Let it be difficult then. If you succeed, you will be a much better trainer for it. It's a learning experience. If you don't challenge yourself early on, then you won't know how to deal with this pressure when it does finally come."
"And if I lose?"
"Then you lift your ass off the ground and try again."
"This battle between challenger Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town, and Gym Leader Brock Harrison will now begin!"
"Start us off, Geodude!"
"You got this, Charmander!"
'A shiny Charmander? That's extraordinary!' Brock thought, admiring the golden Charmander in front of him. It was the first shiny the young man had seen in his entire lifetime. Brock was snapped out of his thoughts by Ash's voice sounding across the field.
"Alright Charmander. Use Ember!"
Charmander didn't waste a moment, firing a small and compact flame from his mouth.
"Defense Curl."
Geodude tucked itself into a ball with his arms before being struck by the attack. It likely lessened the impact greatly, as well as the move not being very effective already.
"Hit him with Rollout." Brock went on the offensive, with Geodude rocketing towards Charmander in the exact manner he did yesterday against Leaf.
"Ember and get out of the way!"
Charmander sent out a small flame once again, connecting against the charging Geodude. Geodude made a small grunt, but made no signs of slowing down. Just barely and without much grace, Charmander narrowly dodged Geodude as the golden Pokemon dived to the side. Geodude made a complete stop at the wall, turning back around to face his opponent.
"Rock Throw!" Brock kept up the offensive, pressuring Charmander. Ash tightened his lips, not seeing a feasible way to counter the attack with one of Charmander's own.
"Get behind cover, Charmander! Just like we talked about."
Charmander ran to the nearest rock as Geodude began to form a sizeable, singular boulder.
"Lob it over."
Similar to yesterday, Geodude thew the boulder with an almost perfect trajectory. Charmander attempted to dodge Geodude yet again, though his efforts proved to be in vain.
"Char!" Charmander cried out, clearly battered from the attack.
"Watch out Ash!" Leaf shouted from the stands, forcing Ash to turn his attention back to Geodude. Geodude appeared to be using Rollout once again, despite not receiving an order from Brock. Ash glanced at Brock briefly, attempting to read his expression. Brock maintained a neutral, calm look, no doubt not surprised at Geodude's actions.
Conflicted whether it was too late for Charmander to dodge, Ash forced himself to speak.
"Try to stop him in his tracks with your arms!" Ash commanded doubtfully, berating himself mentally for hesitating. Leaf's face showcased the stress from watching the battle, as well as the disagreement in Ash's command.
Charmander winced as he stood to his full height, holding out his arms as Geodude was just a moment away from reaching him. As Geodude made contact with Charmander, he was caught by the fire type Pokemon. However, the momentum of Geodude's rollout easily pushed Charmander into the large boulder behind him. Once again, Charmander cried out in pain.
Still, this was a massive opportunity for Ash, as his starter now had Geodude in his arms.
"Get out of their Geodude!" Brock warned Geodude, clearly seeing the possible danger his Pokemon was in.
"Don't let it escape. Ember!" Geodude attempted to roll backwards, though was unable to make any traction with his awkward build. Geodude grunted as his face was hit in close range with another Ember.
The plan was and still is to fight from a distance due to the severe type disadvantages Ash would face. However, this was an opportunity he couldn't pass up.
"Keep it up, Charmander. Wear him out!"
Charmander kept firing Ember, with some of his attempts being much more steady and compact than his others. It was an issue the Pokemon still faced, but the practice the two had done the past few days made it much more efficient than previously before.
"Defense curl." Brock ordered, attempting to buy himself some time as he thought of a plan. Geodude's arms were too small to push himself off Charmander, so he opted to cover his body in a defensive posture. Charmander was visibly becoming exhausted due to the frequent attacks, though Ash kept on the offensive as the damage was piling up against Geodude.
This kept up for a few more seconds as Brock contemplated any effective strategy. Geodude's grunts of pain became much more noticeable during this time. Eventually, Brock finally broke the silence.
"Rock Throw!"
"No, there's no way." Ash muttered to himself, believing Brock's command to be a bluff. Geodude was being bombarded with Ember at the moment. It was unlikely for Geodude to be able to form such a move, as it required concentration and generally distance from its opponent.
Yet, Geodude closed his eyes as it slowly but surely formed a small boulder in its hands. It was a smaller scale boulder than his previous attempts, but considered the circumstances, it was quite the achievement for the Rock type.
"Let him go, Charmander!"
It was too late, as Charmander was sent reeling backwards from being hit by the super effective move. Charmander crashed against the floor, rolling back several feet before finally stopping. Geodude shook his head, attempting to shake off the damage as it was visibly injured. Charmander looked worse for wear, however, as he struggled to get back up, littered with bruises.
"Rollout one more time." Brock commanded, wanting to finish Charmander as quickly as possible.
"Charmander!" Ash yelled out hopelessly, attempting to reach the fallen Pokemon with his words. It appeared as if Charmander was fated to be struck by the attack, as he remained on the floor. Just as Geodude was a few seconds away from ending it, the area surrounding Charmander was covered with a thick, black smoke.
"Dang it!" Brock shouted, watching as Geodude disappeared into the cloud. Ash only remained confused for a second, before hearing Leaf's words.
"He learned Smoke Screen, Ash!" Ash's worry was alleviated for the moment, extremely grateful for the new move. It was a much needed break for the duo, as it also could prove vital to beating Geodude with the terrain advantage. No sound erupted from the cloud, indicating that Geodude's Rollout had not connected.
"Alright, great job Charmander! If you're still hurt, stay hidden to take some time to recover." Ash advised Charmander, receiving a small verbal sound from Charmander, likely being a form of agreement.
"Come back to my voice Geodude." Geodude obeyed, returning in just a second in front of Brock. Slowly the cloud of smoke dissipated, revealing Charmander's battered form. The Pokemon appeared in bad condition, though was probably slightly less tired from the much needed break.
"Rock Throw once again."
"Ember while moving, Charmander!"
Charmander weaved through the thrown boulders, releasing the fire type move whenever he could. Due to having to stay on the run, most of Charmander's attacks missed their marks. Still, every once in a while, a few would connect as Geodude cried in pain. Ash watched on nervously, not wanting to use the Smoke Screen just yet. If he did so, it was probable that Charmander wouldn't be able to see the boulders overhead. Both his options thus far seemed to be risky.
"Rollout." Brock's voice conveyed his frustration, a Geodude appeared almost as tired and hurt as Charmander. Geodude forced himself to dodge another Ember, before rolling swiftly towards Charmander.
"Smoke Screen, then Scratch inside the smoke."
Geodude disappeared into the smoke once again, hiding the collision as a loud smack sounded throughout the battlefield. Both Ash and Brock grimaced, uncertain of what occurred as their vision was compromised from the Smoke Screen yet again.
When the smoke cleared, Geodude lay face first in front of a kneeling Charmander, who breathed heavily in complete exhaustion.
"Geodude is unable to continue." The referee's words were barely heard over Leaf's cheers.
Brock return Geodude, praising the Pokemon's efforts before retrieving Onix's pokeball. Before he released his last Pokemon, Ash spoke to Charmander.
"Charmander, are you sure you could continue? You already did more than enough, buddy."
"Mander." Charmander nodded, struggling to stand on both feet. It was a miracle that Charmander was still standing, as he had already taken several super effective attacks. Not to mention the Rollout just now, which likely struck his starter in his own Smoke Screen.
"Come out Onix!"
The Rock and Ground type Pokemon emerged, standing tall with its snake-like build. Ash grimaced at the sight of the Pokemon, knowing that the easy part of the battle was done. Charmander visibly cowered at the sight of Onix, lowering his head slightly.
"You can do it, Charmander! You're tough!"
"Onix, Dragon Breath." Ash's eyes widened at the attack, caught off guard as he hadn't used that attack against Leaf.
"Dodge, Charmander!"
Onix opened his mouth, releasing a compact stream of dark blue and purple energy. The Dragon Breath crashed to where Charmander was previously standing, destroying the ground and causing rubble to fly in different directions. Luckily, Charmander escaped unharmed as he had just barely avoided the attack, as well as any debris.
"Smack Down!"
Onix slithered at an alarming pace, easily making it to Charmander in less than a few seconds.
"Smoke Screen and get out of there!" Ash panicked, knowing that Charmander couldn't attack Onix head on. However, this backfired as similar to the past, Charmander froze in fear at the sight of Onix. It wasn't easy to conclude why this was occurring now, since anybody would be more intimidated at an Onix. Ash was helpless, his shouts unable to reach Charmander as Onix's tail smashed down into the Pokemon. Dust covered the area, with the spectators and trainers alike unable to see where Charmander was located. Despite this, the referee didn't wait for the scene to clear.
"Charmander is unable to battle. Challenger, send out your last remaining Pokemon."
True to his words, Charmander remained on his back, his eyes signaling his fainted form. Ash clenched his jaws, forcing himself not to look at Leaf for advice or guidance. If he wanted to improve, he had to do it himself. Ash clenched his jaw, forcing his next words to hold a confident tone as it was all up to his last Pokemon.
"All or nothing. Let's go, Nidoran!"
Author Notes: Hope you all enjoyed! In the next chapter, we'll see the conclusion of Ash's battle! REVIEW and I'll see you all soon.