Hello everyone, Poke'boy24 back with the second part of the Pewter City chapter as well Lincoln's first gym battle against Brock so let's get this second part going…
/ / / / /
Everyone received more snacks courtesy of my drones as the second part of the Pewter City Special.
(Chapter 15: Showdown at Pewter City: Part 2)
Raigo had just left his Pokémon in the care of Nurse Joy, as he, Lincoln and Misty were all sitting in the lobby, "Ok, so now that you've seen Brock's Rock Pokémon in action, how do you intend to strategize?" Misty asked Lincoln.
"Well, I noticed during the match that Rock Pokémon have great defensive power, but they lack speed, so I should train my Pokémon up based on that knowledge," Lincoln replied.
"Makes sense since being made of or have rock-like skin would mean they would weigh a good several hundred pounds." Stella commented as she bit into her pretzel.
"Smart move. Fortunately, the Pokémon Battle Club has tons of equipment to help your Pokémon get in shape." Raigo replied.
"Right, so I'm going to head over there and see about training. By the way, do you know if there's a membership fee?" Lincoln asked.
"There is, at least for the Training Room, since it's for members only. It costs about 1500 Poke'dollars a month," Raigo replied.
"That's not a bad deal, since it's basically fifteen US dollars." Ronnie Anne commented since the membership fee for the Battle Club seems to be the same as a Phone payment plan.
"Yeah, but the amount in a Pokémon Region still makes it sound like a lot." Lincoln commented rubbing the back of his head since even though it's only fifteen dollars in American currency, the amount still felt like he's paying rent for an apartment with fifteen-hundred dollars.
"Well, I had a feeling it wasn't going to be cheap, but I do want to earn that badge," Lincoln commented.
"Right, and your membership can be used at any of the Battle Clubs across the region," Raigo added.
"Well, that's convenient." The Middle Loud Child said with a sigh of relief since it sounds like the Battle Club is franchised all around the Region since his uncle Lance did set up another one of his Gyms in Royal Woods.
"Well, that's convenient," Lincoln commented.
"Indeed, it is," the gravelly voice of Flint said, as he walked up to the three trainers, "If you want, I can show you the way to the Battle Club. I know my way around this city like the back of my hand," he offered.
"Really? That would be great," Lincoln replied.
"You go on ahead, Lincoln. I want to stay here and wait for my Pokémon," Raigo said.
"Alright, lead the way, Flint," Lincoln said, as he, Flint, and Misty exited the Pokémon Center.
"Actually, it reminds me of Palp's Dojo back in Great Lake City, only bigger." Bobby commented since the Battle Club's interior looks like the Dojo where his buddy teaches the other kids in the Apartment building.
The three of them arrived in front of what appeared to be a dojo, "We're here. I'll leave you to your training," Flint said, taking his leave.
"Thanks Flint!" Lincoln called out, getting a wave in response. Lincoln and Misty then entered the building. Inside, it looked just like what one would expect from a dojo. Wooden floors, sliding paper doors, and a spacious courtyard, where several trainers were battling against one another, "Whoa, this place looks intense," he commented.
"No kidding. You're sure to get in some great training," Misty replied.
"Hello there!" a largely built man with an imposing moustache in a grey karate outfit said, approaching the two of them, "Can't say I've seen either of you two around these parts before. My name's Don George, and I run this here Battle Club. How can I be of assistance?"
"That's someone I feel that my uncle and Aunt would get along with swimmingly." Lincoln commented since he has a feeling that his uncle and Aunt who run a franchise of Gyms would get along pretty well with Don George since he seems to own a franchise of Battle Clubs.
"Yes, my name is Lincoln Loud, and I was wondering if I could train up my Pokémon in your training room. I'd like to be prepared for my Gym Battle against Brock tomorrow," Lincoln replied.
"Ah, a Gym Challenger. Sure thing. Just one thing before I show you to the training room," Don George said, handing Lincoln some paperwork, "Just fill out that form and pay the subscription fee, and you can use the Training Room here and at any Battle Club you visit around the Kanto region," Don George explained.
"It's a pay-to-play world after all." Albert commented since there's always paperwork to fill.
"Business, or personal, paperwork will always need to be filled out." Myrtle added since everything from driver's license to legal forms requires personal information along with a signature.
"Yep, since me and Abuelo needs to fill out delivery forms from the Mercado's suppliers." Bobby added since business owners/managers also did to fill out paperwork for their businesses being utilities, suppliers, taxes, and least agreements.
"Right then," Lincoln said, as he went over to a desk and filled out the form. He then returned it to Don George and did the payment transaction.
"Everything checks out. And here's your Membership Card. Make sure not to lose it." Don George said, handing Lincoln a key card.
"Thank you, Don George," Lincoln said.
"You're most welcome. Now then, let me show you to the training room," Don George said, as he led Lincoln and Misty through the Battle Club. Eventually, they arrived at something that was a complete contrast to the traditional aesthetic of the dojo. It looked like a large, futuristic door. Don George went over to the control panel and placed a key card of his own on it. The door opened up, revealing what appeared to be a workout room, "Here in the Training Room, you can train any kind of Pokémon to help them to develop any stats. Now then, what would you like to try out first?" Done George asked.
"Whoa… defiantly not your average dojo…" Ronnie Anne commented with an amazed expression seeing all the equipment the Battle Club has along the few Trainers and Pokémon currently using said equipment as well practice battles.
"Sort of reminds me of the shooting range me and my platoon would visit after each deployment." Albert commented watching some Pokémon firing various attacks at various targets both still and moving.
"Well, I would like to help this Pokémon with his accuracy," Lincoln replied, holding Poliwag's Poke'ball.
"Hmm, in that case, we will need to utilize this machine over here," Don George said, as he led them over to what appeared to be a shooting range. "The goal of this exercise is shoot down as many targets that are fired off."
"That sounds efficient. Now then, Poliwag, you're up!" Lincoln said, sending out Poliwag.
"Hi Mr. Lincoln, do you need me for something?"Poliwag asked.
"Yes. We're going to be helping you out with your accuracy training," Lincoln replied.
"Really? I can practice my Water Gun?"Poliwag asked.
"Indeed. When this man starts up the machine, you're going to need to fire Water Gun to shoot down as many targets as you can," Lincoln explained.
"That sounds like fun. Is there a goal I need to try and beat?" Poliwag asked.
"Let's start off with you just trying to knock down as many targets as you can. The number you manage to shoot down will be your goal to beat," Lincoln replied.
"Okay, that sounds easy enough to understand. I'm ready whenever you are," Poliwag replied, as he took his position on the table.
"We're ready, Don George," Lincoln said.
"Okay, I'm activating the machine now," Don George replied, pressing some buttons on the control panel. Three Frisbee discs were fired off.
"Alright Poliwag, fire your Water Gun at each of those Frisbees!" Lincoln instructed.
"Okay!" Poliwag replied, firing Water Gun at the Frisbees. Unfortunately, he was only able to graze one of them.
"Here are some more coming now," Don George said, firing off some more Frisbees. Poliwag continued to fire off Water Gun, knocking down three more, "Last wave," he said, as the last batch of Frisbees was fired off. Poliwag continued to fire Water Gun, knocking down five more discs. "And finish!"
"Eight out of fifteen, not bad for a practice run." Albert commented rubbing his chin seeing the Tadpole Pokémon at least half the number of targets launched.
"So, how'd I do?" Poliwag asked.
"I'm counting eight discs you managed to fire down. So, with the next round, you can try to knock down more than that," Lincoln said.
"Ok, that sounds doable." Poliwag commented, as some Battle Club workers collected the Frisbees, and reloaded them into the machine.
"So, Poliwag will continue to practice it's Water Gun at this machine. Are there any other Pokémon you wish to train?" Don George asked.
"Yes. I have four other Pokémon, including Pikachu," Lincoln said, as he sent out Fearow, Beedrill, and Pidgeotto, "I'm planning to have either Fearow or Pidgeotto battle alongside Poliwag in the Gym Battle tomorrow, and I want to have them get used to using Steel Wing. As for Pikachu and Beedrill, I was hoping to help the former with training his Iron Tail and just helping strengthen the moves of the latter."
"Hmm, in that case, I have the perfect machines for each of them. Pikachu, Fearow, and Pidgeotto will come over to this machine," Don George said, leading them over to three machines that looked something like pitching machines, "The goal of these machines is to knock back each of the balls that are fired off using the attacks you want them to master. And as for Beedrill," he said, leading the Poison Bee Pokémon over to another shooting range, but there were black balloons floating around, "Beedrill will attempt to burst as many of these balloons as it can within the allotted time."
"What's with the balloons?" Rusty questioned wondering why anyone would shoot balloons.
"Don't know, but at least this seems easy enough." Stella commented since balloons were pretty easy to pop with the right amount of force.
"Popping balloons? That doesn't sound too hard," Lincoln commented.
"Oh really? Then have Beedrill fire it's Poison Sting at one of them," Don George said confidently.
"Ok. You heard the man, Beedrill, use Poison Sting!" Lincoln instructed.
"Roger that!" Beedrill replied, firing off Poison Sting, only for the needles to bounce off each of the balloons. "Wait, what?!"
"How come those balloons didn't pop?" Ronnie Anne questioned since that barrage of needles should've shredded those balloons.
"They must be made from more durable material. After all, if these Pokémon are going to be using them for target practice, might as well make sure they don't pop so easily." Myrtle commented since the Technicians who built the Agents' gadgets have to make sure they were tested thoroughly before being used in the field.
"But those were direct attacks!" Lincoln exclaimed.
"Impressed? These balloons are specially designed to be far more durable than normal ones. It takes a certain level of power to pop even just one of them," Don George explained.
"Huh, this really would help Beedrill out. Feel like working on your Poison Sting?" Lincoln asked his Pokémon.
"You bet, especially since I've evolved, I want to enjoy being more mobile!" Beedrill said, pumping one of his stingers.
"Ok, then I'll leave you to your training," Lincoln said, as he returned to the pitching machine, where his three Pokémon were getting ready to begin their training. "You three ready for your training?"
"Just waiting for you to get us started," Pikachu replied.
"Anything to help master a new move," Fearow replied.
"I've been ready before you even caught me," Pidgeotto boasted.
"Ok then. The three of them are ready," Lincoln said to Don George.
"Ok. I'm turning it on now," Don George said, activating the machines, firing off some black balls at Lincoln's Pokémon.
"Alright, Pikachu, use Iron Tail! Fearow, Pidgeotto, use Steel Wing!" Lincoln instructed. Pikachu's tail turned metallic, as it swung its tail, knocking back some of the balls that were fired at it. Both Fearow and Pidgeotto's wings turned metallic, and they swatted the balls away.
"Eheh, it's just like playing racket ball." Albert said seeing the electric mouse and two birds smacking the balls with their wings/tail.
"Looks more like Ping-Pong to me." Rusty commented since this reminds him more of the table game.
"But it seems that swatting those balls may have left their wings and tail feeling sore." Clyde said with concern since
"Solid power, but it stings like crazy!" Pikachu commented, rubbing his tail.
"I agree. It's going to take a long time to get used to this move," Fearow replied, her wings throbbing slightly from soreness.
"Ha, you two are such amateurs!" Pidgeotto laughed.
"How did you master the move so fast?" Fearow asked.
"Because I'm a freaking badass, that's why!" Pidgeotto boasted, before a sharp pain shot through her wings. "But in all seriousness, it still hurts like crazy."
"How long will the training sessions last?" Misty asked Don George.
"Until the trainer and Pokémon have completed each exercise," Don George said, as each of Lincoln's Pokémon continued their training sessions.
"Something tells me this is gonna be a long training session." Lincoln commented but luckily the scene changed to the Pokémon Center with it now being nighttime.
Lincoln and friends were all enjoying a nice dinner, "So, have you figured out your strategy?" Raigo asked.
"Yes. My two choices are going to be Pidgeotto and Poliwag. Pidgeotto will be the advance guard, taking on the battle first, and Poliwag will handle the rest if Pidgeotto is taken out of the battle," Lincoln explained.
"Clever strategy sport, especially since your bird is fast since those Rock Pokémon are big targets." Albert commented since the two Pokémon his grandson had chosen were great options with Pidgeotto supplying speedy aerial support with that Steel Wing attack with Poliwag being ground unit with those super effective water attacks.
"Well, this is my counterpart's first gym battle so maybe Brock would use some weaker Pokémon like those Geodudes." Lincoln commented since while the Pokémon his counterpart has so far may be strong with their levels being close to twenty, four out of five are still weak to Rock type attacks.
"I see. Well, just be sure to keep your guard up. Even with one type of advantage, the gym battle won't be easy," Misty replied.
"She's right. Plus, Flying Types like Pidgeotto are at a major disadvantage against Rock Pokémon," Raigo added.
"I know, but Pidgeotto has speed and mobility. Most of Brock's Pokémon are slow moving, so she can use that to her advantage. Plus, there's also Sand Attack," Lincoln replied.
"HEY! Don't call it by its actual name! Call it my 'super, secret special move'!" Pidgeotto squawked from nearby. All of their Pokémon were eating away at their own dinner, with Lincoln's Pokémon eating the most after their training.
"I doubt throwing sand in someone's eyes can even be considered a "secret" technique since any kid on the playground knows that." Ronnie Anne snarked with her arms crossed and a sarcastic grin as she lay back in her seat.
"Uh, sure," Lincoln replied.
"What did Pidgeotto say?" Raigo asked.
"She told me not to call it 'Sand Attack', and instead to call it her 'super, secret special move'," Lincoln replied.
"You're kidding, right?" Misty asked incredulously.
"I wish I was," Lincoln replied, exasperated.
"That's another thing, how are you able to talk to Pokémon?" Raigo asked.
"Yeah, I was wondering that myself too," Misty added.
"So, you can understand what Pokémon say?" the voice of Brock said, as he approached the table.
"Oh, hey Brock. What brings you here?" Lincoln asked.
"I had to come pick up some medicine for my Pokémon," Brock replied.
"Oh, okay. But you didn't hear anything we were talking about prior to my ability to understand Pokémon, right?" Lincoln asked. He didn't want his strategy to get out before his battle.
"Nah, I only swung in when I heard you were able to talk to Pokémon," Brock replied. Lincoln silently breathed a sigh of relief.
"Well, Professor Oak says that this ability of mine might have something to do with this," Lincoln said, as he got out his pendant, and opened it, to reveal the Rainbow Wing. The others were amazed at what they were seeing.
"Whoa, is that for real Rainbow Wing?!" Misty exclaimed.
"Yeah. I got it from a Pokémon called 'Ho-Oh' the day before I set out on my journey," Lincoln replied.
"Man, it's not enough you were so freaking lucky before, what with catching a shiny Pokémon, discovering that stash at the rock stand, and getting the numbers of the Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny interns in Viridian City, but now you have this amazing treasure too?" Raigo questioned.
"So much done in so few days." Albert commented with a chuckle seeing just how much good fortune his grandson had received since arriving to Kanto after how his own family ostracized him over Junior's petty ego from losing just one softball game.
"Still can't believe you gotten those babe's numbers~" Rusty grouch in envy since he believes himself as the ladies' man of the group.
"Wait, what did you just say about the Viridian City intern Joy and Jenny?!" Brock exclaimed.
"Yeah, after we thwarted a heist by Team Rocket, both the intern Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny gave me their numbers," Lincoln nervously replied.
"Man, how lucky can you get? I've been trying to get the Joy and Jenny here in Pewter City to go out with me, only to get turned down each and every time, but you only started out a few days ago and got the numbers of both interns from Viridian City?! What's your secret?!" Brock exclaimed, taking Lincoln by the collar of his shirt, shaking him furiously. Nearby, the Pokémon were curiously watching the scene before them.
"Seriously, why do people assume I had a secret on getting girls numbers when the girls back home barely give me the time of day." Lincoln muttered to himself since it's annoying enough that his sisters meddle with his love life and now complete strangers are getting themselves involved.
"What are they talking about?" Beedrill questioned.
"Something about numbers?" Poliwag replied.
"I don't understand the full details myself, but I guess receiving someone's phone number is a big deal for humans," Pikachu stated.
"Maybe our trainer found some suitable mates?" Fearow theorized.
"What are mates?" Poliwag asked. The rest of the Pokémon froze up, looking at each other nervously. How can they explain such a topic to someone as young as Poliwag?
"Uh, how about we talk about when you're a little older?" Pidgeotto suggested nervously, trying to get the little one to stop asking about such a topic.
"Well, okay." Poliwag replied. The other Pokémon breathed sighs of relief, as Brock stormed out of the restaurant.
"Is he always like that?" Lincoln questioned.
"Yeah, he has. All the times I've come through Pewter City to go do some fishing, I always see Brock flirting with some girl," Misty replied.
"I see. But he was so cool and collected during his battle earlier," Lincoln commented.
"That's just the way he is. Professional in anything involving gym battles or caring for Pokémon, sure, but outside of all that, not so much," Misty replied.
"Well, in any case, we should get an early night. I want to be ready for my battle tomorrow, among other things," Lincoln said, as they paid the tab, recalled their Pokémon, and returned to their bedroom.
"Hey, it's those three goons again." Ronnie Anne snarked seeing the scene shifting to the outskirt of Pewter City with the Rocket Trio looking through hundreds of rocks.
"Bet that they're searching for that treasure stash you've found, Lincoln." Myrtle said since she has a feeling that stash was possible loot belonging to that criminal organization.
"That's all the rocks that are here! And still no sign of that stash the boss told us about!" Jessie grumbled. She and her cohorts had escaped the Viridian Forest earlier in the day, and had received a call from Giovanni, telling them about a stash of treasures that were left on the outskirts of Pewter City. They were tasked with finding it and bringing it back to HQ.
"So that treasure actually belonged to Team Rocket?" Lincoln commented somehow not feeling that bad in taking something that belonged to a group of criminals but was concern that they might target him more than they already were.
"We searched everywhere the boss told us to look. These are the exact coordinates he told us," James said, looking at a tablet device.
"I hate to say it, but maybe someone already got to the goods before we did?" Meowth theorized.
"Tsk, you may be right, Meowth. We'd better call it in," Jessie said, as she took out her communicator, "Calling Team Rocket Headquarters, this is operative Jessie, calling in from Pewter City," she said.
"10-4, operative. What is your status on the mission?" a voice said from the other side of the line.
"Unfortunately, it looks like someone already got to the stash before we could," Jessie explained.
"Oh dear, Giovanni is not going to like that. Well, in any case, you may return to your previous mission of monitoring the American," the voice said.
"Roger that," Jessie replied, hanging up, "Well, we have our orders to resume our monitoring mission on that American brat," she informed her cohorts.
"Figures. Well, we can at least go take care of our Wonder Trading," James replied.
"Indeed. Hopefully we'll get some worthwhile Pokémon to help Ekans and Koffing," Jessie said, as they made their way down into Pewter City.
"Wait, I just thought o' something! The people down there may not let us use the Wonder Trade machine!" Meowth exclaimed.
"Meowth is right. We are criminals after all," James added.
"Well, then it's lucky for us we found the balloon, and our disguise kit," Jessie replied, smirking evilly.
"Finally, the Gym Battle." Ronnie Anne said watching the scene changing to daytime at the Pewter Gym.
Lincoln and friends were standing before the Rock Type Gym once again, "Well, this is it, Lincoln. You ready for your first gym battle?" Misty asked.
"Yes. I have everything planned out, so I'm good to go," Lincoln replied, as they approached the Gym doors, "I challenge you to a battle!"
"And we accept!" Brock's voice echoed, as the doors opened, revealing the same rocky battlefield as yesterday, with the tall young man standing at the opposite end of the Gym, "So, you're going to be my next challenger, Lincoln?" Brock asked.
"That's right! And this will be my first Gym battle since I started as a trainer!" Lincoln replied.
"I see. In that case, let's get this battle started," Brock said, as he and Lincoln took their spots on the opposing ends of the battlefield. Misty, Raigo, and Pikachu took to the stands, while Brock's siblings from yesterday all filed in, "Forrest, care to do the honors?" Brock asked.
"It would be my pleasure!" Forrest replied, taking his spot in the judge's box, "The Gym Battle between Brock the Pewter City Gym Leader, and Lincoln Loud of Royal Woods, Michigan will now commence! Both trainers may use only two Pokémon. The battle will continue until both of either side's Pokémon are declared unable to battle. Substitutions may not be made by either side during the match! Now then, if both trainers will bring out their first Pokémon?" Forrest asked.
"Here's my first choice!" Brock said, as he sent out an Onix, that Lincoln could tell wasn't the same one that Raigo had battled. But Lincoln still knew what to expect from the Rock Snake Pokémon.
"ANOTHER ONIX! !" Bobby exclaimed seeing the massive Rock Snake Pokémon appearing on the field as Clyde coward upon hearing it roar.
"You know the saying, that the bigger they are, the easier they are to hit." Ronnie Anne commented looking excited to see another Gym battle.
"Alright, as for my first pick, Pidgeotto!" Lincoln said, sending out the Bird Pokémon.
"Alright, Pidgeotto vs Onix. Battle, begin!" Forrest declared.
"You can have the first move," Brock offered.
"Thanks, and we'll take it! Pidgeotto, use Steel Wing!" Lincoln instructed.
"Alright!" Pidgeotto said, as she swooped down at Onix, smacking it with metallic wings, causing a lot of damage.
"Direct hit!" Zach exclaimed since Pidgeotto's small size and speed made her the perfect Pokémon to outmaneuver the large lumbering Onix.
"Stay strong, Onix! Use Stealth Rock!" Brock instructed. Onix fired off Stealth Rock, laying down the trap.
"That trap move again?" Stella questioned since Brock changed up his strategy for her white-haired friend unlike when he fought Raigo in the last chapter.
"Looks like he wants to have the field set for when Poliwag comes out." Albert commented as he had to applaud the young man for thinking ahead since Raigo Pokémon all had the type advantages over those Rock Pokémon, so he wants to weaken the main threat to his team.
"Wither ya are big, or small, them rocks sure gotta hurt." Liam said since those rock pillars made by Stealth Rock were going to cause some serious damage the moment a Pokémon sets foot on the field.
"Heh, I thought you'd do that. Pidgeotto, use Whirlwind to blow away those Stealth Rocks!" Lincoln instructed.
"These little pebbles? Easy peasy!" Pidgeotto proclaimed, as she flapped her wings, creating a powerful wind that managed to send Onix back to its Poke'ball, replacing it with a Geodude.
"Huh, looked like you guessed right that Brock would be using weaker Pokémon in your battle, Lincoln." Clyde commented seeing Geodude meaning that Onix, while still pretty large and intimidating, was probably weaker than the one Raigo fought.
"It's that Pokémon form Professor Oak's first call," Lincoln commented, taking out his Poke'dex and pointing it at Geodude.
"Geodude, the Rock Pokémon, a Rock and Ground Type. Geodude is normally found on mountain trails and the like. If you step on it, even by accident, it gets angry," the Poke'dex explained.
"I see. Well, at least the Stealth Rock…" Lincoln cut himself off when he saw that the Stealth Rock was still there, having not budged even an inch, "Wait, what?! I thought Whirlwind blew those things away!?" he exclaimed.
"Them rocks sure must be dug in deep." Liam commented seeing that those pillars are well embedded into the ground.
"Information: Stealth Rock and moves similar to it can only be nullified by two moves, those being Defog and Rapid Spin." his Poke'dex explained.
"Well, at least we now know which moves to use to disable that trap." Albert commented since disabling traps have a fifty-fifty chance of completion, depending on whom designed the trap in the first place.
"Great. Well, there goes that plan. At least Geodude doesn't seem as intimidating as Onix. Pidgeotto, I know you would've wanted to face that Onix, but do you think you can handle Geodude?" Lincoln asked.
"Of course, I can! I ain't some weakling! True, it may not be that huge Onix, but I can work with a Geodude," Pidgeotto boasted.
"Ok then, let's start off with a Quick Attack!" Lincoln instructed.
"You got it!" Pidgeotto replied, as she sped right into Geodude. The attack did damage and knocked back the Rock Pokémon, but not by much.
"You must be a rookie if you're calling a Normal Type attack on a Rock Pokémon like Geodude," Brock commented.
"Hey, would you cut me some slack? I'm still new to the whole trainer business," Lincoln retorted.
"Fair enough. Geodude, use Defense Curl, then into Rollout!" Brock instructed. Geodude then curled into a ball, strengthening its defenses, before rolling at Pidgeotto at a high velocity.
"Talk about rocking' and rolling'" Rusty quipped watching the Rock Pokémon moving.
"Quick, dodge it, Pidgeotto!" Lincoln instructed. Just as Geodude was rolling up a rock at Pidgeotto, the Bird Pokémon maneuvered out of the way.
"Clever, but Geodude will keep going until it makes contact," Brock said, as Geodude used another rock to propel itself up at Pidgeotto, who dodged once again.
"Ha! You suck at this!" the Bird Pokémon taunted, as Geodude tried again, only to miss again, "Not that time either!" and again, another miss. "Nope!" and again, yet another miss. "Are you even trying?"
"Pretty hard to hit something that's moving through the air." Ronnie Anne chuckled enjoying the scene with Pidgeotto dodging and mocking Geodude every time he misses.
"It seems to me like your Pidgeotto is making fun of us," Brock commented.
"Uh, yeah, she kind of is," Lincoln replied, scratching the back of his head. Brock didn't say anything, but the look of irritation on his face said more than enough, as Geodude was spent from using and failing to strike with Rollout.
"Oh man, I am beat. I bet you think this is funny, don't you, you overgrown chicken?!"Geodude questioned.
"Oh yeah, this is a riot!" Pidgeotto laughed.
"Cocky birdbrain," Geodude cursed.
"Alright Pidgeotto, let's give Steel Wing another go!" Lincoln said.
"With pleasure!" Pidgeotto replied, as she swooped down, and struck Geodude with her metallic wings.
"Now, let's have another go with Steel Wing!" Lincoln instructed. Pidgeotto circled around and swooped down at Geodude again with Steel Wing.
"Brace yourself Geodude!" Brock called out. Geodude was getting ready to dodge, but it was too slow, as it was struck with Steel Wing, sending it into a stalagmite. This time, Geodude was unable to get back up.
"Geodude is unable to battle, the winner is Pidgeotto!" Forrest declared, sounding disappointed by the outcome. Brock then recalled Geodude.
"Yeah, knockout!" Ronnie Anne cheered seeing the first knockout of the match.
"Even though Geodude is a much smaller target, that airstrike was pretty smart." Albert commented since his years as a pilot made him know a thing or two about aerial maneuvers.
"You did great, Geodude. Take a long rest," Brock said, as he got out his next Poke'ball, which Lincoln knew contained his Onix, "Go, Onix!" he yelled, as he sent out his Onix, who roared loudly.
"Steel Wing may not be enough to take down Onix, so we'll need to battle with speed," Lincoln muttered to himself.
"Alright Onix, use Rock Throw!" Brock instructed. Onix slammed its tail against the battlefield, sending rocks flying at Pidgeotto.
"Pidgeotto, dodge it!" Lincoln instructed. Pidgeotto wasted no time in evading the swarm of rocks being thrown at it, "Since Rock Type moves are super effective against a Flying Type like Pidgeotto, we need to make sure that Onix can't hit us. Pidgeotto use Sa…. Er, you're super, secret special attack!" Lincoln instructed kind of stumbling trying to remember not to call it 'Sand Attack'.
"Seriously, why does she insist on calling it that?" Zach questioned since there is nothing so secret or special about tossing sand into someone's eyes.
"You go it! Eat dirt, you overgrown worm!"Pidgeotto exclaimed, as she kicked up her Sand Attack, sending it right into Onix's eyes. Onix began to struggle trying to get the sand out of its eyes.
"Hey, that's cheating! Throwing sand into Onix's eyes like that!" one of Brock's younger siblings called out.
"It's a perfectly legitimate move, you little shit!"Pidgeotto snapped.
"Watch that tongue of yours, Bird! There are children present!" Onix roared, glaring at Pidgeotto in irritation.
"What difference would it make? They can't understand a word we're saying!" Pidgeotto snarked back at Onix.
"And that's supposed to make swearing around them acceptable?!"
Looking at the two Pokémon apparently arguing, Brock asked, "Uh, is it me, or does it seem like our Pokémon are arguing with each other?"
"You're right about that. My Pidgeotto kind of has a swearing problem," Lincoln replied.
"Just like the real Lynn…" the middle Loud child muttered since his sporty sister also has a swearing problem whenever she watches her games on the t.v.
"I see. Well, in that case, Onix, lets teach that Pidgeotto a little lesson about using unacceptable language around small children! Use Rock Throw!" Brock instructed. Onix once again fired off Rock Throw, but with the sand in its eyes, the rocks only flew around Pidgeotto, some of them striking the pipes up above, "Aw geez, that's going to come out of my Gym Leader salary for sure." Brock groaned.
"Sorry sir, but with this sand in my eyes, it's kind of hard to aim," Onix replied.
"Ha! Man, you suck!" Pidgeotto mocked before turning to Lincoln, "Hey, cool if I show off a new move I picked up after kicking that Geodude's ass?"
"A new move? Well, if you think it can help then go for it." Lincoln replied.
"Awesome! Watch and be amazed! Twister!" Pidgeotto yelled, as she flapped her wings, creating a large tornado that slammed into Onix, sending it back a few feet.
"Whoa, that was awesome! What kind of a move was it?" Lincoln questioned.
"Information: Twister: A Dragon Type Move. The user whips up a vicious tornado to attack the opponent. This attack can sometimes cause the opposing Pokémon to flinch," the Poke'dex said. Lincoln then noticed that Onix had flinched after being attacked.
"Wait, Dragon? Wouldn't it be considered a Flying type attack like Gust?" Stella questioned since twisters were pretty disastrous on their own.
"Hoo doggy, Ah wouldn't want ta be caught in one of them sky funnels." Liam commented since he knows how destructive a twister was to farmland.
"And since a Pokémon that's flinching can't act for a while, this is our time to strike! Now Pidgeotto, use Steel Wing!" Lincoln instructed.
"Got it!" Pidgeotto replied, as she once again used Steel Wing, striking Onix with a thunderous clang, knocking the Rock Snake Pokémon down.
"True to what they say, the bigger they are the harder they fall." Clyde commented practically feeling the room shake from seeing just how hard Onix hit the ground.
"Tsk, this birdbrain is more trouble than I thought. And here I believed she was just an obnoxious loudmouth," Onix groaned in pain, as it got back up.
"Aww yeah! That's right! It's my birthday! Oh yeah!" Pidgeotto boasted, doing a little dance while in the air.
"And just like Lynn, she's also pretty cocky." Lincoln groaned pinching the bridge of his nose since his sisters were always pretty cocky and arrogant with their hobbies from Lynn's games, Lola's pageants, Lisa's science competitions, etc.
"This could be our chance. Onix, use Smack Down, directly in front of you!" Brock instructed. Onix fired a smaller rock at Pidgeotto, who was too caught up in her boasting to notice the attack.
"Pidgeotto, dodge! He's…" Lincoln couldn't even finish his sentence as Pidgeotto was hit with the rock, sending her down to the ground, "Sending another Rock attack your way."
"Yikes~ True to the name, that boastful bird got smacked hard." Stella commented with a winch seeing the Bird Pokémon crashing down hard after getting hit by the Rock type attack.
"About time I got a hit in!" Onix chuckled.
"And that just about takes care of Pidgeotto's aerial maneuvers." Brock commented.
"Say what now?" Lincoln asked in confusion, before consulting his Poke'dex.
"Information: Smack Down: A Rock Type Move in which the user hurls a rock projectile at the opponent. If a Flying Pokémon is hit with this attack, it will fall to the ground." his Poke'dex explained. Lincoln looked towards Pidgeotto, who was reeling from Smack Down.
"Dang, quite the way to completely dismantle an aerial strike." Albert commented having to applaud the young man once again seeing that he had taken away his Grandson's air support.
"Before they have a chance to recover, use Bind, Onix!" Brock instructed. Onix then took the opportunity to wrap its tail around Pidgeotto, squeezing her tightly, "Too bad for you that Bind won't let go for a while. I suggest for its safety, you…" Brock cut himself off when he saw something odd. "Is your Pidgeotto biting my Onix?" True to his question, Pidgeotto was in fact biting down on Onix, in an attempt to break free, but to no avail.
"Huh, I thought birds usually peck things they don't like?" Rusty questioned since this was the first he ever seen or heard of a bird biting onto something.
"Trust me, birds can bite, especially Sergio." Bobby said recoiling as he remembered all the time the Casagrande's Parrot would scratch and bite him whenever they would visit before moving to Great Lake City.
"Parrots do use their beaks to grip and/or clip vines and roots in the Rainforest. Even domesticated parrots use their beaks to help them climb around their cages." Zach added since some of the cages his family gotten for aliens were did have evidence that they had once housed to a parrot.
"You know that's not doing anything, right? It would be wise to just give up," Onix advised.
"Bite me, you overgrown pebble! Now let… me… go!" Pidgeotto yelled, as she struggled to remain conscious in Onix's grip.
"It's clear that Pidgeotto won't be able to hammer out any more attacks. I suggest you forfeit this round to us before any serious harm comes to your Pokémon," Brock advised.
"Don't you dare! I can still fight! I—OW! Ease up, will ya? You're gonna crush me like a grape!" Pidgeotto yelled, as the Bind tightened, causing her to let out a squawk that made everyone in the Gym wince. With no other options, Lincoln relented.
"And I thought getting squeezed by a Boa or Python, or getting crushed by rocks seems painful, I don't want to even think about how it feels when the two mix together." Myrtle said with concern while shaking her head to not even try to imagine the pain Pidgeotto must be feeling right now.
"Go ahead and release Pidgeotto! I don't want to see her getting hurt anymore," Lincoln said.
"You heard him, Onix. You can let go now," Brock said, as Onix let go of Pidgeotto, causing her to fall to the ground. After shaking off the soreness from her wings, she flew over to Lincoln and started pecking at him.
"What the hell, dude?! I told you I could've kept going!" she yelled, angry that her trainer had taken her out of the battle.
"Hey, cut that out! I didn't want to see you getting hurt anymore!" Lincoln retorted, trying to block his Bird Pokémon from pecking him. Pidgeotto did stop pecking at him, surprised by his compassion, but she was still sore about the forfeit.
"Eh, whatever. Just return me to my ball." Pidgeotto grumbled in a sulking manner. Lincoln did so.
'Pidgeotto really is like Lynn.' Lincoln thought, as he swapped out Pidgeotto's Poke'ball for Poliwag's. "Alright Poliwag, you're up!" he said, sending out the little Tadpole Pokémon, who, upon materializing on the battlefield, looked up at Lincoln.
"Hi Mr. Lincoln! Is there something you want me to do?"Poliwag asked, only to get struck by the Stealth Rocks from before. "Ow! Who left these rocks floating here?"
"Sorry about that, Poliwag, but there is something I would like for you to do for me, and it involves this battle. Could you do so, please?" Lincoln replied.
"Sure! What am I…"Poliwag cut himself off when he saw the towering Rock Pokémon above him. "AAAAHH! SCARY!" he yelled, as he hid behind Lincoln's leg."
"Tell us about it."" Both Clyde and Bobby said feeling the same fear the little Tadpole Pokémon was feeling upon seeing Onix.
"Poliwag is still pretty young so it's understandable why he's scared of Onix." Lincoln said since he's very familiar in comforting younger kids, and Leni, whenever they feel scared or afraid.
"Is your Pokémon alright?" Brock asked.
"Yeah, he's still young, and I think Onix is the largest Pokémon he's ever seen," Lincoln replied, as he knelt down to talk to Poliwag. "Hey, if you don't want to battle, then I won't force you. I can just see about getting Fearow to take over," he offered to the Tadpole Pokémon, who got over his fear of the large Onix.
"N-No, I'm alright now. I don't want Ms. Fearow to take over just because I'm scared," Poliwag replied, nervously looking back up at Onix. "Though, that Onix is big and scary looking."
"I know what you mean. When I saw that thing for the first time, I was pretty rattled too. But I know you can take it, especially with how Misty and Raigo helped us out last night," Lincoln replied. Poliwag knew what his trainer was talking about.
"You really think that can work, and that I can win?" Poliwag asked.
"I know so. This is your time to shine, Poliwag. Plus, as a bonus, you're bound to grow a lot more if you battle it. Besides, Pidgeotto kind of softened him up for you," Lincoln replied.
"Well, if you say so, then I'll give it a try," Poliwag replied, as he went back out onto the battlefield, still shaken at how much larger Onix was compared to him.
"I can tell you're a compassionate trainer to your Pokémon. Most trainers I've seen would often send out a different Pokémon if the one they sent out doesn't want to battle." Brock observed.
"Let's just say that I've had some experience with helping young kids with feeling scared," Lincoln replied.
"Heh, looks like you and I have something in common then. But regardless, we have a battle to finish! Onix, use Rock Tomb!" Brock instructed. Onix then fired off another Rock Tomb, sending the boulders at Poliwag.
"Alright Poliwag, time to put some of your new moves to the test! Use Protect!" Lincoln instructed.
"On it!" Poliwag replied, as a green barrier formed around him, blocking the Rock Tomb.
"Well, that move sure comes in handy!" Clyde exclaimed seeing the force field surrounding Poliwag while the rocks were repelled like marshmallows.
"When and how did Poliwag learn that?" Ronnie Anne questioned wonder just when and how the Water type learn that move since it wasn't listed on the moves he known when KGL Lincoln's Poke'dex scanned him.
"Probably from one of those TMs that was in that Rocket stash." Lincoln commented finding it ironic that the very items his counterpart had found which originally belonged to criminals was actually helping him in this Gym Battle.
"Now, let's follow that up with a Water Gun!" Lincoln added. Poliwag then fired off Water Gun, striking Onix's body, causing it to bellow out in pain.
"Onix, use Tackle where that Water Gun is coming from!" Brock instructed. Onix shook off the Water Gun and slammed right into Poliwag with the force of an 18-Wheeler truck, sending the Tadpole Pokémon into a stalagmite.
"Ooh, that gotta hurt~" Rusty winced while recoiling since getting hit by a truck is always painful.
"Yeah, getting hit by the same force as an Eighteen-wheeler and slamming hard against a stalagmite." Ronnie Anne added since it's a good thing Pokémon are built much tougher than humans since something like that would kill a person instantly.
"Okay, that hurt," Poliwag groaned, trying to stay standing.
"Poliwag, are you alright?" Lincoln asked.
"Yeah, but I don't think I can handle another attack like that," Poliwag replied.
"That means we need to finish this battle up as fast as we can, but who knows what they'll do next?" Lincoln commented.
"Looks like your Pokémon is reaching its limit. It would be best to forfeit." Brock advised. But Lincoln didn't even get to share his thoughts when Poliwag piped up.
"Don't you even think about backing out now, Mr. Lincoln! We can still win this!"
"Are you sure you want to keep going?" Lincoln asked.
"I am. I want to help you win this battle even in the condition I'm in now!"
"Well, if you say so," Lincoln said, as he looked up at Brock, "Poliwag wants to keep going, so the battle is still on, Brock!" he declared.
"Heheh, gutsy little guy." Albert said with a smile as he crossed his arms liking the young Water type's determination to continue fighting as this reminds him of training camp.
"Suit yourself. Onix, lets finish this quickly with…" a drop of water cut Brock off, as he looked up in confusion, "Water? But where did this…?" the damaged pipe answered his question, as it burst open, spraying everywhere. Everyone began to complain about getting wet, while Onix bellowed in discomfort.
"What's everyone getting so bent out of shape about? This feels just like the rain back home!" Poliwag chirped, as he was enjoying the water. It was when he said the word "rain" that Lincoln remembered something.
'I remember from Professor Oak's lectures that weather can help boost the power of certain types of moves. Rainy weather can help power up Water type attacks,' Lincoln thought, as he got a brilliant idea, "Poliwag, this is our chance to finish this battle! So, let's give this next attack everything we have! Use Water Pulse!" Lincoln instructed.
"Okay! I've wanted to use this move since you taught it to me last night!" Poliwag replied, as he charged up a ball of water, and fired it at Onix, striking with tremendous force, causing it to fall to the ground. Forrest went over to inspect Onix, only to find that it was unconscious.
"WHOA! ! Talk about power!" Ronnie Anne exclaimed seeing the Water Pulse knocking down Onix since that attack was clearly more powerful than Water Gun.
"Onix is unable to battle, the winner is Poliwag! Therefore, the match goes to the challenger, Lincoln Loud!" he said, sounding a bit disappointed at the outcome.
"I get it! Lincoln and Poliwag must've used the water from the damaged pipe as makeshift rain, and that's what powered up that Water Pulse!" Misty exclaimed. Brock recalled Onix and approached Lincoln with the same type of box he had when Raigo won his battle.
"Wait, so weather can actually have effects on a Pokémon's attack?" Stella questioned as Rotom-dex popped up.
"[Exactly, weather can have plenty effects on Pokémon depending on either their Move Types, or Abilities.]" Rotom-dex said before showing a visual example of a raincloud and a bright sun. "[Examples being the two moves Rain Dance, and Sunny Day. Examples being that Rain Dance can boost the power of Water type attacks while also weakening the power of Fire type attacks and vice versa with Sunny Day.]" They explained with the visuals showing a water droplet and flame symbol under the raincloud and bright sun with the droplet being bigger while the flame was smaller underneath the former with the opposite being underneath the latter.
"Wait, so we won?!" Lincoln asked ecstatically.
"Indeed. You've raised some pretty great Pokémon, especially for someone who's just starting out. So, it is my honor to present you with your Boulder Badge, as well as the TM for the move Rock Tomb," Brock replied, as he presented Lincoln with the badge and the USB stick.
"Isn't that great, Poliwag? We won!" Lincoln said.
"Don't forget Ms. Pidgeotto! She helped out a lot too!" Poliwag replied.
"Ah, that's right!" Lincoln exclaimed, as he sent out Pidgeotto.
"What's going on out here? Did we win?" she asked curiously. Lincoln flashed the Boulder Badge.
"See for yourself." he said.
"Haha! I knew I was the right bird for the job!" Pidgeotto proudly stated, as she began to do a little victory dance, and a very bad one at that. Lincoln turned to Brock.
"Thank you for the battle, Brock. But I must say, it seemed a little easier as compared to your battle with Raigo yesterday. No offence," Lincoln commented.
"Don't worry about it. It's all a part of the Gym Badge System," Brock explained.
"'Gym Badge System'? What's that?" Lincoln asked.
"It's how Gym Leaders are able to take on their challengers to make it as challenging for them as possible. The team you just battled was for rookie trainers just starting out. In Raigo's case, the team he battled was meant for trainers with two badges to their name." Brock explained.
"The more badges you earn, the tougher the battles you'll face at each Gym," Raigo piped up.
"Huh, so the Geodude and Onix he used against you really were actually weaker compared to the Pokémon he used against Raigo." Stella said since her friend from a larger family assumed right.
"Either way, congrats on winning your first Gym Battle sport." Albert congratulated his grandson ruffling his hair for his victory against his first Gym.
"I see. So, I need to choose each team more carefully as I challenge more gyms," Lincoln commented.
"Precisely. So, where do you plan to head to now?" Brock asked.
"Truth be told, I haven't the foggiest idea," Lincoln replied.
"Well, there's a Gym in Cerulean City. It's just on the other side of Mount Moon," Brock replied.
"Cerulean City, huh? Then I guess that's where I'm going to go next," Lincoln commented, remembering Misty talking about Cerulean City.
"You know, I envy you, Lincoln. You're pretty lucky," Brock commented.
"What do you mean? I hope you're not implying that I won because of luck," Lincoln asked, a hint of slight irritation in his voice.
"No, nothing like that. I mean that you can travel all over Kanto, following your goal of trying to win the Pokémon League. If it weren't for the fact that I need to stay here and take care of my brothers and sisters, I would love to travel the world, trying to become the world's greatest Pokémon Breeder. I honestly get more joy from raising Pokémon, rather than battling with them," Brock explained.
"Then you should go out and chase that dream of yours," the gravelly voice of Flint said, as he and a woman with curly brown hair entered the gym. Flint took off his hat, and his beard, revealing him to be the spitting image of Brock.
"Whoa, dude looks exactly like Brock!" Rusty exclaimed completely flabbergasted before Ronnie Anne smacked him in the back of the head.
"Idiot, Flint is clearly Brock's father and the woman besides him is his mother." She said since she wonder if all that hair was sucking the blood flow to his brain.
"Flint? And who's that woman behind you?" Lincoln asked.
"They're my parents," Brock said coldly, causing his parents to flinch.
"Brock, we understand you're upset with us for abandoning you and your siblings to chase our drams of attaining the championship in the Pokémon League, but now we want to make things right," Flint replied.
"Wait, so they abandoned their responsibilities as parents to travel." Lincoln said feeling sympatric with Brock since his own family abandons their responsibilities to do their own thing.
"Please, Brock, just give us a chance to make things right with you and your brothers and sisters," Brock's mother pleaded. Brock was still unsure.
"Hmm, what do you think, Lincoln?" he asked his challenger.
"I'd say you should hear them out. Professor Oak gave me this bit of advice while I was studying under him. He told me that holding onto grudges isn't very healthy, and its actually better to let go of those grudges, even if it's a little bit at a time," Lincoln replied, remembering that he promised the Professor to talk things over with at least Lisa, Lucy, and/or their mother. Brock took a moment to think things over, before he came to a conclusion.
"Very well. I'll give them one last chance to be proper parents to us. I'll meet up with you guys at the Pokémon Center. I need to go over some things with my parents," Brock said.
"Got it. We'll see you over there," Lincoln said, as he, Pikachu, Misty and Raigo left the Gym.
"That was nice of you talking that Brock fella into giving his parents a second chance." Myrtle commented her step-grandson since that many kids would've put into foster care by the CPS if those two had been absent for too long.
"Yeah…" Lincoln muttered resting his face against his palm since his counterpart's own parents practically abandoned him over a dumb superstition as well Lynn's stubborn ego as the scene changed to the Pewter Pokémon Center.
Having dropped off both Pidgeotto and Poliwag with Nurse Joy, Lincoln slumped down in one of the lobby chairs, "Man, what a day, Pikachu. We managed to win our very first Gym Badge, and we have a plan on where to go next," Lincoln commented, eyeing the Boulder Badge, as it was now sitting in his badge case.
"And don't forget, Beedrill and I want in on the next Gym Battle,"Pikachu declared.
"Right. Just as soon as we make it over Mount Moon and to Cerulean City, it'll be your guy's time to shine," Lincoln replied. His thoughts then went back to his two sisters and Mother.
"Something wrong?"Pikachu asked, noticing the uneasy look on his trainer's face.
"I was just thinking about what I said to Brock, about letting go of grudges. And I was thinking that it may be time for me to call home," Lincoln replied.
"It does seem a bit hypocritical of you to say all that stuff and keep having a vendetta against your family. So, I take it you're going to call them?"Pikachu asked.
"That is the plan, but I'm worried that things may go sour," Lincoln replied.
"Well, would it help if I were there with you?"Pikachu offered.
"Yeah, I would like that. Thank you," Lincoln said, as he got up, and went over to the Video Phones, "Let's get this over with."
"Hopefully my call to home goes better than the Professor's." the middle child muttered praying that his counterpart's call towards home goes smoothie which was wishful thinking considering his family.
/ / / / /
That's it for the this first Gym Battle as next up will be the Mt. Moon Arc so see you all again next time.