So,after over a week longer than usual I've updated! With an average length chapter! Good thing I removed my location from my profile...
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Episode 23
Versus Brock
Xxxxxxxx
Well, at least I know I'll only have to beat one of 'em. And its average size. Still not very comforting. Onix watched him as he reached for his belt with sharp eyes. And it's one of the smarter ground Pokemon. Figures. "Sorry 'bout this," Ash muttered as he tossed Willow's ball onto the field. If only Seed Bomb could set off Sleep Powder. Or even regular fire for that matter... The Bulbasaur shook her head and stretched her hind legs before regarding her opponent.
Willow stared at Onix for a few moments, then she turned to glare at him. Ash smiled weakly before turning to scour the field. There has to be something… The long line of large rocks Vulpix had used as cover could give them the opportunity to get at its back. No, Brock had already seen that, he'd be prepared for it and make them pay. One hit is all it takes with this thing.
The weak purple flames Vulpix had left behind caught his eye. Ash narrowed his eyes. Is that a puddle of lava? That was where Macargo got its head blown off! The puddle was directly in front of the line of boulders. The heat from a Macargo's lava dwarfed anything a Magmar could produce. It was the key to this battle, he was certain. But how the hell can I use it? He inhaled sharply. Of course! But how do I tell her without Onix catching on? "The Pewter Gym battle is about to begin! First round, Bulbasaur versus Onix begins now!" Forrest declared clapping his hands.
The serpent roared and swung its massive head at Willow. A boulder wrenched itself from the earth and soared at the tiny saurian who sidestepped it easily. "Blast Powder, and make sure you use plenty of cover," Ash muttered tugging on the bill of his hat. Willow turned to him, confused.
Onix's face stretched in a grin, then it threw its head back and roared. The Bulbasaur snapped her head to the beast with wide eyes. At least twenty chunks of earth were yanked from the earth before stilling in midair. Shit, this must be its Rock Tomb! "Cover now!" Ash yelled, growing pale. Onix lowered its head quickly and the stones shot at Willow.
The saurian squeaked in horror and leaped behind the nearest of the Gym's large rocks. Ash twitched at the cracks and dents three of the stones hitting the boulder created. It can harden its earth then. Wait a minute… Several of the stones were piled up on the Bulbasaur's left. Onix swung its head launching two boulders at the shielded Pokemon. Willow peeked beyond her wall before squeaking and scrambling back to the rock. The boulders fell to the saurian's right and behind her with thuds that dislodged a small cloud of dust.
Onix inhaled deeply, making its massive chest expand further. "Up and over it now!" Ash barked his eyes with horror. Willow stiffened before leaping up onto the rock. "Whip Jump!" he commanded as she reached the top. Onix blasted a stream of green flames as wide as a car at the stunned dinosaur. She flinched, then bent her knees and pushed off the rock with her vines, launching herself into the air. The draconic flames clipped her feet, sending her falling to the earth end over end.
Ash flinched when she landed on her belly and bounced onto her side. "Willow, speak to me!" The saurian's leg twitched and he received a moan that made him sigh in relief. He reached for his belt as she forced herself to her feet. If she took another shot while unprepared she'd die. He froze when he saw the serpent. Onix panted heavily glaring at its tiny opponent. I see, it gambled everything on that Dragon Breath. This is might be our only shot!
"Dig!" Brock barked likely realizing the same. Onix bellowed and rose to its full height.
"Drain, now!" Ash yelled at the still shaky legged dinosaur. Willow growled and spat a seed at the snake. Onix slammed its head into the floor, but as it began to tunnel, glowing vines burst from the seed and wrapped around the four-foot long horn on its head. The serpent abandoned the Dig with a roar and began to shake its head vigorously to free itself. A Seed Bomb could dislodge the Leech Seed, and another seed could send it into a panic. "Use all your Sleep on the best cover!" he ordered. His Pokemon stiffened before moving to scour the field. Her eyes it up when she saw the dying flames and lava.
"Use a rock," Brock suggested with a smile. Ash narrowed his eyes. How is he so calm? To his shock, Onix stopped flailing immediately once the Gym Leader's soothing timbre reached it.
"Great," he whispered when the saurian finished her task. Willow snorted satisfied with her work and turned back to her opponent. "Now lure it in," Ash said, tensing once the serpent tore the seed off with a small rock. Onix glared before spitting a wide flare of green fire at her. The Bulbasaur narrowed her eyes and bolted at the snake.
"Trap it!" Brock ordered crossing his arms over his chest. Onix thrust its tail into the earth and twisted at an unnatural angle.
"Willow, pull out!" Ash barked, inhaling sharply. The Bulbasaur slammed her front feet down as Gore was prone to when he wanted to stop quickly, but her feet lacked the qualities the boar's hooves possessed that allowed him to grip the earth. Willow shrieked in alarm as she tumbled until she reached a softened portion of the field. The Bulbasaur crooned weakly as she blinked and made to rise. She stood and made to turn, but her feet were stuck.
Ash cursed as the saurian began tugging frantically, and the earth began to sink in a Sand Tomb. I should have known! The Onix line was best known for two elemental techniques. Draconic fire and softening the earth as they tunneled. "Grab onto that rock!" Ash snapped, pointing to a stone about five feet away from the pit.
"Don't use a move," Brock snapped when the panting Onix inhaled deeply. The serpent rumbled and reared back until its neck was curved like a striking Arbok's. Willow squeaked and forced her vines around the rock. She pulled with all her might just before the snake struck. Ash recoiled when a cloud of dust and small stones flew as the snake slammed into the earth. Ash swallowed as it pulled back with a rumble. There was a small hole in the earth shaped like the tip of the serpent's snout. It did that with one attack?
His chest burned with fury. Is he trying to kill her? A seed shot into the left side of the serpent's face and exploded in a flash of yellow. Onix recoiled and hissed before searching for Willow, who had found refuge behind a rock. "The rock to your left!" Brock advised. The Bulbasaur shot another Seed Bomb in the beast's face when it turned to her, then she jogged toward the long line of large rocks.
Onix roared furiously and winded after the saurian. Willow squeaked as she realized the beast neared her, and pushed herself into a sprint. "Calm down!" Brock called, but this time the snake's fury made it deaf to the leader's call. Ash narrowed his eyes as the dinosaur neared the long line of stones and extended her vines.
Willow leaped onto the stone with the puddle of lava beneath it. Onix snarled and brought its neck back and angled its horn. "Now!" Ash yelled. The serpent struck and Willow threw herself over the stone with her vines. The force behind the snake's blow dislodged the Sleep Powder and made the stone shake. Willow twisted in midair and shot a small seed high into the air.
Ash watched the seed's descent with bated breath as his Pokemon hid behind the boulders. The Seed Bomb fell into the puddle, and the trainer twitched as the Onix was consumed by the Blast Powder's explosion. Ash winced when Forrest tripped and backpedaled with a shriek. He shrugged. The other boy had agreed to do the job.
Dust and smoke covered the field's in front of the referee's box. Onix had been caught in the worst of the blast. Several of the boulders that made up its body were chipped and had darkened. It had taken the full force of the Blast Powder with all of Willow's Sleep Powder directly. After having been drained by a Mega Drain and Leech Seed combination. Incredibly, the great serpent was still conscious. The beast's chest heaved as it glared into the smoke.
The trainer felt his heart sink as a still form was unobscured. Willow was lying on her right side with a steady drip coming down the side of her face. Her bulb had a few darker patches on it, that he assumed were burn marks. Blast Powder isn't something we can rely on after all. Oh, it was certainly powerful, and had gotten them out of more jams than he cared to admit, but it was too unreliable.
He recalled his Bulbasaur. Willow was his second Pokemon, but he didn't know how to help her achieve the power her species could reach. The Bulbasaur line varied more than any other grass species in the world, other than Oddish, in their natures. Seed, petal, leaf, and vine manipulation with some being capable of learning Outrage and String Shot. How was he to know what direction to take her in? She would gain greater control over her poison and powders after evolution, but Venasaur hadn't needed to rely on such techniques to survive in millions of years. Compared to a modern poison or grass Pokemon those abilities were pitiful. Ash clenched his fists. I'm still so far from there…
"Why so grim?" Brock called his tone light and teasing. The tanned man recalled his Onix and grinned. "Not many would think of using drops of magma to ignite powder, I'm beyond impressed," he continued reaching for his belt. Something in Brock's grin shifted and Ash stiffened. It wasn't nearly as bloodthirsty an expression as Misty showed in battle, or the elegant fury Erika displayed against Archer, but it made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. No matter how nice they are or how harmless they might look… Each and every one of them is incredibly dangerous.
"T-the match between Bulbasaur and Onix is a draw!" Forrest declared, breathing heavily. The tanned boy was sweating profusely and his skin looked to have lightened. Ash felt a surge of guilt when he saw the stones his Pokemon's had hid behind. Chunks of rock had been blown off, to the point that one of the stones looked to have been cut in two. Using such a technique in front of the referee's box had been cruel.
"This'll be my second Pokemon!" Brock declared tossing a Pokeball onto the field. A Rhydon appeared in a flash of scarlet light. The beast of stone bellowed, blowing out a small cloud dust. It was average size for its kind, over six feet tall and around twenty-seven hundred pounds heavy.
Ash shut his eyes. The Rhyhorn line is closely related to the Nido and Aron lines. The Nido line infused their wide moveset with their great speed (for such a large beast) and poison to hunt. Rhydon and Aggron relied on their raw might and earth manipulation to do battle. The differences between the Aron and Rhyhorn lines is slight. The Aron line, who mostly dwell in Hoenn, has no Pokemon in their habitat that are their physical superior, so they tend to learn earth manipulation more slowly. Rhyhorn is significantly less fortunate than their cousins.
They are forced to share their habitat with behemoths such as Donphan and Onix, and the predatory Machop line. This stiff competition, and lethal predator, has forced Rhyhorn to learn their earth manipulation swifter than the Nido and Aron lines. Their favored move is Stone Edge.
Ash opened his eyes and reached for his belt. His grandfather had once said, "Stone Edge is to a Rhydon what Flamethrower and Ice Fang are to Magmar and Piloswine." Fortunately, Stone Edge was far more difficult to master than Flamethrower. Unfortunately, so is Ice Fang. His Gore had tried mastering the move for the entirety of his third year without any results.
The Piloswine appeared with a determined bellow that sent snow from his snout. The swine squinted at Rhydon, who tensed and regarded him warily. Gore turned to him and huffed, confused. Ash supposed he should have expected this. For all that they were built alike, Rhydon and Nidoking smelled differently and had completely different armor. Rhydon didn't belong in a Piloswine's habitat, Rhyperior perhaps, but certainly not the second stage.
"This guy is a rock and ground Pokemon," Ash muttered. Ice will slow it down. He longed to say. Gore grunted and turned back to the stone beast. Young rock Pokemon hated mud in their armor, but an experienced Pokemon wouldn't be bothered by mud in their chinks and their joints. Ash bit his lip. There really was only a single option with this beast.
"Round two! Rhydon versus Piloswine, may the earth favor the rhino, begin!" Forrest cried earning a dry look from the challenger.
"Bird!" Brock snapped.
"Shot!" the challenger countered snapping back to the field. Rhydon punched as a small shard of ice was shot from the Piloswine's maw. The shard and a small stone met, and with a crack like a window shattering, and fell in a stalemate. Ash cursed. That usually only worked once a fight. A Smack Down for an Ice Shard, eh?
"Bulldoze!" the Gym Leader commanded, his jaw set and his eyes hard. Rhydon brought a large hoof as high as it could, and brought it down sending vibrations at the swine. Gore bellowed alarmed, then stomped his own front hooves hard, reducing the technique to mild shaking. Rhydon punched rapidly blasting three rocks at into the boar's face. Gore squealed, backpedaling swiftly. Then the young Piloswine dug his back hooves in and inhaled deeply. "Bird!" Brock snapped. The stone beast punched, blasting a tiny stone into Gore's snout immediately drawing blood.
But this time the stubborn swine would not be deterred. He snarled and shot a shrieking gust of powdery wind. Rhydon was already in motion, bending at its knees and reaching to the earth, then the ground Pokemon thrust its arms above its head with a growl. A chunk of stone wrenched free of the earth and stood between the ice and its master. Rhydon grunted and covered what the four-foot shield could not as best it could with its trunk like arms. "Smother it," Brock suggested. Rhydon spat a glob of mud that ran down the front of its shield. Ash's jaw clenched as the mud hardened.
"Gore, shelter now!" the trainer commanded as the Pokemon took a moment to steady their breathing. The swine growled furiously before striding behind a rock taller than he was. "Dammit everything's moving perfectly at his pace," Ash muttered clenching his fists. We can't even press the advantage if you can barely go in a straight in line! Liquid life dripped from his partner's snout steadily. Gore's right eye was already swelling shut, and Ash believed there was a large bruise growing on his forehead. It wasn't that Rhydon was better than his Pokemon. No, in fact, he'd wager Gore was the stronger beast.
He gives commands faster than I can even think! How the hell do I respond to him? He even dealt with Avalanche with one move that wasn't even draining for Rhydon. "Use mud when you have an opening," Ash advised, tugging on the bill of his hat. Gore grunted and shot a small shard of ice into Rhydon's face that it made it flinch.
Rhydon swung its arm wildly as it backpedaled, throwing a stone that soared above Gore's head. Ash's eyes gleamed. Didn't manage to keep the cold out, eh? "Ice him!"
"Leftovers!" Brock ordered, processing his command as swiftly as his partner. Gore blasted an Icy Wind at the armored beast, while the stones Rhydon had used earlier flew to its aid. The boulders landed in front of the Pokemon in a pile. The gust hit the shield and broke with a crack. Rhydon put a dull claw against the rocks and shut its eyes as it reinforced the stones.
"Instinct!" Ash ordered, grinning widely. Gore roared and spat a silver orb. The Ancient Power slammed exploded upon impact, destroying the shield, and bringing the Rhydon to its knees with a frightened shriek. The Piloswine squared himself and shot a stream of mud that hit the rhinoceros' cheek and knocked it onto its back.
"Ancient Power before his eighth birthday?" Brock muttered so quietly that the challenger couldn't make out his words. Rhydon wailed and rolled onto its belly before pushing itself up with its trunk-like arms. Gore squealed and rammed Rhydon with his Take Down, drawing a pained cry and sending the ground Pokemon skidding away from the boar. "Shield yourself again," Brock called as the Piloswine rounded around. The trainer gaped when the beast managed to summon its four-foot shield. But Icy wind worked on the Onix - of course! Its armor wasn't fully developed yet! The Piloswine bellowed triumphantly and fell into a sprint. Doesn't matter we're ending this!
"Finish it!" Ash cheered, pumping his fist.
"Doze," the Gym Leader said, sounding as though he were discussing the weather. Rhydon whacked the ground with her arm as Gore neared. The sudden vibrations made the boar squeal, alarmed and lose control of his Take Down. Gore stumbled, then tripped crashing into the boulder forehead first. "Tail! Punch!" Brock snapped making Ash flinch.
Rhydon's tail was surrounded by a silver hue before it smacked the side of Gore's head. The Piloswine bellowed and stumbled away from the tail. The ground Pokemon grunted and swung its glowing fist into the other side of Gore's head. Ash grimaced when his partner stumbled back into the tail's range and received another whack. "Pin it with the boulder!" he yelled his grin returning.
The Piloswine roared furiously and slammed his side into the stone, forcing it onto its master. Rhydon squealed and flailed as Gore leaped onto the boulder. The boar inhaled deeply, and the Rhydon was consumed by a scarlet light. Gore blinked and poked at where the rhinoceros was pinned. "It was recalled," Ash muttered groaning.
"R-round two, victor Piloswine," Forrest declared, staring at the boar Pokemon and gaping.
"Great job, partner!" the challenger said, pulling out his partner's Pokeball out. Gore bared his teeth in what he knew to be a grin. His smile faded when his Pokemon was in his capsule. He did great… But Brock should have won that match for sure. Icy Wind was a decent move, but it took time to use it - too much time for the power it possessed. Rhydon's Smack Down should have put a stop to his ice before it began. He figured out the angle the shield was in would let him get an Iron Tail in immediately! And he predicted what Gore would do once he was hit! Gore came through for Ash, and Rhydon let its trainer down. It was that simple.
Rhydon are well known for forgetfulness too. It knew what to do, and when to do it because of him. Ash gazed at the Gym Leader with admiration. Such coordination with a Pokemon that isn't his own… This is what it means to be a step below the Four. Ash reached for his belt. There was only one Pokemon left that could stand up to the Gym's Pokemon.
Brock released first. The Pokemon was a bipedal Pokemon that stood at over four feet tall with gray armor on its belly that was in three segments. It had three brown spikes that shot out to the side on both sides, and a long brown tail that reminded him of a knife. Its face was a brown mask shaped like a half moon, it also had two toes on each foot that he knew were used for gripping, but its most astounding feature was its two cream colored scythes. It was a fossil Pokemon known as Kabutops.
Ash felt a chill work its way up his chest. Kabutops was a Rock/Water mix, which meant Gore's ice was worthless. King still had the advantage, of course. His armor was similar to Rock Pokemon in that a cutting attack was more or less were worthless. The Krabby's lines most dangerous physical ability wasn't their pinching power - though that was the most famous. No, their power truly was their "hammer".
King chirped and waved his claw in challenge upon release. Ash popped his knuckles. King was tougher and was much, much, stronger. And Kabutops can only cut with their scythes. Why am I so nervous? "Oho, Kingler eh?" Brock said, stroking his chin with an easy smile. "King!" Ash snapped getting the crab Pokemon to turn to him. "Remember what I told you," he uttered in a solemn tone.
"Slicing and pinching isn't gonna cut it from here on out," Ash said staring into King's dark eyes. "You've never needed to, because you didn't live around other water-types, or rock-types, but you're gonna have to learn to hammer instead of pinch and cut." Ash was partially bringing this topic up because he didn't want to risk prison time. King cutting a Meowth being the end of his career would be a bummer. King narrowed his eyes and gargled. "Basically, my plan is to hit 'em really, really hard until they stop moving," Ash explained grinning evilly. The crab Pokemon cackled.
King gurgled solemnly and saluted before turning back to his foe. "Round three final match! Kabutops versus Kingler begins now!" Forrest yelled his composure having returned.
"Pulse!"
"Pulse!" King cocked his smaller claw back, while Kabutops brought its scythes in front of its chest. The water-types chirped and shot swirling orbs at one another. King sidestepped the Water Pulse and Kabutops spun around King's move. The Shellfish Pokemon charged the crab Pokemon with scythes in a Slash attack. King hissed, his dark eyes narrowed dangerously, and shot a spray of bubbles at his foe. Kabutops swiped the Bubblebeam away with ease. Then water wreathed the beast and it leaped, propelling itself with the water. Aqua Jet!
King only had time to cover himself with his dominant claw before it was upon him. Ash flinched as a long cut appeared behind King's crown. Kabutops came to a stop on a boulder five yards behind the Kingler. King chirped furiously and flipped to the rock Pokemon with murder in his eyes. Kabutops shot forward with Aqua Jet, and rammed the crab Pokemon's claw headfirst, throwing King onto his back.
Kabutops' water fell around it in a puddle as it landed. It stumbled, then leaped, only for a glowing, giant, red claw to wrap around its ankle. Kabutops shrieked and flailed as King swung it up above him. The crab Pokemon hissed and slammed the shellfish into the earth with a crack that made Ash twitch. "Slap, then Shot on its legs!" Brock called just before King swung the shellfish above his head again.
Kabutops spewed a wide spray of mud wildly, that made King flinch and cover his eyes.
"Slam!" Ash ordered as the shellfish inhaled deeply. The Kingler cocked his smaller claw back, but before the sheen of Slam could materialize, a concentrated stream of mud knocked one of his front legs out from under him.
Kabutops flipped and landed on its feet in a crouch. Its scythes were quickly covered in normal-type energy. King chirped and raised his smaller claw to protect his eyes as the shellfish began to rain a slew of Slash attacks on him. Ash flinched, there wasn't any way he could command his Pokemon without leaving his defenses weaker. King hissed and cocked his glowing dominant claw back. "Retreat!" Brock commanded his eyes widening slightly.
The shellfish flinched when it saw the Slam attack and crouched. The crab Pokemon hissed and smashed his right pincer into Kabutops chest, throwing the squealing shellfish through the air. The predator hit the ground several yards away from King and skidded until it hit a small boulder.
King pushed himself up with his massive right claw and glared at their foe. A swirling orb formed in his left claw. "Harden!" Brock snapped. The Water Pulse crashed into Kabutops chest flipping the shellfish over the boulder that Ash now recognized as Rhydon's shield.
The challenger scowled. It managed to use Harden, I figure. "King catch your breath!" Ash barked when the crab Pokemon inhaled again. "C'mere," he murmured as the shellfish pushed itself up with Brock's urging. Internally, he marveled at the prehistoric Pokemon's training. The instincts of a Fossil Pokemon were notoriously difficult to curb (and they had to be managed, they couldn't be suppressed) yet Kabutops had managed to follow the Gym Leader's commands without much prompting.
Then again, he is a master. "Put everything into a Pulse next time ya knock it down, understand?" King kept his eyes on the hissing shellfish and gurgled. The right side of Kabutops' rib cage had several cracks in it that reminded him of a windshield, he'd seen hit by a rock. The Water Pulse had produced a similar, smaller, pattern on its chest, he noticed, but the Harden seemed to have mitigated the damage enough for Kabutops to keep going. He knows we'll aim for his right now, but what else is there to do? I can't out maneuver him-
"All right, that's enough, I give," Brock announced raising a hand. Forrest fell off his podium, King blinked with a look of incredulity, and Ash gaped. Brock returned the hissing Kabutops and strode through the field, giving King a light pat that made the crab stiffen and glare. Ash frowned. Still not the most social eh? Guess that's just who he is.
"You were winning! Why give up?" Ash asked, furrowing his brow in confusion. Brock gestured for Forrest to join them before turning to him.
"A Gym battle is about determining whether someone is worthy of competing in the Indigo Conference. Winning, losing, matters little, really," the Gym Leader explained with a shrug. Ash was glad the fossil enthusiast missed the disgusted look King gave him.
"Just what is a Gym Battle to you?" Ash asked, looking at the Psychic as though she were insane. The idea of not giving everything in a fight against a challenger was absurd.
"A Gym battle is an opportunity to give inexperienced Pokemon that belong to the Gym a chance to fight in a controlled environment," Sabrina explained as her gray blue eyes took in Vivi's fight with Mr. Fuji's Houndoom. Fight may have been too generous a term. "The Indigo Conference, which is little more than a means of recruitment for my Gym, is of little importance compared to the safety of those under my care," she continued turning to him with an unwavering gaze. Ash nodded. He could understand their perspective, though he'd likely never agree with it. King and Gore would turn on me if I suggested they go easy in a duel.
"I'm proud to give you this Boulder badge to commemorate your victory in the Pewter Gym," Brock announced flipping the badge with his thumb. Ash caught it with a grin. What in the Sky God's great domain does commemorate mean? Eh, doesn't matter, I got the badge. The Pewter Gym badge resembled a common stone that had the head of an Onix facing to the left. Forrest crossed his arms over his chest and averted his gaze. Ash's grin widened. Ah, I forgot how much fun it is to mess with pricks!
"Daisy earned this too, when she'd been journeying about the same time, ya know," the Gym Leader said with a smile. Ash's smile faded and he felt something hot well up in his chest. Of course she did. I finally get something of my own and... "Heh, your sister's a friend of mine, and all but… Between you and me, I think you're stronger than she was then," Brock told him with a wink, his smile becoming sly.
Ash stared, stunned then he smiled faintly, "Thanks." I guess I have this.
Xxxxxxxxx
I never really looked into it, but Blastoise's name pretty much means explosive tortoise. Which is awesome.
Well, you've seen Sand Tomb now. It's a pretty broken move for low-level Pokemon. And yes, I threw Ash a bone here. I've been beating the hell out of him from the start, so I think he deserves a couple lucky matches.
The more complicated the commands get, the more notes and junk I have to take.