Hard Enough - Chapter 432 - From across the seas

“Glimmers!?” I called as I walked into the communal area, looking for the Crushertribe Lorekeeper.

Instead of her, I found Ruby, Shale and Agate performing stretches. Each of them wearing spandex or lycra.

In Shale’s defence, his was black and white and didn’t bunch awkwardly. It was extremely tight, however.

The girls had pinks with their blacks. Each of them also had a feather necklace on display or wore it as part of their hair ties.

“Rehab?” I asked after a long moment of taking in the scene.

Ruby nodded, her face stuck in an intense look of focus as the woman on the screen peppily… Oh, that was Trixie. Huh, I didn’t know she did a yoga series.

“How are you recovering?” I asked. 

“I’m getting stronger every day!” Ruby gritted out as she shifted into a long lunge that had her shaking as she brought her arms up.

“Right, good to hear, I won’t distract you again,” I offered, giving her a quick look over. Considering where she’d been a few weeks ago, this was light-years better.

I was also glad to see that there hadn’t been any adverse results. 

With all the Ditto that Blaine had access to I hadn’t been surprised to do a review of the Guardians’ intel on what was pulled from the computers, only to find that Blaine had been one of the true brains behind the ditto cellular regeneration process.

Some good had come of a terrible man.

Nodding, I glanced to the older Crusher tribe trainers. 

Shale drew in a deep breath in time with Trixie’s recorded instruction before responding. “Glimmers is at one of her dance lessons.”

“Of course she is, which explains why her transceiver is turned off,” I mused aloud.

Agate collapsed when the next transition occurred. She shot a scowl towards Shale who radiated smugness at outdoing her.

“It’s just holding a pose! How are you better at this than me?”

“Practice! I haven’t been taking Trixie's challenges laying down!” Shale declared.

“Tch!” Agate groaned as she straightened and resumed the exercise only for her to shift and catch Ruby a moment later when their… or rather our younger cousin faltered and collapsed. 

“It’s hard,” she whined as she was deposited on a couch.

“Looks like you’re doing well still,” I offered. “When you see Glimmers tell her I encountered some fossils in the depths of Mt Moon and would be curious on her take on anything to do with ancient bug tribes that the—”

“I know a song about bug clans!” Ruby chimed up from amidst her cocoon of blankets, looking somewhat like a Kakuna herself.

“You do?” I asked only to recall that prior to her surgery, she had been studying, or rather learning with the other Lorekeepers of the Crusher Tribe.

Deciding it was better than nothing I sat down and nodded. “Alright. Lay it on me.”

She blinked in surprise. “You… want to hear from me? I’m not even a Lorekepper yet!”

“Eh, if you know something I don’t, then go ahead, teach me,” I replied.

She beamed at me even as Shale and Agata shared a confused look. I’d probably just stepped on a bunch of clan traditions with what I’d done, but eh. I’d find out about those later.

“Easy are the bugs of the forest and fields!” Sang mothers and fathers while tending their yields. With Caterpie, Weedle, and Wurmple nearby, Their children grew healthy, their granaries high.

The Bug Pokémon hatched by the score every spring, And taught eager youngsters the care that they bring. They gathered sweet berries and spun silken thread, So every small cottage had clothes and had bread.

The tribe grew so quickly that their power came to be The village that stretched from the hill to the sea “What's your great secret?” travellers would say.

“The bugs do the teaching,” the elders' reply. “They grow fast, work hard, and ask little supply. So raise them with kindness, and surely you'll find A strong tribe in body, and gentle in mind.”

Ruby finished with a pleased expression and I clapped. “That was good,” I offered. 

Ruby ducked her head. “It’s nothing on what Glimmers can do. She’d remember the next five songs of the series. I can only recall the first all the way so that’s all I’ll sing!” 

“You won’t even attempt it?” I asked.

Ruby shook her head. “For me to offer the Overlord the wrong facts? That can lead to ruin! You need to know the stories and the songs before you offer wisdom! That is the Lorekeeper way!" She bowed her head. “It was not my place in truth to give you the song of the bugfolk, but… I was confident.”

“And for that you shall learn five other songs properly tonight with me,” declared a new voice as Glimmers stepped into the room. 

Ruby’s eyes bulged. “I’m sorry!” she rushed out even as I stood and raised a hand. 

“Glimmers. It was my mistake, I wanted to know.”

“Hmmm, haste can lead to terrible things, as Ruby knows… more than most,” she said, her eyes dipping to Ruby’s legs before she nodded. “That being said, she did the song perfectly. For that I have no fault. But it will still serve her well to learn more songs and practise. It has been too long I think since her lessons continued. What say you Ruby?”

Ruby smiled. “I agree Lorekeeper!”

“Good, this is the way,” Glimmers offered back with a tone of one completing a ritual.

Shale and Agata both bowed their heads and I suddenly felt like an outsider.

“Roughly how old is that song? When was it made?” I asked.

“Twas past fifty generations when the Bugfolk ruled the mountains, Overlord,” Glimmers offered.

That drew me up short as I chewed my lip. “That could be as little as a thousand or possibly one and a half thousand years ago,” I mused. “Not… the best way to keep track of things but I suppose it gives me a timeline to work from. Then again, I should be able to carbon date the earth around it.”

The Crusher Tribesmen that had followed me all blankly stared at me and I opened my mouth only to reconsider what I was going to say.

“Science can tell how old some dirts are,” I eventually settled on.

“Oh, neat!” Shale offered, as he shifted back into his stretching sequence.

Agate stared blankly at me and shrugged, turning to Ruby who looked confused still while Glimmers sniffed. “My way is better,” she remarked.

“Eh, there’s more colour with what you know, so to each their own. It supports what you’re saying though so don’t be too dismissive,” I stated causing her to perk up.

With that fact-finding session done, I slipped back to my home where I was just in time to sit for dinner.

We all started eating but straight away something stood out as strange to me. Munchlax wasn’t devouring everything on his plate as quickly as he could. 

Instead Munchlax shifted, and shot the two of the empty seats at the table worried looks.

“Hey, Yolanda and Forrest are fine little guy, don’t sweat it. If you want we can call them after dinner.”

Munchlax nodded slowly but still seemed worried. 

“We… could make a care package for them?” Cindy offered, “Yolanda would love some rock cakes and glitter cookies.”

Billy tilted his head. “We never did that for Forrest?”

I coughed. “Well, that was wrong of us, we should have thought to include him. So, how about it?” I offered.

The smaller kids all cheered at the idea of making up more snacks after dinner and Nanny Grav hummed from her seat at the end of the table. When dinner was finished we set about making sugar cookies topped with sprinkles of all sorts, oddly shaped cookies at that.

“It’s all lumpy…” whined Tilly.

“That’s what makes it the perfect Geodude rock cake!” I declared without a hint of shame, causing Tilly to perk up.

By the time we were done we had a sizeable tower of cookies that we divided in half and then loaded up. 

“How will we get them to Yolanda and Forrest?” Billy asked.

I made a show of humming and tilting my head. “If only we knew someone that could locate them and get this food to them quickly…”

“Zephyr!”

“Hephaestus could track them down!”

“Strap them to Don and make him fly them to Forrest! He’s fast!”

I nodded along, amused at all the wrong answers being thrown my way.

Salvadore coughed. “We can just ask Sabrina to deliver them?”

The kids blinked slowly and adopted looks of understanding. “Oooooooooh, that’s right!” they murmured.

“If she wants to,” I reminded them. “Sabrina is busy. We might need to hire a psychic pokemon to drop them off instead,” I said.

“And if Sabrina can’t or won’t, your mother can track anyone down!” Lola proclaimed as she shot into a heroic pose with her arms shooting up.

Cindy cocked her head. “Didn’t you get lost for like years? Remember it took you ages to come home.”

I stepped outside quickly and barely shut the door before throwing my head back and roaring with laughter as Lola gaped at her daughter’s response.

That. That was going to warm a dark part of my heart for years to come.

The only way that could have been better were if… I checked my pokedex in my top pocket and pumped my fist when I found that it had been left on record.

Perfect.

When Sabrina appeared later that night she found me sitting on the edge of the bed in anticipation.

She leaned back. “It’s not attractive to—” I raised the remote and pressed play.

Sabrina turned, a frown marring her features as she watched a short clip of us finishing up the cookies and the kids suggestions. Her lips twitched only to scowl when Lola spoke up.

Then Cindy cut in with her line, and Sabrina twitched.

I rewound it and replayed it.

Sabrina twitched again, harder this time.

One more time, I thought to myself as I rewound and played it.

This time, Sabrina dropped to her knees and began to howl with laughter.

When she was done Sabrina sat up and rubbed her eyes clear of tears. “There are days when some of your other siblings seriously threaten Suzie for her spot as number one sister in my heart.”

That got a chuckle out of me, and I laid back with Sabrina flopping down on top of me, where we both sighed contentedly. It was a nice way to end the day.

“Got any challengers yet?” I asked.

“I have my first true challenger tomorrow actually,” she replied with a long sigh. “Then I will be busy for the next few weeks until right up until the wedding. Last year’s surge has made this year’s trainers more prone to looking ahead. They know that there are going to be some hold ups so some are rushing to get in now while other slots after our honeymoon are filling up quickly.”

“Ah, I’ll probably be the same, but I will be having Flint start up the Ancient Gym Challenge soon. He will have enough pokemon for it all told. Cranidos is close to evolving and he’ll be the main draw card for anyone challenging at the fourth tier badge level.”

“Flint can handle him?”

“Yeah, he knows how to get the most out of Cranidos and their bond is growing strong.”

Speaking of bonds… “What was it like, feeling Oak unleash his Aura for you when he fought Blaine?" 

“Like a tree with many branches of different flowers unfurled. Each with their own emotions and powers,” she said.

“Huh, oddly poetic, which kind of tracks considering the man tries his hand at that all the time.”

“Might be a reason for that.”

Nodding, I found I agreed. Perhaps Oak’s quirks were the result of all the training and experience he’d had. If he truly had fifteen different aura’s trained… 

“I think I’ll ask him to train me up a little after the wedding,” I murmured sleepily. “I had to work a bit with flying aura for Don’s megaevolution and it was tough. But… it felt good to work it out, like I’d added another colour to myself if that makes sense.”

“It does. I’m working on fairy aura with Kirlia right now.”

“She’s evolving soon?” I asked, opening an eye.

Sabrina tapped me on the nose. “That would be spoilers,” she teased, earning another chuckle.

We spent the hour before bed talking of small, inconsequential things that made it all the more important and special.

______________________

The next day I rolled my shoulders as I held the digital pad. 

“Hmmm, all of a day with the pokenet up and we see this? I’d hoped to have things stay slow,” I muttered.

Alexa hummed her own agreement. “It still surprises me how much it is taken up by the younger ones, but then again. It is useful,” she offered as he took back the now full schedule of challenges I faced from the week.

I had thought I had seen the big names with the Trinity nations list of trainers, but I’d obviously missed a few or been too tired to connect the dots. Along with Reggie, there was also Roxie, Hilbert, Hilda, and Lucas coming to challenge the gym. This week for most of them with Roxie…

“How did she get on today’s schedule? I thought that was already full?” I asked, indicating the girl in question.

“As far as I can tell, she actually raced up here and has been running around challenging every trainer she could.”

I considered that for a moment. “You know, that’s actually kind of diabolical. If she was able to beat up most of her opponents and they got poisoned, they would have to drop out of facing me. That’s rather worrying… if clever.”

Alexa pursed her lips. “There’s nothing against people doing it. And unless she was specifically hunting trainers that had bookings with you then it wouldn’t work… which most people wouldn’t mention?”

Chewing my lip, I tapped her profile and brought up the smirking visage of a young girl with white hair that was pulled up into a rather childish spiky high tail. She had the team to win through if she stuck to her guns with Croagunk and Foongus, along with having caught a local Grimer and Ekans already.

“She’s been busy,” I murmured. “I have to admit that I’m curious as to why she didn’t challenge Janine first. She landed with the other Trinity Nations reps in Fuchsia first after all.”

Alexa shrugged. “We can ask her.”

“Yeah, also, send out Salvadore and some of the other young trainers we have on staff. I want to make sure she hasn’t been bullying kids into fights to get an earlier slot against me.”

“Will do,” Alexa replied, tapping away at her pad only to pause. “You realise some might be disgruntled that she beat them, yes?”

“You think they will lie?”

“It’s possible no?”

Sighing, I conceded the point. “Fair enough, but there are usually older gentlemen and ladies who fight the younger trainers hanging about. They should be impartial so get their take on things.”

Alexa nodded slowly, and I knew that she was thinking about them potentially being just as biased due to Roxie being from a foreign nation.

Tapping her win-loss record, I whistled. She’s already had twenty registered pokemon battles since arriving. And sixteen of those were in Pewter. “She’s been going at it,” I muttered before pushing thoughts of the future Gym Leader of Virbank’s Gym from my thoughts and instead turned to the first challenger for the day.

“Ahem,” Alexa intruded before I could turn away.

“Yes?” 

“There is also a request from Bertha to meet with you,” Alexa stated, offering me the tablet once more.

I blinked slowly. “But… Bertha is out back with….” I slowly trailed off as I realised we were talking about different beings. “Oooooooh! Bertha as in the Elite Four Bertha who showed up from sinnoh, yes?”

Alexa giggled. “Indeed! Sorry, I should have led with that.”

“That’s not going to cause much confusion at all,” I muttered as I read the message. “Huh, she rates me as the best local ground type expert to talk shop with?” I read aloud as my eyes continued to dart back and forth only to pause. “Ah, she also wants to talk about trading information on Rhyperior’s evolution for some pokemon.”

As I continued to read that, rather lengthy, message, I found that she also wanted to view the Geodude breeding program that I had set up as I had a mind to try that with some of her own pokemon.

That drew me up short as off the top of my head I could think of at least Diglett having a possible breeding program for specialised ground-steel typing for a variant.

Though unlike Geodude with specialised equipment they might just need higher traces of metal in their diets. Hmmm something to talk to Bianca about.

I paused. “Does she know about Orion?” I asked.

“Your Ursaluna? No, I don’t believe she does.”

“Huh, there might be some serious options for trade available to us then,” I said, rubbing my chin. I effectively had three pokemon that she was interested in and the knowledge of at least one more that was possible to be developed.

There might be more that was possible as well, considering that I hadn’t done too deep a dive into the information that I had access to with Giavnni’s Gym notes.

A horrible crook the man might have been, but he had been the ground type specialist for almost two decades by the time he was ousted.

It would be worth knowing what I had access to before talking with Bertha.

The human Bertha, that was. Locking in time for study prior to the meeting I gave Alexa an expectant look.

“Anything else I need to know?” I asked.

“No, that’s it Brock. For now at least,” she added on with a small smile, earning a nod from me.

From there I spent the morning as I normally would, facing young challengers who were all prepared to face the Gym at the first and second tier challenge level.

It was straightforward enough, if rather repetitive, having to face grass, water, or fighting-type pokemon that had been trained up.

Then lunch rolled around and I drummed my fingers, glancing to Rachel who bounced into the trainer area. “Roxie here?” I asked.

“Yup! And she’s a firecracker!” Rachel gushed. “Seriously, can we like take her on like we did Janine? The girl is perfect for pokenet content!” 

“I can make the offer but I expect she has other plans,” I remarked as I reviewed her challenge. “Third tier gauntlet challenge? Nice, that means we get to go pretty hard at her. Impressive that she’d be doing this as her first challenge within Kanto.”

“She’s pretty confident,” Rachel offered. 

Turning I gave Alexa a look. “What did we find out about her targeting trainers for their spots?”

“Oh, she did it, but she was very upfront about the why. She still got a lot of challengers and she has caused a bit of disruption, but only to a few people and nothing that will harm them permanently, apart from the challenger whose slot she was able to jump into.”

“So… not a toxic little brat?” I asked.

“No, her tactics to get an earlier spot weren’t anything that other kids haven’t done in the past,” Alexa suggested.

“Good, then I can—” before I could rise to set the stage a powerful strum of a guitar rang out.

Straightening I felt a pulse of something electric run through me while Rachel began to bounce in her spot.

“She’s ready!” she announced and I marched to the open area to look down where the entrance tunnel was. Sure enough Roxie was there, guitar in hand with her hair pulled back, her clothes flapped widely and her eyes blazed as she looked straight up at me.

“I’m here! I’m Ready! Come on out Brock! I’m calling you out! Let’s get this show started!” she roared, causing the people that had been idling in for a lunchtime show to race to their seats as they sensed something different was up with this girl.

I grinned and signalled for the lights. I strode into sight and locked eyes with the young girl from Unova. 

“You’ve got some serious moxie; I like it!”

“Feh! You a poet as well? That name is Roxie and I’m here to rock and claim my first badge of Kanto! So bring out your trainers!” she roared as she strummed once causing another electric rift to sound out.

Grinning, I glanced over my shoulder. “Any takers?” I asked to the room full of trainers.

All of them stood, eager to meet the challenge.

I smirked. That was the response I’d been hoping for.

I pointed to two of the regulars and then gave Dennis a thoughtful look. “Let’s stretch it out with you coming in third, test her endurance,” I suggested, earning a pleased nod while everyone not chosen sat down and settled in to watch the show.

And it was a show. I hadn’t read anything about Roxie attending any contests, but when her pokemon appeared from their pokeballs they did so with swagger and style.

Croagunk came first and with lightning fast jabs was able to dispatch the traditional starting duo of Geodude and Onix that the first Gym trainer sent against her.

Giving the all clear I had the next trainer come out with Rhyhorn who, rather than charging, smirked and stomped the ground, causing it to buckle with Earthquake.

Croagunk was thrown high into the air with Roxie pausing for a moment.

Her eyes narrowed and I could almost see her readjusting her plan for the fight to come.

Croagunk hit the ground and Roxie whipped out her pokeball to recall it straight away. “Return!” she commanded, allowing Rhyhorn to get off a buffing move.

Clicking her tongue Roxie then sent out a Grimer. “Soft and gooey let’s rock Grimer!” she called.

I tilted my head. There would be a little mitigation of the Earthquake due to Grimer’s naturally watery body but that wouldn’t—

“Earthquake!” called the Gym Trainer only for Roxie to grin.

“Disable!” she countered, drawing a nod from me. Ah, she’d thought beyond just mitigation. 

When Rhyhorn faltered Roxie barked a laugh and spread her arms wide. “That’s what I thought! Come at me Bro!” she taunted.

“She’s smarter than she makes out,” I said to Dennis, watching as sure enough Rhyhorn charged in for a powerful strike only for a Mud Slap to send it stumbling off target. Rhyhorn staggered as it tried to blink past the mud.

“She’s trained it well, that or she got lucky with that Mud Slap directly to the eyes,” Dennis replied.

“Let’s throw her a curveball,” I replied. “Hmmmm if I could I’d send out Glimmet against her, but they’re not ready for a third tier challenge just yet and she’d be able to handle them easily enough.” I chewed my thumb in thought as I ran through the list of pokemon I had available to me.

Dennis snorted. “You do love throwing those at trainers.”

“It’s part of the job. She challenged at the third tier, so I can test her a bit more than others. I think Don’s daughter and Cranidos are ready for this level.”

Dennis whistled. “The big guns eh?”

Nodding I watched as Roxie finished off the second pokemon that our Gym trainer sent out before raising her hands. “That all you got?” she scoffed cockily.

Dennis rose with a palpable aura of menace around him as he swept down the stairs. 

When Roxie kept Croagunk out on the field Dennnis whipped out a Bonsly that hopped from side to side, causing me to sit up. That particular pokemon was close to evolving.

Was Dennis rolling the dice on that? 

“Go for Low Kick!” Roxie ordered only for Dennis to punch straight forward.

“Bulldoze!” he roared, and out of nowhere the little fake tree pokemon put its head down and charged, catching Croagunk off balance as it tried to spin into a Low Kick only to be bounced across the arena.

When it came to rest it gave a sad little croak and fell still.

“Tch! You think that’ll—” Roxie tried to growl only for a light to take hold of Bonsly.

The small pokemon cheered as it grew taller and thinner before emerging as a Sudowoodo.

“Sudo!” chimed the fake tree as it chopped its arms and gave a smirk at Roxie who looked a bit annoyed now.

“Tch! That isn’t going to be enough!” she declared, pulling out another pokeball after returning her Croagunk.

Foongus appeared and tottered from side to side almost innocently. I rubbed my chin wondering if she was ready to deal with Don’s daughter.

Dennis barely got a chance to reposition Sudowoodo for another Bulldoze as Roxie stabbed her finger forward. “Giga Drain!” she commanded.

And just like that Sudowoodo hit the dirt. 

The next match up with Dennis, were him sending out a Cradily which caused her to growl only to perk up. “Wait! That’s a grassrock type! Use Toxic Foongus!” 

Straight away the little pokemon blasted the much taller grass type with a wave of thick purple gunk with Dennis only able to fight back with Ingrain to drag the match out.

The pair traded blows but Roxie was able to keep her nerve, using simple skips to the side dodges along with Giga Drain to eke out the win.

It did however greatly tire her pokemon.

Then it was my turn, and the crowd began the stomp-stomp-clap routine.

Roxie twitched in surprise only to grin as I stepped forward at the urging.

“Now that’s more like it!” she shouted, joining in with the crowd rather than simply standing there. Her hair bobbed along and I found myself grinning even as I landed upon the podium.

“Time to test your mettle,” I declared as I enlarged the first pokemon I wanted to challenge her with. Aerodactyl emerged with a shrill shriek, her wings flapping quickly as she leered at Foongus.

“Awww fudgesticks!” Roxie growled as she registered the issue straight away. She chewed her lip as the umpire raised his flags only to shrug.

The instant the flags dropped she slashed her hand out wide. “Toxic Spikes!” she declared.

“Wing Attack,” I replied, surprised that she was going for a delay-style fight. She had to know I had an answer for that, right?

Aerodactyl swept Foongus off the field only to flinch a moment after contact, revealing that she’d been poisoned from coming into contact with the little mushroom pokemon.

Hmmm, not bad, but she still had a ways to go before beating me.

Roxie grinned as she enlarged another pokeball and sent forth her Ekans of all pokemon.

“Toxic Spikes again!” she ordered.

“Knock it off the field with Rock Throw,” I ordered, causing Aerodactyl to swoop low and snatch up rocks that she proceeded to hurl at Ekans.

“Dodge it! Do the noodle dance!” Roxie ordered, and to my surprise Ekans wiggled wildly and was able to dodge a few of the rocks that headed its way. It wasn’t a perfect solution, but it helped a little.

Aerodactyl announced her displeasure at this by screeching and flapping her wings.

“Hmmm Stealth Rock,” I ordered, causing Roxie to twitch.

“Oh shit,” she muttered, before glaring. “Ekans! Use Gunk Shot! Fill the air with your spunk!”

I shuddered and gave Roxie a worried look. Should I say something? That was… ewwww.

She didn’t seem to notice as she tracked Aerodactyl who dodged from side to side only to stumble as a wave of pain wracked her body. She took a shot and was covered in purple… toxins. 

She shrieked in outrage and flapped her wings to rise higher only for Ekans to leap into a Wrap.

“Double Edge,” I ordered without hesitation.

Aerodactyl threw herself into a dive, causing both pokemon to slam into the ground.

When the dust settled both pokemon were revealed to be knocked out.

Roxie nodded, and exhaled in relief as she returned her pokemon and began selecting the next.

I gave the field, riddled with puddles of poison and toxic spikes just waiting to trigger a long thoughtful look.

If only I had a perfect counter to this.

Oh. 

Wait.

I whipped out my next pokeball and smirked as Roxie’s face fell. “Take the battle to them, Lairon!” I ordered.” 

The Toxic spikes triggered only to plink harmlessly off his metal shell.

Roxie grit her teeth and drew out her next pokemon. 

“Gonna have to risk it! Let’s go Scolipede!” she shouted, sending out what I knew from earlier review to be her Starter.

It hit the field and glowered darkly only to flinch as the Rock spikes slammed into it.

Lairon tossed his head in challenge and I grinned.

“Rollout special!” Roxie ordered and her pokemon tucked into a tight ball and began rolling towards us rapidly.

Well, far be it from me not to take the challenge for what it was. “Iron Head,” I countered, causing my pokemon to counter charge.

The field rumbled and shuddered as both pokemon closed.

“Now!” shouted Roxie a moment before they came into contact.

Her pokemon unfurled and leapt above Lairon’s lunging Iron Head only to reveal a glowing tail that slammed down into Lairon’s back, smashing him into the ground.

Scolipede skidded to a halt, only for Lairon to rise with a thoroughly annoyed look on his face.

“Hmmm nice moves, can you dodge this though? Earthquake!” I ordered.

Liaron stomped and the field shook apart further, causing Scolipede to hop into the air to mitigate as much damage as possible.

"Well trained, but predictable,” I announced. “Now! Stone Edge!” 

My pokemon stopped shaking the field and lowered its head only to toss it along with a huge rock right at the still airborne bug.

“Gunk Geyser!” Roxie shouted, causing her pokemon to twist and disgorge a powerful torrent of purple toxins that sizzled when they contacted the ground.

It also helped to push Scolipede higher into the air and to dodge the dangerous blow.

It was a good dodge, but it only pushed back the inevitable. “Again!” I ordered lining up another Stone Edge that this time smashed into Scolipede and sent it crashing to earth.

It still rose, staggering and stumbling but with a fire in its eyes.

Rozie returned it. “Not this time champ,” she murmured. “Thanks for setting the stage though.”

Her eyes darted to the side where, sure enough, a trio of floating rocks hovered. Ah, she’d located the Stealth Rock. What was that going to help her with however?

She ripped out her final pokeball and hurled it quickly, causing me to blink as my mind registered what she was going to do.

With Lairon now in the middle of the field she was able to release her final pokemon behind Lairon, causing the Stealth Rock to delay in triggering and no doubt reaching her pokemon.

She was now also extremely close to Lairon allowing her to—” Mud Slap!” she ordered as her Grimer emerged, with its arms already swinging.

The Mud Slap connected, and the super-effective move saw Lairon thrown across the field where he came to rest only to rise up with a glower.

Hmmm, she had the moves, but not the follow-through, it would seem. Her Grimer wasn’t strong enough, but considering she’d only just caught it, that was to be expected.

“Stone E—”

“Disable!” she shouted frantically, cutting through my pokemon move and delaying the end once again.

Snorting, I waved a hand. “Iron Head,” I ordered, sending Lairon into a charge.

Roxie waited, watching as my pokemon surged forward.

Around us the crowd leaned in, breath-catching.

Once again Roxie timed it perfectly. “Mud Slap!” she ordered at precisely the right moment, allowing her pokemon to swing for the bleachers.

This time however both pokemon were knocked away.

This time Grimer and Lairon didn’t rise, causing her to slump. 

“Damn, you did amazing for a rookie Grimer. You’re going to be great,” she murmured as she returned her pokemon and straightened to lock eyes with me.

“I’m… out of pokemon,” she declared as she lifted her chin.

I nodded and raised a third pokeball containing Cranidos. “I’m not.”

My announcement drew a sigh and a tug of her hair as the umpire raised flags announcing that I’d won. “Damn. I shoulda held Croagunk back instead of just blasting my way through.”

The podiums lowered and I walked towards her to offer her a shake of the hand.

She met me half way and bowed. “Thanks for the great match… don’t suppose I still earned a badge?”

Smirking, I let her hang for a moment. “You did, actually. You demonstrated more than enough tactics and planning along with an understanding of typings to let me sign off on giving you the Boulder Badge.” I held an open hand off to the side. “Unless you would like to earn it through beating me?”

She made a face. “... I do want that,” she admitted reluctantly. “Yeh. I’m going to hold off and come back to earn it through victory! No pity badges for me!” she declared.

Nodding and deciding not to correct her I was about to suggest she stick around to talk shop when she bowed her head. “Can I have your sister’s transceiver number?”

That drew me up short. 

“Eh?” I blinked. “What are your intentions with my sister?”

Roxie rose. “She’s a rocker too, and I want to face her! She’s my rival of Kanto!” Roxie announced.

That drew a smirk from me.

As a big brother, how could I refuse?

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A.N. Thanks got ot my patreons for your continued support! It also goes to Twmmy for proofreading this chapter!