Chapter 18: First Badge
"Hey Charcoal!" I yelled as I saw nothing but smoke and fire combined, resulting in a big blast that made my ears ring. "Charcoal! Hey! Are you still good in there?"
"I doubt it," Ted said, causing me to glance over to him. "Pokemon who get caught in an explosion as such range as that calls for an immediate KO. It would be something though to see Charcoal survive that explosion, but maybe just barely." I didn't really say anything as I turned my attention back to the battlefield as the smoke began clearing up. My eyes darted around, hoping to spot Charcoal somewhere. Unfortunately no sign of Charcoal could be seen, at least not until the smoke cleared up. Once all the smoke thinned out to where it was just about gone, it was then I saw Charcoal lying unconscious upon the ground. There was no way he was ever getting back up again.
Of course, some feet away from him was the Geodude who was also unconscious for blowing himself up. Well, it made the battle easier for me some. But I still felt sorry for Charcoal for having to lose out in that situation. But now was not the time to be feeling that. There was still one more pokemon left to deal with and I was the only pokemon my master had left.
"Not bad, kid," the spiky hair gym leader said as he recalled his Geodude to that infernal red and white ball. "We're evenly tied. But I doubt you're Umbreon will be able to defeat my last pokemon."
"Don't act so smug yet," my master said as he returned Charcoal into the ball. "My pokemon never give up until the very end."
"That's right!" I said, stepping forward onto the battlefield.
"Heh," the spiky hair gym leader laughed. You know I should really just shorten the name to gym leader. "You have spunk kid. Spunk and spirit. That's all what a trainer really needs in a battle. And I hope you make this battle a good one."
"I plan on it," my master said as the gym leader flipped another pokeball into the air, a giant rock snake pokemon looking down upon me a second later. I looked up, gazing at the Onix that stood before me. And then I smiled. Onix were so easy to deal with. I actually took one down once in less than five seconds flat. Then again it was raining and I wasn't really paying attention to where I was going and when the Onix came across me I got startled and fired off a Shadow Ball at it and-
"Zack, use Quick Attack!" my master said, snapping me out from my usual trip down memory lane. I really need to stop doing that before I wind up losing in some battle I'm in, like the one I'm in at the moment.
"Onix use Bind," the gym leader commanded. I watched as the Onix began snaking it's tail around me before it wrapped in to trap me, but I was too quick and managed to leap up on its tail. Then I began rushing up its body, readying a Shadow Ball. However, I must have been half way up when the Onix suddenly began shaking back and forth, trying to shake me off, which of course it did. And due to that my Shadow Ball completely went astray and missed the Onix entirely. "Now use Slam!"
The Onix turned about, spotting me in an instant and began throwing his entire body down. If I didn't think of a way to get out of this situation fast, I'd end up a pancake. Pancakes. Mmm! Luckily, I always had a way out of incidents like this. I concentrated on maneuvering my body through the air to where my feet were pointed at the ground as I formed another Shadow Ball at the same time. The moment my feet touched the ground, I aimed my head down at the ground, but at an upper more angle, and fired the Shadow Ball. Doing so caused me to go flying back out of range as the Onix's body smashed down onto the ground.
"Good going Zack!" my master said. "Now let's get in there with a Quick Attack." I narrowed my eyes as I dashed at the Onix, readying a Psybeam this time for a quick hit.
"Use Screech!" the gym leader said. The Onix opened its mouth as I dashed right up to his face and let out an ear piercing screech which caused me to flatten my ears against my head and shut my eyes. Yow that hurt! Stupid oversensitive ears! The screech allowed the Onix to headbutt me, hard. I actually flew into a rock and crumbled it. And it hurt. I loved it! This was what battling was all about! I opened my eyes, even though my ears still rang with that screech going through my brain, and smiled.
"This is fun!" I said, which must have perplexed the Onix, for he looked at me like I had lost it. I probably have too.
"Onix, let's start wrapping this up!" the gym leader said. "Use Iron Tail!" The Onix raised up its tail again, only this time it was glowing a silver color before it began swinging down upon me. Around this time I was getting on my feet and jumped to the side right before the attack could hit. "Keep it up Onix. We'll have the Umbreon beaten in no time."
"That's what you think!"I said in a singsong voice as I began dodging the attack by leaping out of the way. And so this went on for a good minute or so as the Onix tried landing a hit on me, only for me to leap out of the way in a kind of zigzag pattern. I wonder if anybody knew I was closing in on the Onix. The gym leader must have known for I was only inches away from the Onix's body when said Onix suddenly lowered its head and looked at me. I froze there, still smiling as I drooped my ears, knowing what was about to happen.
"Use Screech one more time!" the gym leader said. The Onix smirked, adding his own victory laugh before releasing the horrible screeching sound. And once again my over sensitive ears felt like they were about to bleed as I flattened them against my head. Only this time I kept my eyes opening, fighting to do so while I gritted my teeth. The entire time I was looking straight into the Onix's eyes, I had failed to notice that he was slowly wrapping his tail around me. It wasn't until he quit screeching and my body was beginning to have the life sqeezed out of me did I notice the predicament I was in.
The Onix laughed victoriously as I was lifted into the air, my ears still ringing and my breath diminishing quickly. I had to have a way to get out of this, and luckily there was only one way for me to get out. Now if only the Onix could turn me to facing him it would all be in my favor. "Looks like I win this match, pup," he laughed.
"I... beg... to differ," I grunted through the side of my mouth, trying to suck in any air possible I could.
"Oh really?" the Onix asked. "And what makes you think that?" All I did was chuckle, which somehow worked in my favor as the Onix turned me so I was looking right at him. "Hey. What's so funny?"
"This," I answered him, shooting out a Shadow Ball, which thankfully hit him in the face. The result of hitting onein the face allowed all pressure against my body to loosen, which I took the opportunity to breathe in a lung full of air.
"Nice work, Zack!" my master said. "Now let's work up a Psybeam!" By the time I had my feet back on the ground, I had a Psybeam all charged up and ready to go. I fired off multiple, short burts of Psybeam at different parts of the Onix's body, causing him to scream out in pain as he came crashing down onto the field, shaking the ground beneath us.
"Onix!" the gym leader yelled. The Onix slowly opened his eyes upon hearing his name and blinked.
"What happened?" he asked as he began to slowly get up.
"Not on my watch you don't," I said as I ran at him, concentrating all power into my tail before it glowed silver like the Onix's. I then leapt into the air and somersaulted right above the Onix's head before I came down tail first, smashing hard into the Onix, cracking the ground beneath where his head was pounded in.
"No!" the gym leader cried as I leapt off the Onix and back onto the ground. I looked back at the Onix who had nothing but swirls in his eyes.
"Nice... battle," he said before he was out like a light.
"Right back at you!" I said with a grin.
"All right Zack!" my master said. "You did it! Way to go!"
"Whew!" I said, sitting down on my bottom and smiling. "That was fun!"
"I have to admit," Ted said as he walked up to me while Laura ran to my master. "That was an interesting battle compared to the one we had, yet it didn't have much oomph to it like ours."
"Uh, yeah," I said. "Whatever you say."
"Well I have to say that you're the first of many trainers that have pokemon battle in a unique way," the gym leader said as he came walking down from his spot. "If that's the way you handle your battles you just might be able to win the Pokemon League someday."
"You really think so?" my master asked hopeful.
"I don't compliment just anyone for their hardwork and dedication," the gym leader said with a smile as the Onix regained consciousness and listened in. "You have the pokemon with skill and that skill could get you far if you know how to use it. So as proof of your unique skill, I bestow upon you the Boulder Badge."
"Uh, yeah," my master said. "Thanks. Hey Zack! Come check this out!" I bounded over, almost tackling my master over as I leapt up into his arms, which he wasn't totally expecting. Oh all right. I did tackle him. And he fell to the floor. "Oof!"
"Whoops!" I said getting off him. "Sorry."
"Didn't expect that," he said. "Check it out Zack." He held up what looked to be a small, gray rock. I placed my nose up to it to sniff. It had a sort of odd odor to it, but I didn't really care.
"Cool!" I said with a smile.
"Finally our first badge!" my master said happily as he stared at the badge again. "Seven more to go until we enter the Pokemon League!"
"I must beat them all so badly!" I said, my body trembling again.
"Easy bro," Ted said, placing a paw on my shoulder. "Don't rush things. You'll have nothing left if you rush through all your battles, not to mention your downfall for being invincible if you were to think about it."
"Is there ever a day you talk sense?" I asked as both Laura and my master began walking towards the door.
"Come on you two!" my master said. "I need to do a quick check-up on you and Charcoal, Zack. After that we'll head out to the next gym."
"Well if it means being encased in my ball again, then so be it!" I said as I bounded after them with Ted following at a brisk pace.