After surviving the storm on the ocean, Lapis made it to Dewford Town and found a place to stay at the Trendy Town Hostel. He tried to go through Granite Cave, only to be stopped by the cave's signature darkness. To prepare for the next Gym, Lapis switched Onyx with his new capture, Citrine. Now with the training over, Lapis finally challenges Brawly, the Dewford Town Gym Leader, the last step before his second descent into Granite Cave. Will he be able to defeat the Fighting type Gym Leader and meet with Steven Stone, or will he be swept away?
Lapis' Pokémon:
Zuli (Lvl. 16 Mudkip, male): Impish Nature, Torrent Ability, moves: Tackle, Growl, Mud Slap, Water Gun
Citrine (Lvl. 15 Makuhita, female): Timid Nature, Guts Ability, moves: Tackle, Sand Attack, Arm Thrust, Vital Throw
Tiger Eyes (Lvl. 15 Zigzagoon, male): Quiet Nature, Pickup Ability, moves: Tackle, Tail Whip, Headbutt
Agate (Lvl. 16 Beautifly, female): Quirky Nature, Swarm Ability, moves: Tackle, Stun Spore, Gust, Absorb
Moonstone (Lvl. 17 Taillow, female): Naive Nature, Guts Ability, moves: Peck, Growl, Focus Energy, Quick Attack
Apatite (Lvl. 15 Whismur, male): Naughty Nature, Soundproof Ability, moves: Pound, Growl, Uproar
Chapter 11: Surf and Granite Turf
After a few weeks traveling between Dewford Island and the mainland, Lapis finally got the team where it needed to be. Lapis stared at the ceiling of Granite Cave's top floor as his Pokémon finished training for the day.
So, tomorrow we're heading to the Gym. Now that Moonstone's got Wing Attack and Agate knows Gust, that Gym's gonna get destroyed.
He heard footsteps and saw his team of six emerge from the floor below. He turned his head. "So, how'd it go?"
"F-Fine, Lapis," Citrine murmured.
Zuli, on the other hand, was beaming. "I...I think it's gonna happen, Loud Lapis!"
His Trainer sat up. "Finally! Took ya long enough."
The Mudkip was about to retort something back, but a white light surrounded him. His body arched up as his front legs turned into arms as his fins grew longer. When the light faded, his head fin turned black and two new black fins appeared on his tail. His three-pronged whiskers became one whisker on each side, and an orange spot appeared on his stomach.
Zuli examined his new appearance and gasped. "Wow," he said, his voice slightly deeper. "I got arms!"
Lapis rolled his eyes. "Can't believe that's what's shocking."
After the rest of the team congratulated their newly evolved friend, the Trainer returned everyone except for Moonstone. She was confused, but she followed him out of the cave.
"Moonstone, you got full advantage of that Gym. Don't let me down tomorrow, 'kay?"
"S-Sure, Lapis. I'll do my best for my first Gym."
He sighed. He missed the spunkiness she had before, but a Flying type was a Flying type. After being accosted with the trendy phrase that still hasn't changed by Ryder, Lapis took it easy. After all, the traveling was rough on both him and his Pokémon.
The next day…
Lapis trudged towards the center of the island, the location of the Dewford Town Gym. When he passed through the wooden doors, his legs buckled, but he caught himself on the wall.
Ugh! Why's the Gym so far away from the main town?!
After he recovered, he looked around. Two photographs stood out amongst the trophy cases and underwater-themed room. But before he could look at them some more, a familiar, unpleasant person emerged from a hallway past the reception desk.
Jim, the Gym guide, was dressed in red and black workout clothes. He stretched his arms and complained, "Man, that workout session was longer than I thought." When he saw the Nuzlocke Trainer, he slicked his sweaty hair back and groaned. "Great, you're here early… I thought you were coming at 11."
"It is 11, you idiot."
The man looked at his watch. "Crap. That really was longer than I thought." He then murmured. "Should I change now then do the speech? Or speech first so he'll get out of my way quicker?"
"You know I can hear ya, right?"
"Who cares?!" Jim took a deep breath and showed his typical fake smile. "You know what? You can decide what I should do."
Lapis muttered some choice words under his breath, but he crossed his arms and replied, "Why don't you give me that poorly prepared speech now?"
"'Poorly prepared'?!" the guide growled. "Whatever." He then said, "Fighting types lay a serious smack down to Normal types."
The teen waited for more information, but Jim was done. "Wait, that's it? No type advantages that I already know?"
"What more do you want from me?" Jim scoffed with a shrug. "That's all the PLA gave me to say. I'm pretty sure you did your research beforehand. Oh wait, there is one thing." He pointed to the doors leading to the battlefield. "Brawly said your challenge is to make it through the maze he set up."
"Another one?"
He smirked. "Well this one's a little different. Since Brawly and his students sometimes train in pitch black conditions, you have to make it through with just a small circle of light over you."
"Seriously?!"
"That's his challenge, so take it or leave it."
Lapis massaged his eyebrows. "Fine, whatever! Just go take a shower, you're stinkin' up the place."
"How rude!" Jim stormed back into the hallway, allowing Lapis to pass through to his next challenge.
The teen entered the room, only to find Jim was correct. The room was pitch black, except for an intense bright light coming from a klieg light above him. With this, Lapis could make out the bamboo walls of the maze.
All right, let's get this over with.
He walked into the narrow makeshift corridor, and the klieg light followed his movements. After a few minutes, he turned a corner and was startled to find a man wearing a white qi and black belt staring at him.
"Hold it right there, challenger!" the man shouted. "I, Black Belt Cristian, shall test if you're worthy to battle Master Brawly! Come, Makuhita!"
The chubby Fighting type materialized, flexing his arms. But Lapis was unfazed.
"Go, Moonstone!"
The Taillow flew out of her ball, ready for her Trainer's command.
"Use Wing Attack!"
She charged at her opponent with her wings glowing white. Her left wing slammed into the Guts Pokémon, sending him into the wall. Seeing his partner unable to get up, Black Belt Cristian sighed.
"Of course you have a Flying type move. Very well, you may proceed."
Lapis smirked. This Gym was turning out to be much easier than the last.
Watching from the stands were the Gym Leader Brawly and Ms. Hōfu from the PLA.
The Hoenn representative adjusted her glasses. "So, Mr. Brawly, what do you think of Lapis Eurig so far?"
To her surprise, he chuckled. "Well, seeing that he's beating my Trainers so quickly, it looks like he's got his Pokémon at the right level and a good understanding of type matchups and power balance. Though, he does have that abrasiveness Roxanne told me about. He reminds me of my son when he started his journey a few years ago."
"I-I see… Well then. It looks like he's almost done with the maze."
The Gym Leader nodded. "Guess I should get ready. I'll talk to you later, Ms. Hōfu."
She nodded and allowed him to leave the bleachers.
After beating Battle Girl Laura's Meditite easily, Lapis finally made it to the end of the maze. This time, there was a folded note on the floor. Curious, the teen picked it up.
It read, "Congratulations on making it through my Gym challenge! I would love to battle you right away, but we need to put everything away manually. Plus, I know you need to heal your Pokémon. We should be done by the time you come back. Signed, Dewford Town Gym Leader Brawly."
That's...considerate… I guess? Whatever, guess I gotta make the long trek to the Pokémon Center and back.
After half an hour, Lapis returned to the Gym's battlefield. With the walls and Trainers gone, the only thing in the room was the Gym Leader himself. He was a fit man wearing an orange shirt, blue pants, orange and black wet shoes, and a black wetsuit under his clothes.
"Welcome to my Gym, Lapis," Brawly greeted. "Are you ready to face the big waves of my Gym?"
Lapis was confused. "Wait, you're a Fighting type Gym Leader, aren't you?"
"Yeah, that's right."
"But you're talkin' like you're a Water type user…"
He beamed. "One of my biggest passions is surfing, so I tend to use a lot of surfer jargon. Hope you don't mind."
"Uh… I guess not?"
The challenger entered his box, and Brawly did the same.
The surfer then took a Poké Ball from his belt. "All right, Lapis. Let's see what you're made of! Surf's up, Chiki!"
A Machop appeared on the field, flexing his muscles.
Lapis sent out his first Pokémon. "Go, Agate!"
The Beautifly fluttered over the stage, ready for battle.
Level 16? This should be easy.
Brawly and Chiki cracked their knuckles and assumed basic fighting poses. Lapis raised an eyebrow; he'd never seen a Trainer and Pokémon move in sync together.
But he returned his focus to the match. "Agate, Stun Spore!"
The Butterfly Pokémon spread yellow powder from her wings onto the Fighting type, and sparks appeared on his body. Brawly wanted to issue a command, but when he saw Chiki flinch from the paralysis, he just smirked.
"Looks like you got a free turn, Lapis. Well, guess that's how the tide goes."
The teen was surprised by the Gym Leader's easy-going personality. But he continued the battle. "Agate, Gust!"
She flapped her wings, creating a small tornado that sucked Chiki inside.
But Brawly was unfazed. He just stretched his right arm out and shouted, "Chiki, Seismic Toss!"
Lapis watched in shock as the Machop used the Gust to launch himself at the Bug type. He grabbed her and threw her onto the battlefield. Despite it being a Fighting type move, Agate appeared to take a decent amount of damage, about 30 HP.
That can't be right. Agate has a four times type advantage against Fighting type moves…
Seeing the look on his challenger's face, Brawly explained, "Damage from moves like Seismic Toss are based on the opponent's health, not the typing."
He clenched his fists. "It ain't gonna matter either way! Agate, Gust!"
She returned to the air and blew another small tornado at Chiki. The super effective attack was too much, and when the gust dissipated, the Machop fell forward, exhausted.
Brawly smiled as he returned his Pokémon. "Looks like I gotta step up my game. Surf's up, Nento!"
A Meditite levitated above the floor before standing and making a fighting pose with her left hand outstretched. His Trainer did the same, eager to begin the next round.
Deciding to change tactics, Lapis shouted, "Agate, return! Go, Moonstone!"
The two Flying types exchanged places, and the Taillow was ready to make her Trainer proud.
Lapis made the first move. "Wing Attack!"
She charged at the Fighting type with glowing white wings. Brawly, however, didn't issue any verbal command. Instead, the pair inhaled deeply and pulled their right arm back, as if preparing for a powerful strike.
Lapis clenched his fist. That's gotta be that Focus Punch I've heard so much about. Moonstone better hit him.
Thankfully, the super effective attack not only made contact, it knocked Nento flat on his back. The Meditate Pokémon whimpered, his body twitching.
Brawly sighed and returned his second Pokémon. "Looks like that wave was stronger than you can handle, Nento. Don't worry, we'll practice more later." He then turned his gaze to the challenger. "You're pretty good, Lapis. I can tell you've improved since your last Gym battle. But let's see how you'll fare against my last Pokémon. Surf's up, Konjo!"
A Makuhita with a Sitrus Berry, a yellow pear-shaped Berry, around his neck landed on the field. The two put their fists up, as if they were boxers.
The teen was unfazed and commanded, "Wing Attack!"
As she charged at her opponent, Brawly shielded his body with his arms and shouted, "Konjo, Bulk Up!"
The Fighting type made the same motion and braced himself. On his tablet, Lapis saw Konjo's attack and defense rise. Moonstone landed a powerful hit, but he was able to withstand it. Though his health went down to yellow, the Guts Pokémon ate the Berry he was holding, allowing him to regain some energy.
Lapis gritted his teeth. I can't let Brawly regain the advantage! "Wing Attack again!"
She flew straight at Konjo, who held his hands out.
What the hell is he doing?!
Brawly made the same motion as his Pokémon answered with a shout, "Vital Throw!"
Moonstone made contact, but the Guts Pokémon stunned her by slamming into her beak. Then he threw her into the battlefield, and she shrieked in pain. Lapis was stunned to see her health drop in the red zone, the first time that happened with any of his Pokémon. Moonstone was able to fly back to their side, but she was exhausted.
Lapis hesitated. I'm almost there, I can definitely knock him out. But what if he decides to heal Konjo? Should I heal her now or take that chance? Ugh! Why is this being so difficult?!
Brawly interrupted his internal monologue. "Hey, do you wanna keep going, Lapis?"
"D-Duh…! Moonstone, finish Konjo with Wing Attack!"
Despite her tiredness, she lunged at the Makuhita again, this time knocking him to the ground. Moonstone's level rose to 19, and she felt a small boost in energy. Konjo wasn't able to get up, and Brawly chuckled.
He returned his Pokémon and sheepishly grinned. "Looks like you've made a bigger splash than I expected! Congrats on the win."
The Nuzlocker was confused. How could someone who's lost so badly be so calm?
The Gym Leader noticed his expression and laughed. "What? Are you expecting me to throw a fit or something?"
Lapis scoffed. "No…"
The surfer crossed his arms. "I'm old enough to experience a lot of losses in my life. Besides, I think you better take care of Moonstone. She did take quite a beating from that Vital Throw."
"Eh, I guess…"
After he returned his Pokémon, Brawly walked over and handed him a light blue boxing glove pin with an orange sphere. "You conquered the waves and fists of my Gym, so the Knuckle Badge is yours. With it, Pokémon up to Level 30 will obey you no problem, and you can use Flash outside of battle. Oh yeah, and you can take this." He fished out a brownish-orange CD from his pocket. On case and the CD were the words "TM08". "This is the TM for Bulk Up, the move Konjo used earlier. It boosts the user's Attack and Defense stats by one point."
"Uh...great." Another useless TM…
Lapis accepted his rewards and was about to head out of the Gym when Brawly asked, "So, are you gonna stick around the island some more?"
"Not that it's any of your business, but yeah. Gotta make a delivery for that Steven guy and do some trainin' before leaving' to Slateport. Mr. Briney said that'll be the last trip he'll make for me."
"I see. Steven does tend to explore the deepest parts of Granite Cave due to the rare stones and murals there."
"Why? What's it to you?"
The Gym Leader's expression became serious. "Do you know of a Trainer named Weldon Leland?"
"Yeah, so what?"
"Can you...keep an eye on him?"
"Why? He can take care of himself."
Brawly chuckled and tapped his right foot. "I know it's a lot to ask from a person like you, but I'm worried about his mental state."
Lapis glanced at the ground. "I...see what you mean. Fine, I'll keep my eye on Leland, and nothin' more than that."
"Thanks," the surfer said, relieved. "Anyway, you should head over to Granite Cave now or tomorrow. You can get lost down there, so it'll take you several hours to get to the bottom floor and back."
Lapis nodded. "If you say so." He then left the building and walked back to town. Feeling the sun scorch his skin, he decided to make his second attempt in Granite Cave tomorrow.
The next day…
Lapis and Agate trudged through Granite Cave while everyone else was battling the wild Pokémon around them. Despite the Beautifly using Flash by letting her wings glow, it only made the circle of light wider, not providing illumination for the entire floor.
"This is stupid," he growled. "What's the point of lightin' up the room when it only goes out a few feet?"
"Sorry, Lapis. Those were the instructions."
"Whatever. How much further?"
Citrine popped into view. "W-We're almost to the last floor, Lapis…"
Oh yeah. She's from here. "Great. Now I can get this chore outta the way."
He walked past the fearful Makuhita and noticed Apatite trying to pilfer from a pair of Aron. The scene reminded him about something he did before, but he couldn't place any specifics.
To his surprise, Citrine grabbed the Whismur and carried him away, upset. "Apatite, really?!"
"B-But, Citrine! They had something cool!"
"That's still not right!"
Lapis bit his lip. Why does that sound so familiar…?
"Lapis, look out!" Agate screamed.
Before he could understand what she meant, his right foot gave way, and he fell through a hole. He immediately grabbed the edge and struggled to pull himself up.
His Pokémon ran over, panicked. Agate and Moonstone flew down to try and grab onto his shoulders, but their combined strength was not enough.
"Hold on, Loud Lapis!" Zuli exclaimed as he and Citrine extended their arms.
Lapis tried to grab hold, but his right hand slipped and he tumbled towards the ground. However, something large caught him before it was too late.
The teen looked at his rescuer and was confused by its unusual appearance. "What the hell are you?"
"That's quite a rude thank you," it said in a deep metallic voice. But it brought him to the ground.
Lapis then returned his team.
A familiar voice said, "Good work, Warrior."
Lapis was surprised. "You're that Steven guy, right?"
The man chuckled. "I'm surprised you remember me due to our previous encounter."
"What is that thing anyway?"
Warrior huffed. "I am NOT a thing! I am a Metagross."
"Metagross?"
His Trainer nodded. "It's quite a powerful Steel and Psychic type Pokémon. Very stoic but very loyal. But I believe that's not the real reason why you're here?"
Lapis fetched Steven's package from his bag. "Your pop wanted you to get this. Sorry it's still a little damp."
He raised an eyebrow. "Why would it be damp?"
"Ran into a freak rainstorm on the way here."
"I see." Steven carefully opened the wet envelope and glanced at the letter. "It's a good thing Father wrote in waterproof ink."
Of course he did.
As he read the contents, Lapis stared at the walls. They depicted large-scale battles of old, with one taking center stage at the end. He approached it, seeing it was a battle between a red Pokémon and a blue Pokémon.
Steven approached him. "I see this mural's caught your eye."
"What's with those Pokémon?"
He sighed. "Locked in the constant struggle of territory. Are you familiar with the legends of Hoenn? Wait, don't answer. I know you're not originally from here."
"Then why ask?"
"Common courtesy. Anyways, this shows the ancient battle between the Continent Pokémon, Groudon, and the Sea Basin Pokémon, Kyogre, almost 3,000 years ago. Groudon could instantly dry up water to form land while Kyogre had the power to cause torrential downpours to form large bodies of water. Both were always in constant struggle until a mysterious Pokémon ended their quarrel. It's assumed both Pokémon, tired of fighting, now rest somewhere within the region. It's a fascinating tale, don't you think?"
"Eh, I've heard better."
Steven snickered. "Really? I'd love to hear those tales sometime."
Lapis groaned. "Whatever, is that all? I wanna get outa this dark place."
"Well, they're two things I want to give you." He took out a silver CD from his pocket. "This is TM 47, Steel Wing. It'll be pretty handy for that Taillow of yours."
The teen slightly nodded. "Well, that's better than the TMs I got so far."
After he put it away, Steven continued, "The second thing is some advice."
"More?! I don't need any more."
The man sighed and shook his head. "You can never have too much advice."
Lapis rolled his eyes. "Fine. What is it?"
"I heard about that outburst you had at the Pokémon Center a few days ago."
The Nuzlocker placed his hands in his pockets. "What about it?"
"I think you should give your Poochyena a second chance."
"Pfft. Why should I? She's weak."
"She may be now, but if you spend more time with her, I'm sure she'll be a valuable partner."
"How would you know?"
Steven turned to his partner. "Well, you wouldn't believe it, but when I first got Warrior as a Beldum, it couldn't do much as its only move was Take Down."
"That's pretty stupid."
"It is. But that made me more determined to help him evolve and realize its full potential. Now, he the best Pokémon I could ask for. And, to tell you the truth, when Onyx evolves into a Mightyena, she'll be pretty handy to have around. But that's my opinion, of course. The decision is ultimately up to you."
Lapis crossed his arms. Pretty handy, huh? She did want to get better…maybe I was being too rough with her. "I'll think about it."
A soft smile crept over the man's face. "I shouldn't keep you waiting; I'm sure you have to continue your training."
"Yeah."
"Well, until we meet again, Lapis."
The teen climbed the ladder without saying goodbye, but those last words were all that Steven wanted to hear.
An hour later…
Back in the Pokémon Center, Lapis was typing on the computer by the desk. When he saw Onyx's icon on the PC box, he sighed.
I can't believe I'm actually doing this.
He put Apatite's Poké Ball on the ball holder and switched Poké Balls. Once he got the Poochyena's ball back, he let her out.
She was startled to see him, but she looked away. "What do you want, Lapis? Come to yell at me again?"
He sighed. "Onyx… I need to say somethin'."
"What is it?"
He bent down to her level and bit his lip. "I-I…"
"You…?"
"Ugh! I'm sorry, okay!"
"Wait, what?"
He shook his head. "I-I'm sorry I yelled at you. You really want to get stronger, and I didn't listen. I…I really want you back on the team. Do you…want to come back?"
She mused, "Let me think…" Then she laughed. "Sure, I made the commitment, right?"
He smirked as she nuzzled his leg. "You sure did."
He returned her and went back to the hostel to relax.
Questions for the Chapter:
What did you think of the Gym battle?
What did you think of Lapis' meeting with Steven?
Will Onyx get stronger?
