damaine_n

Pokémon: Generation By Generation

Added 2024-12-22 14:43:40 +0000 UTC

CHAPTER 6: [Battle for the Boulder Badge!]

A/N:

RWBY: The Boy Named Rin is going to take a while, I accidentally deleted the draft for it along with this one.

This took a few hours to rewrite from memory alone, but The Boy Named Rin is going to be a pain to recover/rewrite.

Reaching the entrance of the Gym, I sent my Pokémon back into the Arc before I navigated my avatar to enter the Gym, only for a prompt to appear just as my avatar walked to the door of the Gym.

[Enter the PEWTER GYM DUNGEON?]

[YES / NO]

"???"

What the? This was new! "Enter the Pewter Gym Dungeon?" From what I'm reading and expecting, it would be similar to the NPC Trainer Battles where I get sucked into some kind of interactive simulator?

Selecting the YES option, the world instantly changes as I was back in the simulated world of Pokémon Fire Red, this time in the Pewter City Gym.

It was exactly what I'd expected—a large stadium with rocks and mini-mountains decorating the area. The gym’s design was impressive, with rugged terrain creating a natural battlefield. In the center of the stadium was a spacious arena for Pokémon Battles to occur without any lack of room.

A stone-tiled path led around the stadium with intersections branching out in the left and right cardinal directions, leading to Gym Trainers who stood menacingly, ready to challenge any contender.

At the north cardinal direction of the stone-tiled path led me to the leader of the Gym, Brock sitting on a stone-masoned chair on an elevated surface, smiling at the sight of a new challenger.

"Hello! You must be the Pokémon Trainer Joseph, the one who booked for today's appointment?"

Brock greeted, his voice carrying a tone of authority mixed with a friendly demeanor as I thought in surprise.

You had to book an appointment to tackle a Gym? Wait, that actually made sense. Considering the influx of Trainers eager to earn their first badge in the circuit, appointments would be necessary to maintain order and fairness.

"Yeah, that's me."

Brock stood up from his seat and walked down to be on the same elevation as me, his hands resting on his hips in a relaxed yet commanding posture.

"Welcome to the Pewter Gym! I hope you're ready for a tough battle. Since this will be your first badge, I'll be explaining the rules of a Gym."

He said with a smile that was both reassuring and challenging. That was nice of him, so I thanked him, to which he simply nodded before continuing.

"To be eligible for your badge, you will have to defeat one of my Gym Trainers before you get the chance to face me. This ensures that you have the necessary skills and experience to take on the Gym Leader. Each Gym Trainer specializes in Rock-Type Pokémon, just like I do, so consider this a warm-up before the main event."

I nodded in understanding. Brock looked to his right, my left, and called out.

"Liam, if you would, please."

"Yes, Mr. Brock!"

A teenager, slightly younger than me, responded. He was wearing camping gear with a green newsboy cap and quickly ran up to the opposite side of the arena before adjusting his cap.

"Hi! I'm Liam! I hope we have a great battle!"

He said enthusiastically, his eyes gleaming with excitement as I replied enthusiastically as well.

"Nice to meet you, Liam."

I breathed in, feeling a mix of nervousness and anticipation before I fished out the first Pokéball from the left latched on my belt. Liam grabbed his own Pokéball from his belt as Brock raised his voice.

"I will be the Battle Judge for this match. The rules of a Gym Battle are as follows:

1. You are not allowed to switch out to a different Pokémon until a Pokémon faints!

2. You are not allowed to use any consumables unless a Pokémon is in grave danger!

3. You are not allowed to intentionally harm a Pokémon with a move that would cause unnecessary suffering!

4. You are allowed to bring out a maximum of three Pokémon for this match!

The battle will end once a Trainer has run out of usable Pokémon. Do you both understand and agree to these rules?"

Liam and I nodded in unison.

"Yes, we understand."

"Very well."

Brock continued and raised his arm.

"Trainers, take your positions!"

Liam and I stood at opposite ends of the battlefield, the tension thick in the air. I glanced down at the Pokéball in my hand, feeling the weight of it, and clenched it, ready to throw it at any moment.

"Let's get started!"

Brock declared, his voice echoing through the Gym before he sliced his arm downwards.

"Begin!"

[Camper LIAM has challenged you to a POKÉMON BATTLE!]

Liam was quick to act, tossing his Pokéball into the air.

"Go, Geodude!"

A burst of light later, the Rock Pokémon appeared in the arena, floating with both arms curled, revealing and flexing its heavy biceps.

[Camper LIAM sends out GEODUDE!]

---------------- Opponent Battle Information ----------------

[Species: Geodude]

[Level: 10]

---------------- Opponent Battle Information ----------------

Can't leave him hanging! I reeled my arm back and pressed the release button before lobbing my own Pokéball.

"Let's do this, Monkey!"

Monkey appeared in a flash of light, crouching as he loosened up, crying his name.

[Pokémon Trainer JOSEPH sends out MANKEY!]

---------------- Team Battle Information ----------------

[Nickname: Monkey]

[Species: Mankey]

[Level: 15]

[EXP: 6%]

---------------- Team Battle Information ----------------

"Geodude, Tackle!"

Immediately upon releasing Monkey, Liam shouted out his command. The Geodude shone a hue of white before charging towards Monkey, its fists ready to strike.

"Face him with a Karate Chop!"

Monkey obeyed, his lanky arms glowing a brownish-red color before rushing towards Geodude. A second later, they clashed, a loud bang echoing through the arena as dust and smoke erupted from their collision.

Covering my face to avoid getting dust in my eyes, I trusted that Monkey had won the exchange as I quickly shouted out.

"Keep using Karate Chop when you get the chance!"

"Geodude, hide in the smoke and use Defense Curl!"

Tsk, so that's what he's doing—stacking up Defense Curls when out of vision! Smart!

"Change of plans: use a wide Low Kick to sweep away the smoke!"

"Man-Mankey!"

With a loud battle cry, Monkey performed a low sweeping kick, raising the smoke into the air. My eyes scanned the arena and—there! The Geodude was in a protective stance with a large, semi-translucent barrier erected around itself.

"Now, Monkey, charge in with another Karate Chop!"

Monkey lunged forward, his glowing hand aimed at Geodude. The force of his Karate Chop broke through the barrier, hitting Geodude squarely on the head. The Rock Pokémon grunted, clearly affected by the powerful blow as it reeled back in pain.

"Geodude, Tackle again!"

Liam shouted, trying to regain the upper hand, but I swept the air in front of me with my arm and commanded.

"Monkey, finish it with Low Kick!"

Monkey responded immediately, sliding under Geodude and delivering a powerful Low Kick upwards. The impact sent Geodude flying a few feet into the air before landing with a heavy thud on the ground. It struggled to get back up but then collapsed, its eyes swirling, signifying that it was unable to continue the battle.

"Geodude is unable to battle! With Trainer Liam out of remaining Pokémon, Trainer Joseph wins the match!"

[Opponent GEODUDE has fainted!]

[Camper LIAM has no remaining POKÉMON left!]

[Trainer JOSEPH wins the POKÉMON BATTLE!]

"Return, Geodude!"

A beam of red shot out from Liam's Pokéball to return his Geodude, giving it some much-needed rest. Praising it for a job well done, Liam then ran up to me with a smile.

"Joseph, that Mankey of yours sure is powerful! Not even Mr. Brock's training Pokémon could take it out in just a few moves!"

"Thanks! Your Geodude is no joke either. It survived more Super Effective moves than I'd expected! And nice strategy with the Defense Curl, by the way!"

What I said was true. If this were a normal playthrough of Pokémon Fire Red, that Geodude would have been knocked out with one Karate Chop, especially with the 5-level difference. That Geodude must be super tanky.

"Here, your prize for winning!"

[Camper LIAM hands over 220P for winning the POKÉMON BATTLE!]

220 Pokédollars! That's more than what the Bug Catchers give.

"Thank you very much, but isn't this too much?"

"Don't sweat it! The Gym is the one who pays for this, and you defeated me! A Trainer with a badge, you deserve it!"

"It's a good incentive for Trainers to challenge the Gyms; the motivation and intent to grow stronger with your Pokémon is what the League hopes that every Trainer exerts."

Brock supplied as he walked to the end of the arena, a Pokéball already in his hand and a smile on his face.

"That was a good display from both of you. Liam, you've come a long way. A little more and you could even take over the Gym!"

Liam beamed at the compliment.

"Thanks, Mr. Brock. I'll keep training hard."

Brock nodded approvingly before turning his attention to me.

"Trainer Joseph, you've shown great skill and strategy. For that, I will be the final obstacle between you and your Boulder Badge! Now, I ask of you, are you ready to challenge me?"

[Gym Leader BROCK has challenged you to a GYM BATTLE!]

A sudden pressure washes over me as the demeanor of Brock instantly shifts, the tension in the Gym heavy. With a swallow of saliva built up unexpectedly, I turned to Monkey.

"Are you ready for this?"

"Mankey, mankey! [ᕦ(ò_óˇ)ᕤ]"

Expressively blowing out, Monkey curled both arms and flexed, feeling as ready as he could be. Nodding in approval, I channeled my spirit before I shouted.

"Yeah, I'm ready! I'm getting that badge, Brock!"

Brock's smile widened as he gave a loud laugh.

"Amazing drive! Let's see how you handle my team. Geodude, I choose you!"

"Monkey, let's do this!"

[Gym Leader Brock sends out GEODUDE!]

[Trainer JOSEPH sends out MANKEY!]

---------------- Opponent Battle Information ----------------

[Species: Geodude]

[Level: 12]

---------------- Opponent Battle Information ----------------

---------------- Team Battle Information ----------------

[Nickname: Monkey]

[Species: Mankey]

[Level: 15]

[EXP: 24%]

---------------- Team Battle Information ----------------

"Geodude, Rock Throw!"

With no time spent, Brock commanded his Geodude the moment he sent it out. Geodude carried out its Trainer's command as it struck the ground for rock fragments before hurling them towards Monkey.

"Karate Chop to deflect it!"

I immediately said to Monkey, who channeled Fighting-Type energy into his arms before he chopped at the rocks that came straight towards him, deflecting and protecting himself from the attack.

Rock Throw? That isn't what that Geodude usually has... unless it doesn't have its Generation 3 learn set!

"Monkey, get close for a Karate Chop!"

"Geodude, continue to use Rock Throw!"

Monkey charged up a Karate Chop before darting towards the Geodude, who lobbed rocks like there was no tomorrow, the rocks barely dodged, causing scratches on Monkey as he closed the distance.

Once in range, Monkey gave out a cry as he slammed his arm at Geodude, who cried out in pain, the force stronger than usual as the battle text appeared.

[A critical hit!]

A crit! Nice! The Geodude fell to the ground from the pain as Brock called out.

"Hang in there, Geodude! Defense Curl!"

"Don't let it, Monkey! Low Kick while it's down!"

His leg muscles bulged as he went for a low kick just as a barrier barely surrounded Geodude. The kick connects... and the barrier held steady.

"Nice, Geodude! Tackle!"

"Dodge it!"

Monkey tried to do so, but using so many moves consecutively in a short period of time caused it to burn its stamina, unable to dodge the fist made of rock that socked him in the face.

Crap, I forgot that this was real life! They still needed stamina to perform moves, and Monkey had a fight prior! Stumbling back slightly, Monkey catches his breath as he quickly recovers.

"M-Mankey!"

"What tenacity! Impressive! Geodude, Tackle it down!"

I held back a command as I knew that using more moves would tire Monkey, so one decisive move will be needed.

"Monkey, prepare yourself!"

Nodding at the command, he shifts his posture to a defensive stance as the Geodude flew towards him with an arm reeled back. My body tenses as I stretch my perception, ready to command him when an opportunity comes.

The Geodude throws a punch; Monkey blocks it.

Another punch. Monkey swiftly dodges it.

Another one comes at him—now! The Geodude's punch had slowed down; it must be really tired from the consecutive punches and damage taken!

"Now! Low Kick!"

With a roar, Monkey blurred, dodging the Tackle by tilting his head to barely dodge the punch. The Geodude's side was completely exposed from the overreached punch!

A swift arm shot out from Monkey as it delivered a devastating Karate Chop at the unprotected side, the impact strong enough to fling the Rock Pokémon a few feet back before it fell to the ground, unconscious.

[Opponent GEODUDE has fainted!]

The other Gym Trainer in the Gym raised his arm and shouted.

"Geodude is unable to battle! Mankey wins the first round!"

Y-Yes! He did it!

A rush of excitement surged through me as I couldn't contain my joy.

"YES! Nice one, Monkey!'

"M-Man..."

Monkey, panting heavily from the battle, staggered slightly. His usual bravado had dimmed, replaced by a shaky smile. The battle had taken its toll on him, and his exhausted body was proof of that. I carefully withdrew him back into his Pokéball, offering a soft, reassuring word.

"Good job, Monkey. Rest for now; I'll swap you back in if needed."

The Pokéball clicked shut as I fastened it to my belt. Turning to Brock, I observed his fainted Geodude with a mix of respect and caution. What a monster! It was only level 12, yet it went toe-to-toe against Monkey in the stamina department.

"Trainers, send out your next Pokémon!"

The Battle Judge called. With a deep breath, I pulled Zardon's Pokéball from my belt.

"You got this, Zardon; do your best!"

I whispered softly to the ball before hurling it forward.

Brock, without missing a beat, released his next Pokémon at the same time.

"Go, Onix! Win the match for me!"

[Gym Leader BROCK sends out Onix!]

---------------- Opponent Battle Information ----------------

[Species: Onix]

[Level: 14]

---------------- Opponent Battle Information ----------------

"Zardon, I choose you!"

[Pokémon Trainer JOSEPH sends out Charmander!]

---------------- Team Battle Information ----------------

[Nickname: Zardon]

[Species: Charmander]

[Level: 15]

[EXP: 3%]

---------------- Team Battle Information ----------------

Two bursts of white signaled the start of the next round as moves were instantly commanded.

"Rock Tomb!"

"Metal Claw!"

Onix's massive tail swung and sent a barrage of jagged rocks hurtling toward Zardon. The rocks came at him at fast speeds, but with accurate precision, Zardon's claws flashed a brilliant silver before slicing through the rocks like butter.

"Screech!"

Suddenly, a chilling, high-pitched screech pierced the air. My heart skipped a beat as the sharp sound rang in my ears, sending a wave of unease through me.

The sound was so sharp, so deafening, that it felt like it was vibrating straight through my bones. I could see the effect on Zardon instantly. His movements faltered, his body stiffened, and he winced in pain as the sharp sound reverberated through him.

[Zardon's DEFENSE sharply fell!]

"Rock Tomb!"

Brock, seeing the disarrayed Zardon, quickly yelled with an arm covering his ear as Onix exploited the advantageous situation, sending another barrage of stones towards the unsuspecting Zardon.

"Dodge, Zardon!"

But my Pokémon was still stunned by the Screech, letting himself get pummeled by the barrage. The force behind those rocks was stronger than expected as Zardon gasped in pain, the rocks digging into his body.

Rolling onto the ground in pain, I begged the fallen Zardon to get up.

"Move, Zardon! You can do it!"

Growling lowly, Zardon slowly pushed himself back to his feet, his body trembling slightly from the lingering effects of the Screech. He shook his head vigorously, trying to shake off the disorienting noise, his eyes narrowing with a sharp intensity in his gaze as he locked onto Onix, ready for the next move.

"Nice job, buddy!"

I looked at the opposite Onix to assess the situation, wondering why it didn't act while Zardon was on the ground. And I saw it; Brock was also hit by the Screech from how his movement was sluggish!

He was standing so close to the Onix when it used the sound-based move, so he must have been affected as well!

"Zardon, get up close! Metal Claw to dodge if needed, and continuously Ember it!"

"Char! Charmander!"

He roared understandingly before rushing towards the large boulder Pokémon. Brock, witnessing that Zardon was getting close, ordered Onix with a commanding tone.

"Tackle!"

Onix slithered and charged with a headbutt, but Zardon dodged it by sidestepping out of the way, climbing on its body with a leap before firing Embers on its body.

The Onix roared out in pain as it struggled to fling the Lizard Pokémon off its back.

"That's it, Zardon! Keep using Ember!"

As Zardon's fiery attacks continued, something began to change. Onix's rocky exterior started to glow faintly, an orange hue spreading across its massive body. The heat from the Embers had finally built up enough to cause a reaction—just as I’d hoped.

Yes! It finally applied—the chance for Onix to be burned by Ember had procced!

The rocky surface of Onix began to glow brighter, the fire still smoldering as the Pokémon slowly succumbed to the burn, roaring in pain.

"Burn! Yes!"

I shouted with relief, watching as Onix staggered from the heat. But Brock wasn’t done yet.

"Onix, Screech once more!"

He yelled, his voice panicking slightly, as the Onix moved to release the powerful sound move. I capitalized on the sluggishness of the burning Onix, who struggled to release the move with a command of my own.

"Zardon, jump off and cover your ears!"

Onix let out another terrifying screech, louder and more shrill than the last. The piercing sound rang through the air like a blade, causing everyone in the arena to flinch and cover their ears.

Zardon, already in mid-air, quickly rolled to the side, landing nimbly on the ground as the devastating screech echoed around us. His claws snapped shut around his ears, blocking the painful sound as best as he could.

The arena was filled with a tense silence after the attack, when the battle text appeared.

[Zardon avoided the attack!]

My heart soared at the text as I yelled out.

"Perfect! Zardon, Metal Claw!"

My Charmander, who had managed to cover his ears in time, quickly moved with his claws extended, glowing a silvery metal hue as he charged towards Onix. With precision and determination, Zardon slashed at Onix's rocky exterior, each hit creating sparks as metal met stone.

Brock tried to retaliate.

"Onix, use Rock Tomb!"

Onix struggled to muster its strength; the Burn status inflicted by Zardon's earlier Ember attack had taken its toll. The rocks Onix flung were much slower and less forceful than before. Zardon weaved around them with agility, his focus unwavering.

"Keep going, Zardon! Metal Claw again!"

I urged, seeing the opportunity to press our advantage.

Zardon continued his assault, delivering a series of powerful Metal Claws. Each strike chipped away at Onix's defenses, the Rock Snake Pokémon beginning to show signs of wear and tear, its movements waning.

Brock's face showed a mix of concern and determination as he yelled.

"Come on, Onix, you can do it! Hang in there!"

But it was clear that Onix was nearing its limit. With a final, mighty slash, Zardon's Metal Claw struck true, hitting a critical point. Onix let out a low, rumbling groan as its massive body began to collapse, its rocky form crashing onto the ground with a resounding thud.

"Onix!"

Brock called out, trying to persuade his Pokémon to get back up on its "feet.". But the signs were clear: Onix's eyes had turned into swirls, its body unresponsive to Brock's commands as the Battle Judge announced.

"Onix is unable to battle! With Gym Leader Brock out of remaining Pokémon, Trainer Joseph wins the match!"

[Opponent ONIX has fainted!]

[Gym Leader BROCK has no remaining POKÉMON left!]

[Trainer JOSEPH wins the GYM BATTLE!]

A wave of exhilaration washed over me as I gave out a cry of joy.

"YES!"

Zardon cheered, blowing fire from his mouth in celebration before running towards me. I crouched down to hug the scaly Pokémon, the smile on my face evident.

"That was amazing, Zardon! You and Monkey carried this fight!"

Brock shook his head before he returned Onix to its Pokéball, walking over to me with a proud smile.

"You've proven your strength and strategy, Joseph. Congratulations on your victory."

He extended his hand, and I shook it.

"Thanks. That was the toughest match I've ever fought against."

Brock nodded, then reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, gleaming object. My eyes widened at the significance of the object as I carefully examined it as he placed it into my hand.

"As proof of your victory, I present to you the Boulder Badge."

The badge was metallic to the touch, with it having the same sheen of gray similar to cobblestone about the size of a coin. The shape of it was an octagon from a bird's view, with a slightly raised geometric pattern at the center and edged bevels.

"You can place it into your badge case, and the system will register your victory over me."

That should be inside the backpack that I currently wore, so I unslung the backpack and sifted through it. There were a few important things inside the bag, like the consumables that I found inside Viridian Forest, such as Potions and Pokéballs, and the key items for the journey.

Eventually I found the case that Brock was talking about and flipped it open, revealing magnetic surfaces for all eight badges and a compartment to store cards.

I even found my ID card and bank card of this simulated universe; that was good to know if I suddenly need to procure it one day.

Attaching the Boulder Badge into the case, I closed it and was about to zip the backpack shut when Brock stopped me, recalling something.

"Hold on! Let me hand you the prize for defeating your first Gym!"

Running to a concealed room that I didn't even notice till now, I waited patiently as Brock jogged towards me, his hands holding onto some technology and some notes.

"Here you go! A Technical Machine, TM for short, of the move Rock Tomb, along with your prize money of 1,400 Pokédollars!"

The Pokédollars alone made me salivate at the amount given, but the TM made me wipe my drooling mouth to ask a question.

"Sorry, but how do I use it?"

"Simple! Just insert it into your Pokédex. A section will pop out for you to place a Pokéball. Follow the instructions and sit back while your Pokémon learns the move in about an hour or two, depending on its comprehension level."

Huh, that's useful.

"And it's reusable?"

"Yes, definitely, or else I'd be running out of Pokédollars too quickly with how many I give out alone!"

Brock chuckled as I pondered. Generation 3 made it so that TMs were consumables, so this was a nice addition to the game that I know and love.

"Right, thanks for the information!"

"No problem!"

Brock smiled, giving me a thumbs up as I secured the TM into the TM/HM case that simulation JOSEPH already owned and slipped the Pokédollars straight into my person's wallet.

"Your next Gym will be located in Cerulean City. Go east from Pewter City and traverse through Mount Moon. You'll find an exit that leads you straight to the city."

"Understood, thanks, Brock!"

I said, slinging my backpack over my shoulder. Brock simply smiled.

"I shall await the news of your success, Joseph. I can see the potential in you."

I felt a surge of pride at his words, grinning sheepishly as I adjusted my cap.

"Thanks, Brock. I won't let your expectation of me die so easily."

---------------- Current Team Summary ----------------

---------------- 1st POKEMON SLOT ----------------

[Nickname: Zardon]

[Species: Charmander (♂)]

[Level: 15 (48%)]

[Nature: Lonely]

[Ability: Blaze (Boosts the power of Fire-Type moves when HP is below 1/3rds)]