"Sigh..."
Brock watched as Pikachu jumped down from Roy's shoulder, let out a deep sigh, and raised a hand to rub his brow.
The helplessness in his squinted eyes was almost overflowing.
"Young people these days..."
"I've said it so many times, this is a Rock-type Gym."
"Rock-type, Ground-type, high resistance to electricity, do you understand?"
He seemed to be talking to himself, yet also offering a final bit of educational advice to Roy.
"Forget it."
He shook his head, refocusing his gaze on the field.
Facing his Geodude, he issued an order in a steady voice:
"Geodude, give him a little 'education in failure.'"
"Use Rock Throw!"
The round Geodude let out a dull, low growl.
Its two rocky arms suddenly lifted and slammed hard against the ground beneath it.
Boom!
The field trembled slightly.
Several sharp, head-sized rocks suddenly broke off from the rock ceiling above Pikachu's head!
They weren't slow!
The coverage area was also quite broad.
A typical "educational" opening, using an area attack to force a rookie Trainer into a panic, exposing their lack of command and adaptability.
Brock crossed his arms, already prepared to see the challenger opposite him flustered, shouting the classic "Dodge it!"
However.
Roy's expression remained calm.
"To the front-left, Quick Attack."
"After dodging the falling rocks, approach in an arc."
The moment the command fell, Pikachu's small body was already enveloped in white light.
It turned into a white stream of light, passing through the gap between two falling rocks at an angle of extreme precision.
Not only did it completely avoid the attack, but its dash trajectory also traced a smooth arc, heading straight for Geodude's flank.
Brock's squinted eyes opened slightly.
Eh?
This reaction... doesn't seem like a pure rookie.
But he still sat firmly in his position.
Geodude's dual defenses were extremely high; Pikachu's physical attacks were nothing more than a tickle.
"Geodude, steady."
"Defense Curl, then wait for him to crash into you."
He wanted to see just how weak this Pikachu's attack really was.
Hearing this, Geodude immediately retracted its limbs into its body, and a faint light shimmered on its rocky surface, making it appear rounder and sturdier.
It stood there like a true stubborn stone, ready to take the impact head-on.
A flash of understanding crossed Roy's eyes.
X Defense?
Perfect.
"Pikachu."
"Quick Attack into Tackle, target, straight ahead."
"Full power."
Pikachu's charging speed suddenly increased again!
Before the white light of the Quick Attack had even faded, its entire body shifted slightly, channeling all the power into its shoulder and side.
Then, it slammed hard into that round "stone."
A dull thud!
Geodude was knocked back, rolling twice!
With the level suppression, Pikachu's Tackle was unexpectedly effective.
For the first time, Brock's brow furrowed.
This impact... something's not right!
How could Pikachu's weight and the power of its Tackle reach this level?
To actually be able to knock back a Geodude in a Defense Curl state?
Before he could figure it out.
Roy's command fell once more.
"Pikachu, Thunderbolt, point-blank, release."
What?
Brock's head snapped up!
Thunderbolt?
This Pikachu knows Thunderbolt?
How is that possible!
Does it have such a high level? Or is it an abnormal talent... Pikachu landed steadily, and facing the Geodude that had just regained its balance less than three meters away, it unleashed a point-blank Thunderbolt.
Even so, Brock on the battle stage was still prepared with his next command.
Because he believed that Geodude's level wasn't much different from Pikachu's; even with a Thunderbolt, he would still have a chance to strike back after this hit.
Unfortunately, the doubled power from the Light Ball meant Geodude couldn't even let out a cry before its eyes instantly turned into swirls.
Emitting black smoke, it fell straight to the ground, losing its ability to battle.
The entire venue was dead silent.
Only the faint "crackling" of residual electricity sounded in the air.
In the stands.
Brock's large group of younger siblings, who were just chattering away, now all had their mouths wide open, small hands covering their faces, eyes bulging.
"Geo... Geodude lost?"
"It was... defeated by Pikachu?"
"That yellow Pokémon... is so... so strong!"
Brock remained silent for a full five seconds.
He silently recalled his fainted Geodude.
When he looked up again, those squinted eyes had opened completely.
Though they still weren't large, there wasn't a trace of contempt or neglect left in them, replaced instead by intense shock and scrutiny.
"Thunderbolt. And a Thunderbolt with such condensed power and precise control..."
He looked deeply at the slightly panting but bright-eyed Pikachu on the field, then at the calm-faced Roy.
"Absolute power that breaks through type advantages..."
"Incredible."
"A rookie Trainer, a Pikachu..."
"I apologize for my earlier contempt."
Brock's voice became serious and solemn.
"You, and your Pikachu, are indeed very formidable."
He took another poké ball from his waist.
"However, to obtain the Pewter Gym Badge, this level alone is not enough!"
"Come forth! Onix!!!"
Roar!!!
Amidst the white light of the exploding poké ball, accompanied by a deep and powerful roar.
A massive figure descended heavily onto the rock field.
Segment after segment of body made of hard boulders glinted with a cold, hard grayish-black luster under the dim yellow lights.
The giant rock head lowered, cold eyes locking onto the tiny Pikachu on the field.
Just its mere presence brought a heavy sense of pressure!
[Pokémon: Onix]
[Level: Common Grade (lv20)]
"It's Big Brother's Onix! Yay!"
In the stands, the brief silence was instantly ignited!
Brock's younger siblings jumped up in excitement, their little faces flushed red.
"Go Big Brother! With Onix, you'll definitely win!"
"That's Onix! The strongest Pokémon in the world!"
"Exactly, exactly! Big Brother is invincible!"
The children's cheers were filled with pure trust and adoration.
"Huh?"
Misty, standing to the side, was displeased. She put her hands on her hips and tilted her chin toward the stands.
"The strongest? What do you little kids know!"
"It's just an Onix. My Starmie could blast it to pieces with a single high-pressure Water Gun!"
"Water-type counters Rock and Ground-types, quadruple damage! Do you even understand?"
She had started bickering with the group of children first.
Roy was deaf to both Misty's complaints and the children's cheers.
He calmly raised his hand.
"Pikachu, come back!"
Pikachu nimbly returned to Roy's side.
This move caused Brock's gaze to narrow once more.
An active switch?
In a Gym match, facing the Gym Leader, to so calmly preserve stamina and choose a better matchup?
This tactical literacy... truly not that of an ordinary rookie!
His evaluation of Roy rose another notch in his heart.
"Pidgeotto, I'm leaving the rest to you."
Hearing that Roy was switching to Pidgeotto, the corner of Brock's mouth curled up imperceptibly: "Another Flying-type? It seems a rookie is still a rookie after all."
However, as Roy threw the poké ball and that ridiculously massive figure began to solidify in the white light... the serious and solemn expression on Brock's face once again showed clear cracks.
The cheers of the children in the stands also seemed to be suddenly choked off, coming to an abrupt halt.
Pidgeotto's massive wings spread out, casting a shadow that almost covered the entire front half of the field!
That massive body, far exceeding its peers, the smooth and powerful muscle lines, and eyes as sharp as blades.
The Aura of a powerful predator washed over them.
Brock's squinted eyes instantly widened to their absolute limit!
He almost blurted out, "It's a Pidgeot!"
But Roy's calm voice broke his misjudgment.
"Pidgeotto, prepare for battle."
Pi... Pidgeotto?
Brock felt a bit disoriented.
You call this a Pidgeotto?
With this size and this presence, I'd believe you if you said it was a large Pidgeot!
He stared intently at the giant bird on the field. His professional expertise as a Gym Leader allowed him to quickly calm down and distinguish carefully.
The shape of the crest feathers, the length of the tail feathers, the sharpness of the eyes... indeed, it still had the morphological characteristics of a Pidgeotto.
But... isn't this way too big?
The children in the stands, after the initial shock, broke out into even louder clamor.
"It's so big!"
"So fierce!"
"Can Big Brother... can Big Brother's Onix still win?"
"Def... definitely! Big Brother's Onix is also very big!"
Though they were still cheering for their brother, a hint of uncertain trepidation had crept into their voices.
Brock took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the stormy waves in his heart.
A Pikachu with super-strong electricity... a giant, mutated Pidgeotto... just what was this rookie Trainer's background?
But he was an experienced Gym Leader after all and quickly adjusted his mindset.
No matter how big it is, it's still a Flying-type!
A Flying-type against a Rock-type Onix is still a disadvantaged matchup!
The advantage is mine!
"Onix!"
Brock's voice regained its steadiness as he took the initiative to attack!
"Smack Down!"
Onix's massive tail suddenly whipped up, slamming hard into a protruding rock nearby.
Several millstone-sized, sharp-edged rocks were sent flying by the massive force, like cannonballs from a barrel, hurtling toward the hovering Pidgeotto with a shrill whistling sound.
It covered all its possible evasion angles!
This "Smack Down" was both fast and fierce, clearly the result of thousands of hours of practiced coordination.
However, the giant Pidgeotto in the air displayed a terrifying agility that was completely at odds with its massive body.
It easily let the first two rocks pass.
Next, it performed a dazzlingly light left-roll in the air, passing through the gaps between several other rocks with perfect timing.
Finally, its wings snapped shut, and its body paused eerily in mid-air, letting the last two giant rocks fly past its face, cutting through the air in vain.
The entire evasion process was fluid and precise, like dancing on the edge of a blade, yet executed with effortless ease.
A perfect evasion!
"To have such speed with such a large size?" Brock's understanding of Pidgeotto was being refreshed.
"Rock Slide! Continuous attack!"
Onix roared, its massive head swinging as more rocks were condensed and hurled, like a continuous rain of stones, enveloping Pidgeotto.
Roy's gaze, however, remained calmly locked on Onix's body.
Specifically, on the joints where its rocky segments connected.
As it continuously launched attacks and its body inevitably made large movements, the rotation and twisting of those joints were clearly exposed in his vision and Aura perception.
Right there.
The weakest point of defense, and the key point most likely to trigger a full-body chain reaction upon impact.
"Pidgeotto."
His voice carried clearly through the roar of crashing rocks.
"Quick Attack, circle to its side between the third and fourth joints."
"Then, Wing Attack, full power."
Pidgeotto let out a long cry that seemed to pierce through the clouds and shatter stones.
The forced priority of Quick Attack made it difficult for the slow Onix to defend.
Brock actually knew Onix's weaknesses; the reason he hadn't used special protection was that he believed a Flying-type like Pidgeotto wouldn't dare get close.
But now, it seemed he had miscalculated.
"Onix! Quick, get underground! Use Dig!"
Brock's reaction wasn't slow, but it was still too late.
Pidgeotto had already charged to the optimal attacking position!
Sharp air currents even surged at the edges of its wings.
Its massive body carried all the kinetic energy from its diving acceleration, channeling all its power into its wings!
It slashed hard at the connection node between the third and fourth segments of Onix's body!
A clear, tooth-aching crack, like stone splintering, rang out.
A hit.
Incredibly precise.
Onix let out a howl of pain.
At the point of impact, the rock instantly splintered into spiderweb-like cracks.
More importantly, the terrifying impact of this blow was transmitted through this weakest point directly into its massive internal structure, triggering violent tremors and loss of balance throughout its entire body.
Rumble... Onix's mountain-like, towering body crashed sideways!
It slammed heavily onto the rock field, kicking up a cloud of dust!
It struggled to lift its head, but the intense pain from its torso and the structural misalignment made it impossible to exert force.
The light in its eyes quickly dimmed, and finally, it closed its eyes unwillingly, losing the ability to battle.
The dust slowly settled.
Inside the Gym, there was dead silence.
In the stands.
Brock's younger siblings all had their mouths wide open, small hands clutching their faces, eyes filled with disbelief and bewilderment.
The Onix belonging to their "strongest in the world" brother... had lost?
Defeated by that giant bird in a single... hit?
Brock froze in place. This rookie Trainer had once again defeated him in a way he thought impossible.
Simply unbelievable!
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