Rock Type

by TDR

Chapter 10

I HATE being called clever. It never ends well for me even if I plan for the chaos.

As such, Salvadore almost destroyed me, I had to pull Tank out and put Rose in just to keep Tank from getting knocked out. The kid was using a geodude and a onyx as his pair. This was a step out of the kiddie pool and right into some one trying to beat you for your lunch money. How the hell was this a first badge challenge was beyond me.

Unlike his brother Salvadore did not hold back, and in the end I was the first one of my group to actually win, and it was on a lucky shot when Rose managed a critical hit on the rock snake.

On the plus side there was a pause between the second and third fight and I was allowed to use some potions. I only had a few of those and I needed to make them count, but after the beating Salvadore gave me, my team needed it.

In other good news my Turtwig had learned his first grass move, absorb.

Third match with Cindy was easier because of it, though I hated spamming the move, it was just enough to take out her geodude, onyx and graveler.

Using the last of my potions I walked into the arena to deal with the Gym Leader.

Brock. The man was as tall as I saw from his photos in the lobby. He was in his early twenties and looked like he bench pressed his onyx for fun. There was a rumor he had an elite team that had some rather rare pokemon including a Tyranatar, but I hadn't ever heard of him using it while I was alive.

There was also a rumor he was dating Gym Leader Sabrina, but that sort of gossip was more my mother's thing.

What I had found out about him from my research was, despite his placement as the first gym for a lot of new trainers, he was not to be underestimated. He would have three pokemon for me to deal with. There was always an Onyx on his team for first badge trainers, but the other two swapped and sometimes between matches.

He was also known to sometimes present the Boulder badge even if some one lost to him if he liked their showing.

I really didn't like the idea of a freebie, so I came in to win. I only had two pokemon to his three, and both of mine were tiring. Despite the offer of Oak to stable some Pokemon, I didn't feel like gathering a team I wasn't going to use. So I didn't bother with any bugs or birds that might be seen in the areas around the gym.

Sure there was nothing wrong with a rattatta and I'd heard of a trainer or two making one into a monster that took them to the four, but I had a plan and I was going to stick to it.

“Challenger Kaisur, please enter the pitch.” A voice called over the intercom.

“I let out a small sigh and advanced on to the field glancing up at the man standing on the other side of the field. He stood unmoving with his arms crossed over his chest staring down at me as I stepped onto the pitch, the pillar slowly raising up to put me even with him looking down over the field.

It was much the same as the old field out in the lobby, though the stones and sand covering it didn't seem as fancy or artistically maintained.

“So you're the first of this group to make it all the way through.” Brock stated with a small smirk.” I really need to tell Cindy and Forest to tone it down a little for the first badges. Though you did manage to hurt Emerald a little. So maybe that was the right amount of skill for you?”

Through it all he didn't move, simply stared at me. I frowned and quickly shifted, the stance he had was a intimidation tactic, or a pose so no one knew what he was going to do.

I rather liked the idea. Everyone else was constantly moving or shifting in battles, though Brock looked to be a stone.

“I'm just here for the badge, not an extra challenge.” I stated.

“Professor Oak sponsors you hours after you first meet him, you're the first to actually damage Emerald in a long time and you just want a normal match?” Brock asked. “Yeah, not happening.”

Shit.

“Still I'm not gonna call out my elite team, but I'm not going to use my first badge team either.” Brock called with a grin. “You've already got my interest and earned the badge in my eyes with the other matches. You have a good grasp of your pokemon's skills and understand enough to start using new tricks and combos. You called out the issue with the first geodude you saw as well, not to mention your claim about your cleffa.”

“I hardly think saying Rose is going to be on that champions pedistel is worthy of a badge.” I grumbled.

“It's not. But the rest is, for a first badge anyway. But you hardly seem the type to just accept that without a battle. So I'm going to see how you do against a second badge team. Same rules as the other matches. You can swap as need be I only get three pokemon and I can't switch. I don't get to use my second badge team as often as I like.”

I stared at him and huffed.

I pulled my ax from my belt leaving the covering on the ax head before I jabbed the butt of it against the floor in front of me, taking an at ease position with both my hands on the sheathed head as I stared across the field at him.

“Let's do it then.”

Brock grinned as a countdown started, a red LED on the wall at the edge of the field counting down from ten.

I noticed a few people in the stands as well, locals mostly, though Yolanda and Salvadore were there along with the girl who had been taken out in the first match. Salvadore was pointing out things to her, likely prepping her for a second attempt.

It wasn't a big crowd. Maybe fifteen or twenty people, but it was a start. The fact Brock was using a two badge team had perked some of their interest and a number of them seemed to focus more on me because of it.

I needed to be a bit more basic going after my second badge. I wanted to be known, but making things harder for myself was not in the plans. Plus now that I knew Claymore was out there I didn't want what I could do too widely known.

The timer clicked down.

Then it hit zero.

“TANK GO!”
“METRIOD GO!”

I blinked at the name as both of us only moved our right arms to throw out a ball before readopting our chosen poses.

A small greenish mostly flat bug looking creature appeared on the field, two little black dot like eyes sat on top of the things body and four claw like legs sank into the sand.

My turtwig stared at the creature the leaves on it's head flicking.

Was this a bug type? A rock bug? That would be a bad type match up for Tank. I felt dread at the sight of the creature though. It took me a half second however to realize it wasn't dread of it being a type advantage.

It was the dread of a water type being nearby.

What the fuck? I flicked my gaze up to Brock, he might have looked back? I really didn't get how his family could see shit.

“Tank withdraw.” I called planning to armor up until I figured this thing out.

“Metriod, sand attack.” Brock called out.

I kept my face impassive he was going to go with status moves. That meant I couldn't have Tank turtle up for a bit otherwise he'd never be able to hit anything if Brock spammed the move. I would need to remember to do some blind fight training with my team in the future.

“Tank, Tackle, flip it over on it's back if you can.” I called out as Tank lunged at the creature squinting through the sand in his face.

“Metriod mud shot.” Brock called.

Tank managed to hit the thing and knock it back and almost flip it. As it was lifted I saw two glowing red orbs on the underside of it. The thing flipped back it's claws yanking dirt up from under the sand and splattering it all over Tank, the mud splattering my turtwig and making him look like he had rolled in a swamp.

How... oh, it was a water type... a rock water type, something with a double weakness to Tank's grass moves. He was trying to weaken him so any hits would miss. The mud shot and sand would slow Tank down and blind him allowing him to do as much damage as he could while not being easily hit by Tank's absorb.

How annoying, particularly as I didn't have a good counter unless Tank got a lucky shot.

“Absorb!” I called.
“Absorb” Brock countered.

What?

The two orbs of light lashed out and both of them struck true, though Brock's pokemon got the shot off first. Both hit home and both Pokemon cried out even as they healed.

This would not do. Tank was slower now and fighting near blind. Sure he had the type advantage, but Brock's pokemon , whatever that thing was, was more trained, though it seemed Tank was pulling more from it than it was getting back. This might be a win if it was a move for move, but all it would take is one miss and Tank would be at a disadvantage given the trade off.

Well. I had a plan for this, though it was another thing I didn't want to reveal so early. But I never was one to just take a free win.

“Tank, Castle! Prep absorb.” I called letting him know what his piece was. Tank nodded and waited still blinking sand. The mud hadn't helped only making it gum up on his face.

Brock raised an eyebrow at the command with no effect.

“Metriod, evasive, hit absorb again.”

I watched the creature move, scuttling near silently through the sand. When it paused to attack I spoke again.

“Absorb,black Bishop, six.”

Tank turned his head firing the absorb to his left at an angle, it wasn't a direct hit, but Brock's pokemon was hit with the move before it's own absorb came back, sank shuddered though let out a small sigh of relief.

My training my team in chess wasn't a perfect thing. But they both knew the pieces and we had figured out a few things. Black meant left, white meant right, the piece I mentioned indicated an angle. Bishop would have them fire at about 30 degrees in that direction, high and low could be added depending on the location of the target. Tank was actually better at following the orders than Rose was, though given the cleffa was far more mobile than the turtwig it made sense.

Brock frowned, I was setting him into a war of attrition one that the typing was just not working in his favor, if he tried another move that would give Tank a chance to heal back more and being only a second badge team I didn't expect he had too many strong moves.

Brock called another absorb, though I did the same and the pair had another exchange of blows that made the odd thing look a little worse for wear, not that Tank was looking well either, though he was finally blinking the sand and mud from his eyes shaking it off rather than dodging around only snapping off a shot when I gave an order.

“Metriod return.” Brock called pulling back the odd pokemon after a nasty hit had it stagger.

“Brock has returned his Kabuto, it may no longer be fielded for this match.” the announcer said.

“Interesting. Did you know the typing or was absorb the only grass move your Turtwig knows?” Brock asked.

“Who's to say?” I offered back.

“Still chess moves. Not unheard of but rare in one as young as you are.” Brock smirked before tossing out another ball. “Typing won't always save you though. Kilauea go!”

“Tank withdraw.” I stated using the moment before the ball hit to have tank armor up again.

As the light cleared however I was quite confused, though a number of the crowd could be heard screaming in shock and awe.

It was a growlith. Though instead of the bright orange and spikey mane, this was a deep red with it's eyes partially hidden by the curls and swirls of a gray mane.

I thought this was a rock gym?

“Kilauea, Flame wheel.” Brock called.

Fuck.

“Tank dodge it and tackle!”

That wasn't to be, my turtwig was still slowed by mud clinging to him, though it wasn't enough to protect him as the whirling ball of flame the growlith had become slammed into him. I flinched quickly recalling Tank as the fire move blasted through what little health he had left after the trading of blows. I hoped that Tank wasn't too badly burned though I did glare at Brock.

“A fire type!? Seriously?” I snapped.

“Fire, Rock actually. Took some time to figure out how, but Kilauea is a good girl isn't she isn't she.” Brock cooed as the dog like pokemon hopped around excitedly as if trying to figure out if the good girl was her.

“Challenger Kaisur's turtwig is no longer able to battle. Trainer send out your next pokemon.” The announcer called, the crowd seemingly getting more interested.

“Rose go.” I tossed out my last pokeball. We were outnumbered, the growlith was fresh and there was still a third ball on Brock's belt that could be anything. I never looked up what he would use as a second badge team.

The cleffa appeared, took a look at me then at the growlith chasing it's own tail and huffed, drawing the attention of the dog who growled.

“Rose, play keep away and fairy punch.” I snapped and Rose started to move.

It was rather comical in a way watching the little pink pokemon flit around the battlefield crying out at the top of one of her bounding arcs and thrusting out her arm like she was punching the air. Brock was a bit confused as to what she was doing but seeing that his growlith twitched or yelped every time she did the move he quickly reacted, having his pokemon fire off ember and another flame wheel, but the speedy little puffball managed to avoid nearly every attack.

At the end the growlith didn't seem to do anything for a we moments aside from stare after the bouncing pink ball. Brock had whistled a pattern but I didn't know what it was. Still the growlith eventually fell due to the constant barrage of undodgeable punches from Rose.

The Cleffa landed and offered a bow and she fought to keep from panting after all that bouncing around.

“Brock's Growlith is no longer able to battle. Gym Leader please send out your next pokemon” the announcer said.

I smiled as I looked to Brock. Rose was tired but undamaged, though I was concerned what sort of thing his third pokemon would be.

Brock did not disappoint tossing out his last ball, the light flaring revealing a squat lizard like pokemon with a large head fin and green scales, a black eye stripe ran down from each angry looking red eye.

“Obsidian, Go!”

Another I didn't recognize. Was this a dragon type? That would make two bad typeings this match had shown. I doubted I could be that lucky.

“Rose, round two, repeat tactics.”

Rose huffed and started moving, flinging punches.

The little green creature simply stood there seemingly unbothered by the punches hitting it, it's red eyes following the cleffa as she circled.

Something was wrong here.

“Obsidian, Payback.” Brock stated flatly.

My eyes widened. A dark move.

“ROSE DODGE!”

Rose was in mid bounce when the green thing lept at her slamming into Rose.

She cried out from the hit bouncing across the field and crashing into the sand at the base of my pillar. I looked down as the cleffa lay there out cold from just one hit. Leer, the damn dog must have been using leer as it's last moves.

“Challenger Kaisur's Cleffa is unable to battle, the challenger has no more pokemon to battle. Gym Leader Brock is the winner.”

I stared down as the pillar started to lower returning Rose to her pokeball and watching as the green creature crossed it's arms and adopted the pose Brock had. The flash of light as it was returned to it's ball snapped my gaze up to Brock who was advancing across the field. I took a breath and walked out to meet him. I did not like losing, even with everything stacked against me like this.

We stopped facing each other and Brock stared down at me.

“Some rather interesting tactics you put out. I can see Professor Oak was right, you are interesting.” Brock held out his hand and I took it returning the hand shake.

“I've still a ways to go.”

“This is your first badge. I didn't expect this much.” Brock grinned taking his hand back. “I looked down at my hand and the Boulder Badge within it.

“I will want a rematch.” I grumbled.

“I'm looking forward to it, and I'll be sure to save a spot on the champions pillar for your Cleffa.” Brock chuckled.

Comments

[Night_Moon60606]

Hisuian Growlith and a Larvitar...very nasty there, oh Bunny...

[badninja]

I love a good mix up of the teams. I am surprised that Brock had some of those Pokémon but that would make a lot of sense of the world was actually real.

[Booster Spice]

Id have thought that the first Gym was the one with the most experienced leader as they gotta tune to so many different starter levels while still being able to hold their own against the Elite 4?

Really need to refresh my entries on the Pokedex, I cant remember most of the forms these days.

[new55]

That was a good chapter.