Referee didn't waste any time. Seeing that both sides had sent out their Pokémon, he raised his hand and announced, "The battle... begins!"
"Magnet Bomb!" Gary didn't hold back, giving the first order.
"Magnezone!"
Magnezone condensed several steel spheres around its body, each about the size of a Baoding ball. Controlled by magnetic force, the steel spheres shot rapidly toward Geodude.
"Use Harden to block it!" Roark ordered hurriedly.
Geodude crossed its arms in front of its face and used Harden.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The steel spheres rained down like bullets, striking Geodude one after another. With each impact, small pieces of gravel chipped away from its rocky body. By the time the barrage ended, Geodude was already at its limit. If not for its Sturdy ability, it never would have survived a full round of Magnet Bomb.
"Flash Cannon!" Gary didn't give Geodude a moment to breathe.
If there was one Pokémon Gary despised most in the games, it was a Geodude with Sturdy. Geodude was frail and easily one-shot in the late game, but Sturdy always let it survive a single hit, forcing him to waste another move to finish it off. Worse, Geodude could learn Self-Destruct. Running into one or two Sturdy Geodudes with Self-Destruct was pure torture—since you couldn't kill it outright, it would just blow itself up in your face.
Biu!
Magnezone fired a silver-white beam that streaked across the field and slammed into Geodude, sending it flying.
Boom!
Geodude hit the ground and rolled several times before coming to a stop, its eyes already spinning in circles.
"Geodude is unable to battle. Magnezone wins!" Referee declared.
"Come back, Geodude." Roark wasn't surprised at the outcome. If it weren't for the Gym battle rules, he would have recalled Geodude long ago.
"Cranidos! Come on out!" Roark sent out his second Pokémon.
A Cranidos appeared, standing about a meter tall on two feet, its bony skull crest jutting out prominently.
[Lv. 30 Cranidos / Quasi-Elite]
Roark's Cranidos had already met the requirements to evolve into Rampardos, though it hadn't done so yet. Even so, it could evolve at any moment—just a small push would be enough to trigger it.
Rampardos was a fearsome Pokémon, built entirely for offense with no defense to speak of. Excluding Mega Evolutions, it boasted the highest base Attack of any Pokémon—even Legendaries couldn't match it.
"Cranidos, use Rock Smash!" Roark went on the offensive.
Cranidos charged toward Magnezone, but there was a method to its movement. It stuck close to the raised rock formations, planning to use them as cover the instant Magnezone attacked.
Gary saw right through the plan but gave no command, quietly watching Cranidos close the distance.
Roark grew confused. He'd been waiting for Gary to call out an order so he could adjust his own strategy in response, but Gary said nothing. As Cranidos reached the perfect spot to strike, Roark didn't overthink it and shouted encouragingly, "Alright, Cranidos, go!"
Cranidos leapt onto a raised rock, launching itself toward Magnezone with a headbutt.
"Gravity," Gary ordered calmly.
"Magnezone!"
Magnezone released Gravity, warping the surrounding magnetic field. A heavy gravitational force radiated outward with Magnezone at its center. Mid-leap, Cranidos suddenly lost its forward momentum and plummeted straight toward the ground.
"What... Gravity?!" Roark hadn't expected Magnezone to know that move.
Boom!
Fortunately, Cranidos was quick-witted. Even while falling, it angled its head downward and used Headbutt to break its landing, shattering the ground beneath it while taking no damage from the fall itself.
"Good job, Cranidos! Use Flamethrower!" Roark ordered.
Cranidos reared back and spat a stream of fire upward at Magnezone in the sky.
"Thunderbolt!"
Golden arcs of electricity crackled across Magnezone's body, and a bolt of lightning shot out, tearing straight through the flames and striking Cranidos head-on.
Golden thunder engulfed Cranidos, ravaging its body. As the current faded, wisps of white smoke rose from its frame, its eyes rolled back, and it collapsed flat onto the ground.
"Cranidos is unable to battle. Magnezone wins!" Referee announced.
Referee stayed perfectly composed. He was old and had witnessed all manner of battles. He knew Magnezone's level was simply too high, and Roark's Pokémon were no match for it at the moment.
"You did well. Get some rest." Roark recalled his defeated Cranidos. It was his prized ace, so seeing it fall clearly pained him.
"Onix, I'm counting on you!" Roark knew there was no turning this match around, but he intended to see it through to the very end.
[Lv. 28 Onix / Gym]
Onix wasn't even above level 30. Gary was now certain that Roark had been holding back from the start.
"Magnezone, use Flash Cannon." Gary ordered.
Biu!
Magnezone fired a silver beam.
"Onix, use Stone Edge!" Roark ordered.
It had to be said, Roark was clearly a man with deep pockets. All three of his Pokémon were under level 30, yet each possessed a variety of powerful moves—undoubtedly taught through TMs.
Jagged rock blades formed around Onix and shot toward the Flash Cannon. But the rock blades couldn't slow it in the slightest. They crumbled to powder the instant they made contact, doing nothing to stop the beam's advance.
Boom!
Flash Cannon struck the massive rock serpent, blasting its enormous body backward. Onix crashed to the ground and couldn't rise again.
"Onix is unable to battle! All three of Gym Leader Roark's Pokémon have been defeated. The winner of this Gym match is the challenger, Gary!" Referee announced.
The match was over. Gary had defeated all three Pokémon and earned his second badge.
"You really are strong. My Pokémon are no match for yours right now. I'll see you again at the World Championships," Roark said.
"Mr. Roark, you're planning to enter the World Championships?" Gary asked, a little surprised.
"Yes. As a Gym Leader, I'm eligible to compete," Roark said.
"Then we'll meet there if we get the chance. But... isn't it about time you gave me the badge?" Gary reminded him.
"Ah, right. Let me get it." Roark quickly retrieved the badge and handed it over. "This is the Coal Badge, proof that you've defeated the Oreburgh Gym."
"Thank you." Gary took the Coal Badge.
[Ding! Mission complete. Rewards have been sent to your storage backpack.]