Chapter 8:
Make Mine Matches
Location: Route 3
Having promised not to go into the Galar Mine until Hop had caught up with me, I had breakfast whilst I waited.
"Further proof that Macro Cosmos runs this region," I said. "All the energy that must come from here. Sounds like tough work."
"It'll be tough work to get through to," Hop said. "But we won't if keep dawdling around like this! Let's go!"
Location: Galar Mine
The mine was lit up with various torches. There was a minecart full of jewels at the entrance.
"Wow!" Hop said. "Look at these! Imagine how rich we could be?"
"Woah woah," I said. "Hold your Mudsdale. This mine is still in use. Don't take anything that doesn't belong to you. Now the Pokémon? That's a different story!" I then saw another minecart with lots of coal in it. One of them seemed to be moving. I went up to it.
"Oh, so YOU can touch stuff," Hop said. "Nice to know that my best friend is a hypocrite."
"Hold on," I said. I shook the minecart a bit, and a Pokémon jumped out. I could see why it was in there; it looked like a lump of coal. It had a coal for wheel to move around and one eye.
Rolycoly (ランドン)
#161
Rock Type
Coal Pokémon
1'00" (0.3 m)
26.5 lbs (12 kg)
Most of its body has the same composition as coal. Fittingly, this Pokémon was first discovered in coal mines about 400 years ago.
"Go Lotad!" I shouted. "Water Gun!" Lotad showered Rolycoly with water. It took the hit, but its Speed rose. "What now?!" I shouted. Then I remembered; Steam Engine. An Ability that drastically raises the User's Speed when it's hit by a Water Type move. Very clever. Rolycoly then shot a rock at Lotad.
"That's Smack Down!" Hop shouted. Rolycoly then cloaked itself in steam. "And now it's using Smokescreen!" I replied. Lotad then shot energy through the Smokescreen and drained away a lot of Rolycoly's HP. "Hey Lotad! That's Mega Drain!" This finished Rolycoly off.
Hop laughed. "Keep battling like that and I feel like we'll be learning a lot more." Suddenly, a Pokémon popped up from underground. It was grey with long-white claws.
Drilbur (モグリュ-)
#166
Ground Type
Mole Pokémon
1'00" (0.3 m)
18.7 lbs (8.5 kg)
It's a digger, using its claws to burrow through the ground. It causes damage to vegetable crops, so many farmers have little love for it.
"Grookey, I choose you!" Hop made the right choice in terms of Type. Drilbur started with Fury Swipes, scratching at Grookey many times. "Now use Razor Leaf!" Grookey fired some sharp leaves at Drilbur, knocking it out in one swoop.
"Looks like you've been getting stronger to," I said. "Okay, onwards to Turffield!"
We walked through the mine, then from round the corner, we saw a Worker.
"Heigh ho! To battle we go!"
Gloria Vs. Worker Keith
"Go Roggenrola!" Keith shouted, sending out a Pokémon that looked like a chunky-round rock with one eye.
Roggenrola (ダンゴロ)
#168
Rock Type
Mantle Pokémon
1'04" (0.4 m)
39.7 lbs (18 kg)
When it detects a noise, it starts to move. The energy core inside it makes this Pokémon slightly warm to touch.
"Go Scorbunny!" I replied. Not the best idea, considering Scorbunny's Fire Type. "Use Double Kick!" Scorbunny kicked at Roggenrola twice. It almost went down.
"Use Tackle!" Roggenrola charged into Scorbunny.
"Now finish with Ember!" Scorbunny did just that, defeating the Rock Type.
"Heigh… oh no…"
"That was some match!" Hop said.
"Really?" I asked. "It only took two moves."
"Hey, I know that!" Hop said. "But everytime I see you battle, I can't help but get pumped up!"
"Great!" I said. "Now we should move."
"Why?" Hop asked.
"I SAID MOVE!" I saw a black Pokémon with lots of coal in it come charging towards us on the mine tracks.
Carkol (トロッゴン)
#162
Rock/Fire Type
Coal Pokémon
3'07" (1.1 m)
172 lbs (78 kg)
By rapidly rolling its legs, it can travel at over 18 mph (29 kph). The temperature of the flames it breathes exceeds 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit (982֯).
Rolycoly -Lv 18- Carkol
"Watch where you're going!" I shouted. "You'd think after a Pokémon learns some new moves it would also learn some manners." We were about to continue when a Pokémon swooped down from above. It was fuzzy and blue, flying and had a heart shaped nose in place of any eyes whatsoever.
Woobat (コロモリ)
#174
Psychic/Flying Type
Bat Pokémon
1'04" (0.4 m)
4.6 lbs (2.1 kg)
While inside a cave, if you look up and see lots of heart-shaped marks lining the walls, it's evidence that Woobat live there.
"I choose Purrloin!" I shouted. "Fake Out!" Woobat clapped in front of Woobat, causing it to flinch. Didn't matter to much though as Woobat was faster. It then fired a heart at Purrloin.
"Careful!" Hop shouted. "That's Attract!"
It hit Purrloin, and it became infatuated. How Attract works is that a Pokémon of the opposite gender will gain the infatuated status, which makes it unable to make a move every so often. In this case, the male Woobat has used it against my female Purrloin.
"Fury Swipes!" Purrloin still managed to get in a move though, doing some damage to Woobat. Woobat then came back with Gust. Purrloin couldn't move, and Woobat used Gust again. "Fury Swipes!" Thankfully Purrloin managed to get in one more round of attacks. Woobat was defeated.
After that, me and Hop continued through the mine. We could see the Diglett popping out the ground.
Diglett (ダグトリオ)
#164
Ground Type
Mole Pokémon
0'08" (0.2 m)
1.8 lbs (0.8 kg)
If a Diglett digs through a field, it leaves the soil perfectly tilled and ideal for planting crops.
"It's like the opposite of Drilbur," I said. "But very much similar."
"Speaking of fields and farming," Hop said. "Oh boy, Milo. He makes an ideal first challenge. Since he focuses on Grass Types, your Scorbunny and Rookidee should be great against him." Hop laughed. "You know, when Leon was on his journey, it was Milo's mother that was the Gym Leader. She's still alive and well, but I can understand why she passed the torch to her son."
Just then, another Worker spotted us. "So… much work… Thankfully we have our Pokémon."
Hop Vs. Worker Georgia
"Timburr, I choose you!" Georgia shouted. She sent out a muscly-grey Pokémon carrying a piece of lumber.
Timburr (ドッコラー)
#171
Fighting Type
Muscular Pokémon
2'00" (0.6 m)
27.6 lbs (12.5 kg)
It loves helping out with construction projects. It loves it so much that is rain causes work to halt, it swings its log around and throws a tantrum.
"Good thing it works in a mine then," I said.
"Rookidee, I choose you!" Hop shouted. "Peck attack!" Rookidee stabbed its beak into Timburr. It took away about half of its health.
"Now use Rock Throw!" Timburr tossed a rock at Rookidee. It was almost a knockout.
"One more Peck!" Rookidee did just that, defeating Timburr.
"Okay Timburr, break over."
Shortly after that, I felt a breeze. "I think that might be the exit," I said.
"Look!" Hop said; we could see daylight up ahead. "Come on!"
We turned a corner to see the exit and also…
"Huh?" Bede asked.
"You!" I said. "I see you've made progress."
"As expected," Bede replied. "Because I actually deserved the endorsement. I didn't get it just because of family favouritism."
"What was that?!" Hop shouted.
"Calm," I said. "We earned our endorsement fair and square! Leon had the two of us battle to see if we worthy of getting it!"
"Well," said Bede. "I didn't need to go through any of that. Chairman Rose gave me an endorsement right there and then. No need for any battles like this."
"And that gives you the reason to treat all other challengers like dirt?!" Hop asked. "Oh, and what's this about family favouritism? That's EXACTLY what it is!"
"Look," I said. "It's not about WHO endorsed you. It's about YOU and what YOU do with that endorsement. I don't care if I was endorsed by Leon or a shopkeeper; it's still an endorsement and I feel lucky to have earned it, and I will prove it to you now! I challenge you to a battle!"
"Is that so?" Bede asked. "Well, I guess I have a lot to do, but I'll show you why you're not worth the League's glory!"
Gloria Vs. Bede
"Scorbunny, you're up!" I shouted.
"I choose Solosis!" A round Pokémon coated in what was like a green bubble came out.
Solosis (ユニラン)
#270
Psychic Type
Cell Pokémon
1'00" (0.3 m)
2.2 lbs (1 kg)
Many say that the special liquid covering this Pokémon's body would allow it to survive in the vacuum of space.
"Scorbunny, Ember!" Scorbunny shot a ball of fire at Solosis. It didn't do that much.
"Now use Confusion!" Solosis made Scorbunny a bit dizzy with its Psychic powers.
"Now give it a dose of your Quick Attack!" Scorbunny dashed into Solosis, almost defeated it.
"Now use Endeavor!" Solosis charged into Scorbunny. It took it down to about 3HP. "Surprised, huh? Endeavor is a move that makes the HP of the target equal to the User!"
"Well at least we know that one final Quick Attack will defeat you!" And that it did. Scorbunny finished off Solosis.
"Urgh. Go Gothita!" Next up was a black and white Pokémon with a pink face. It looked like the goth kids at my School.
Gothita (ゴチム)
#267
Psychic Type
Fixation Pokémon
1'04" (0.4 m)
12.8 lbs (5.8 kg)
Though they're still only babies, there's Psychic power stored in their ribbonlike feelers, an sometimes they use that power to fight.
"Come back," I told Scorbunny. "Go Purrloin!" Out came my Dark Type. "Use Fake Out!" Purrloin clapped in front of Gothita. "And now Fury Swipes!" Purrloin scratched many times at Gothita.
"Now use Pound!" Gothita jumped at Purrloin.
"One final Fury Swipes!" Purrloin managed to scratch Gothita a few more times, defeating it.
"Well, fine. But can you take down Hattena?" Out came the Pokémon we saw Bede have at Motostoke.
I decided to recall Purrloin. "Go Lotad!" I shouted.
"Disarming Voice!" Hattena shouted, letting out soundwaves that hit Lotad.
"Come back with Astonish!" Lotad attacked Hattena with a Ghost Type attack.
"Now Confusion!" Hattena made Lotad dizzy. This was a Critical Hit that knocked Lotad out.
"No!" I shouted. "Okay Scorbunny, go!" I had Scorbunny used Quick Attack, almost defeated Hatenna.
"Disarming Voice!" Another soundwave from Hattena was enough to knock out Scorbunny.
"Okay, this one is good. Go Rookidee!" I had it come out to use Peck, defeating Hatenna and Bede.
"But… I was endorsed by Rose!"
Bede sighed and recalled Hattena. "Fine. There are no Wishing Stars here anyway."
"Wishing Stars?" Hop asked. "Wait… you mean the stuff that helps us Dynamax?"
"Whatsitooya?" Bede snapped back.
"What is your goal here?!" I asked. "To get everyone in the region to hate you? Because it's working!"
Hop put his hand on my shoulder. I looked over and he shook his head. "You stopped me, I don't want you starting."
"Have fun I suppose," Bede said. "After I'm done crushing the two of you, I'll crush your brother. Stay out of my way if you know what's good for you." With that, he walked out of the mine. We waited five minutes until we were sure he was gone, then walked out ourselves.
Location: Route 4
Route 4 was made up of a lot of fields and hiking trails. And in the distance, we saw Turffield. The big-green stadium could be seen as well as its many standing stones and hill drawing which depicted some kind of Pokémon.
"I can hear cheering!" I said. "There must be a match of some kind!"
Hop looked on his phone where the match was being broadcast. Two commentators were talking over the match.
"And Gym Leader Milo sends back Eldegoss."
"Yes, the crowd is now getting very hyped. He throw's the Pokéball and his Eldegoss Dynamaxes!"
We saw in the distance the Pokémon with the white cotton get bigger. "That size is amazing!" I said.
"Meanwhile, Lass Willow sends out her Vulpix in Dynamax state. Great matchup for this Gym let me tell you."
We saw a Vulpix grow larger in the distance.
"And that's where we'll be soon," Hop said. "I'm gonna get there for tonight!"
"I might do a bit more training tomorrow," I said. "So, I think I'll camp out. But I wish you the best of luck!"
"Well in that case, here." Hop healed my team. "You'll need this. That Bede really gave you a battering. Okay, see yah!"
We fist bumped, and Hop ran off just as we saw a blast of fire come from the stadium. It was the Vulpix. Now I was even more excited!