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Re: How to Conquer Kanto in Eight Easy Steps - Chapter Fourteen
@WinterVines@Alaskapigeon
Chapter Fifteen: Getting Down and Dirty in the Dirt
A quick spray of Potions, a brisk check of injuries and a fast run through of moves learnt, with a bit of a surprise, Alaska, Paige and Darwin headed towards Pewter Gym.
Determination burned through Alaska as she walked towards the rock shaped building. After just escaping death so narrowly, and for the second time in a rather short space of days, she was ready to take on Brock. She wanted to show that she had the skills and power to win in battle, and had a perfect strategy in place, based on what she knew about Brock and his Pokemon. Alaska didn't quite know his style, but with her own unique spin, she would easily be able to defeat him.
"Are you two ready?" She asked Paige and Darwin, who were once again on her shoulders. The new and proud Pidgeotto gave a smile and a nod, while Darwin simply glared towards the gym, a steely look in his eyes. "That's a yes in my books. Let's go in and win this first badge!" Alaska took a deep breath, steadying and readying herself, and quickly cleared her mind of all questions about the mysterious Gideon and what had just happened. She took a step forwards, and the doors parted open.
"Back again, I see? Nice to see the sand didn't have too much of an effect on you," the robotic, disembodied voice chortled, causing Alaska to come to a halt. She glanced around again, and Paige and Darwin stared around in confusion, but Alaska decided to ignore it for now and walked determinedly forwards, taking extra care to avoid the quicksand all around her. The lights were out again, but as Alaska thought of something witty to throw in Brock's face, she began to hear a very familiar voice.
"I don't know if he escaped or not, but I imagine with the things he built he would have found a way," Mark Hansom was saying in the darkness. "I am going to contact all the necessary people as soon as I leave here, but just be on the lookout if you see him around, alright?"
"I will call you straight away, but I think we have the person here to answer all your questions," Brock said calmly, and the lights suddenly turned on. Darwin leapt onto the nearest rock as Brock and Mark suddenly appeared: Brock seemed rather calm, but Mark's handsome face appeared stressed as he turned towards Alaska in shock.
"Alaska, how are you, are you alright?" He exclaimed, rushing across the sandy field towards her.
"I'm fine!" Alaska said, ignoring him and staring back towards Brock, who raised an eyebrow at her stare. "I am fine to battle, and I am ready to battle!"
"I can see that," Brock said with a nod. "I notice you know have a Pidgeotto… better than a Pidgey, yes, but not all that better in the long run." His calm but arrogant demeanour was annoying Alaska, and she wanted to shove Mark aside and send Darwin hurtling towards him.
"Alaska, I need to know: did you manage to defeat Gideon?" Mark asked quickly. "I know you want to battle, but I saw the explosion and I must know!" Alaska sighed and figured it was best to answer, just so she could start her fight.
"He teleported away using this watch device," Alaska explained. "He said he knew another place to get the technology, so he must be going there or Mt Moon to get the fossils next." Than Alaska remembered some of the things he had said beforehand that were making her feel slightly worried. "He also said I was involved in a game now, and that I had to be prepared for the consequences of my actions." Mark nodded along to what she said, and tried to look calm and not worried, but when Alaska mentioned another place to get the technology, Mark's eyes bulged open for just a second, enough time for Alaska to see that information frightened him.
"Alight, thank you Alaska! I am sorry for what you had to go through today, and I hope I can make it up for you at some point," Mark said, giving her a pat on the shoulder. For a moment, Alaska was tempted to ask for a kiss, but pushed the joking thought out of her head and began to get her mind back on the battle. "I hope you have a good battle! I need to head back to the museum and check the damage. Brock, make sure you stop by there later," and with a final wave, Mark quickly walked away from the battlefield. Alaska was glad that he was gone: it was now just her and Brock with the sandy, rock strewn field in between them.
"Are you sure you wish to go through with this?" Brock asked as he pulled out a PokeBall. Alaska simply smirked, and exchanged smiles with Paige and Darwin. She had travelled this far and gone through so much already: she wasn't turning back now.
"Bring it on, Rock Head," she called out, and Brock simply laughed.
"Alright then: it will be a two on two match, due to your lack of Pokemon. Let's just hope they are all you need. GO GEODUDE!" He yelled intensely, and the ball burst open: the familiar rock head with bulky arms formed on the field, and Alaska looked down as the Geodude seemed to glare at her rather than her Pokemon.
"Let me guess, this is the guy I hit with my brownies?" She asked and Brock nodded, causing Alaska to laugh. "Excellent, it's always fun to go against old enemies! Darwin, in you go!" The Mankey leapt skilfully forward, landing a few feet in front of Geodude, and the two's glaring eyes met. Alaska was annoyed at Brock's latest dig, and was determined to bring him down at any cost. There was a tense silence for a moment, the two trainers deciding their moves and working out a last minute strategy, but than the match began!
"Tackle to start with!" Brock commanded.
"Easy defeat! Beat him back with a Karate Chop!" Alaska yelled. Geogude came soaring forwards with a push of his hands against the ground, but Darwin was ready and quickly brought his right hand down on the Rock Pokemon before he could get far: the force was enough to send Geodude flying backwards, crashing through a rock and landing near Brock.
"Impressive, but not impressive enough!" Brock called out as Geodude leapt back up. "Rock Throw, now!" Alaska wanted to get Geodude out of the way without tiring Darwin out, and was hoping the Karate Chop would have done more damage.
"Alright Darwin, use Seismic Toss to send the rock backwards!" Alaska ordered.
"GEOOOO!" Geodude yelled, grabbing a large piece of rock that had broken off from his crashing. He raised it above his head and tossed it with all his might. It hurtled through the air like a meteor, but Darwin had his legs bent and was ready for action.
"MAN MAN!" He screamed and jumped up to grab the rock, than using the momentum to do a spin in mid air. Brock simply gasped as Darwin spun around before finally letting go, sending the rock flying back towards Geodude, who was unable to dodge in time: the rock shattered across his face, turning into little bits of stone and dust.
"Excellent!" Alaska cried out in delight, and Paige clapped her wings next to her. "Now get over there and use Seismic Toss on Geodude before he can pull himself together!" Darwin nodded and bounded forwards, leaping off the rocks and soaring through the air like the monkey he was, leaving a worried look on Brock's face.
"Use Mega Punch to blast him backwards!" He ordered. Geodude was dizzy from being hit by the rock, but wiped his face clear and looked towards the leaping Mankey that was coming his way. He raised a rocky left hand that he made into a fist, and began to glow a dazzling white. Alaska knew that a direct hit, even though it was a Normal move, could still badly weaken Darwin, who was gathering speed the further he leapt forwards. An idea quickly formed in her head, and Alaska hoped she could pull it off.
"Darwin, leap up and use your tail to wrap around his other hand, and than use that for Seismic Toss!" Alaska ordered. Darwin gave her the thumbs up and leapt further into the sky as Geodude sent himself flying forwards. Darwin managed to pass just overhead, the glowing fist missing him by inches, and than let his tail wrap around the free hand. Geodude and Brock both looked shocked as Darwin pulled Geodude down and landed on his hands, keeping his tail high. Alaska and Paige began to laugh as his tail spun around like helicopter propellers, turning Geodude into a giant grey blur.
"KEY MAN!" Darwin screamed, and Alaska stopped laughing as she saw him let go: Geodude was now hurtling towards her at the speed of a racing car. She screamed and bent backwards, Geodude hurtling so close to her body that she could feel his flailing limbs whack against her. Alaska fell to the ground in shock, and watched upside down as Geodude smashed into the walkway, sending more rocks flying up into the air, before coming to a stop. There was silence for a moment, and Alaska knew everyone was watching Geodude, waiting for any signs of life, but he simply lay there, as still as, well, a pile of rocks.
"YES!" Alaska screamed, punching the air as she leapt up. Brock looked annoyed as he brought Geodude back, but Alaska gave Paige a quick hug and Darwin the thumbs up, who was bouncing around happily at his win.
"Nice work," Brock called out as he replaced Geodude's PokeBall for his second. "An interesting use of strategy, I am quite impressed by your skill. But now let's see how you handle my second choice!"
"Don't worry, I'm ready!" Alaska called back, feeling more confident now after that successful onslaught of attacks that left Darwin unscathed and fit enough to fight. Brock simply smiled, and he threw his second PokeBall into the air. Alaska expected it to land, but it simply hovered there as it burst open. However, she was left gasping as the energy poured headed towards the ground but also remained in mid air, as if a miniature skyscraper had just been created. The light faded, leaving what frankly looked like a giant pile of rocks piled on top of each other, getting bigger as they went up, and the top one had a jagged mouth, giant white eyes and a bit jutting out.
"ONIIIIIIIIX!" The Rock Snake Pokemon yelled down at Alaska and her team. She had heard from other people and online that Brock usually used an Onix, but the real thing was much more intimidating than Alaska had expected: he looked extremely hard and the height didn't help, nor the rough face glaring and roaring down at them. Compared to this thing, Darwin was a toddler trying to pick a fight with its local playground, and would inevitably end up losing.
"We need to do our best Darwin!" Alaska called out, and her Mankey nodded, though, like her, their confidence was draining away.
"You'll have to fight your toughest to defeat Onix!" Brock called out, sounding more gleeful, though Onix's huge body was blocking the gym leader's face off. Alaska wanted to glare at him, to shout that they would fight into the bitter end, but she needed to keep her cool if she wanted to be in control, and thought of which move to use first.
"DIG!" Brock yelled, and Alaska cursed: if she didn't move fast, she would miss this crucial turn.
"Seismic Toss!" She yelled. Darwin ran forwards, ready to grab onto the very tip of Onix's tail to throw him across the gym, but as he got near, Onix suddenly curved up before diving down with a roar.
"Pidgey!" Pidgeotto squealed as dirt was sent flying by Onix's Dig, his head managing to create a large hole in the middle of the field. Darwin was sent flying by the swinging tail, causing the Mankey to whack against a rock and slump down.
"Get up Darwin, Onix could come back at any moment!" Alaska screamed as the ground shook from the creature rumbling beneath them, the original hole already being refilled from the ground Onix was channelling through flying up and grouping back together. "When Onix comes back up, jump and use Karate Chop to blast him backwards!"
"Man!" Darwin replied, and Alaska smiled too him, but she knew this attack would be a long shot. Dig was a major disadvantage to Darwin, and she just hoped he could pull through. The ground began to rumble even more, and Darwin quickly bent his legs, ready to leap at a moments notice. The ground beneath him cracked, and Darwin went to jump, Alaska crossing her fingers, but the large grey head came roaring out too quickly: Darwin yelled out as he was sent flying upwards, and than struck again as Onix emerged smoothly out of the ground.
"No!" Alaska gasped, watching as Darwin spun helplessly through the air. She looked down and saw Brock was now smirking across at her, glad to have the ball back in his field.
"End this with a Tackle!" He commanded, and Onix responded quickly. Alaska tried to give an order, but Onix simply raised his head as high as possible and brought it down on Darwin. He came soaring back to the ground and struck the field with a surprisingly loud thump. Sand rose up into the air for a few seconds, masking his fate, but Alaska knew what it would be. She sadly pulled her PokeBall out, and looked down at Darwin's unconscious body, mad at herself for letting him down: he stood a great chance at this gym, and Alaska hadn't been able to get him through.
"You did your best, thank you," she said to Darwin as he turned to energy and came back. Alaska took a deep breath in, telling herself not to lose hope: they were both even now, there was still a chance. "Ready Paige?"
"Pidgeotto Gee!" Paige said with a nod, and flapped her wings and took off. Alaska thought she might have gotten scared off by Onix, and could see nervousness in her eyes, but was glad her old friend was giving it a shot.
"Flying types regularly fail here, no matter what strategy you have," Brock called out. "Dig may be useless, but I still have some other tricks in my arsenal!"
"We have our own tricks, so we'll just have to see who is the trickiest, won't we?" Alaska said, and then cursed at how stupid her pun had been. But Brock simply laughed, and looked up towards Paige with his smirk. The Pidgeotto was glaring off at Onix, and Alaska knew her temper would help pull through.
"Rock Slide!" Brock exclaimed, and Alaska swore loudly enough for him to smirk once more, but she knew this move was highly powerful and would be tricky to avoid: Onix was smashing the ground with his tail already, causing the larger rock formations to glow brown, sending bits flying into the sky.
"Dodge them and Steel Wing him in the middle!" Alaska cried. Paige nodded down at her, but Alaska could see she looked rather nervous. The rocks were rising up above her, and Paige quickly flapped her wings, turning them into a shining silver. She began to fly as the rocks began to fall, and Alaska watched intently and in fright as Paige did some amazing aerial turns to avoid being flattened against the ground. Several clipped her wings and one whacked against her talons, but Paige kept flying forwards.
"OOONNNN!" Onix roared as Paige approached, and he swerved his body. Paige managed to hit him, but in the middle like Alaska hoped: the last minute swerve caused Paige to crash into his upper body, tipping Onix backwards but he was easily able to correct himself. Paige soared high above, and Alaska laughed to see how she was taunting him, the Rock Snake unable to extend his body high enough.
"Nice little trick there," Brock said, "but let's see how you like Onix's Bind!"
"You can't reach Paige from up there!" Alaska snapped back. "Fire a Gust and blow this competition away!"
"That's what you think," Brock called out, and Alaska looked at Onix, taken aback by his words. She didn't think it would be possible, but she watched in shock as Onix coiled his body up like a gigantic rock spring, and suddenly launched himself upwards.
"Pidge Pidgey Otto Pidge!" Pidgeotto squealed, flapping her wings in a frantic manner, managing to unleash some wind, but to Alaska it looked as if Pidgeotto was merely trying to shoo Onix away from her.
"Fly away!" Alaska screamed, but it was too late: Onix did a magnificent coiling motion, like he was a giant rocky ribbon that Brock was twirling through the air, and wrapped tightly around Paige's lower body. Her wings were free but Paige was unable to move, being carried back down to the field by Onix and his weight, the tip of his tail stopping them from crash landing.
"PIDGEEEEE!" She screamed, trying to pull free, but Onix simply held on tighter now he was back on the ground. Alaska watched her flailing and squirming, wondering how long Onix would be able to hang on for: if he kept her in his clutches, than the battle could easily be over soon. There was only one move that could work, and that was a new move Paige had learnt in her evolution. Alaska had wanted to test it out, but her desire to defeat Brock distracted her, but if Paige could pull it off now, the win was hers.
"Tight spot you're in," Brock called out, still smirking. "Not many Pokemon are able to win after Onix gets them in their holds! It would be very hard to dodge a Rock Slide now, wouldn't it?"
"Oh shut it!" Alaska snapped, tempted to pull the brownies out and give him a good thrashing, but Onix was already acting, thrashing his tail. Paige had stopped fighting, simply staring towards the raising rocks with a worried look in her eye, and than staring at Alaska with pitiful eyes, almost as if she was apologising. Alaska couldn't let either of them give up yet, and knew they had to try the move.
"TWISTER, NOW!" Alaska screamed. It was an almost perfect move for the Bind: Onix wrapped so tightly around her, the Twister would be able to cause maximum damage. Brock did look a little scared as Paige wiggled and turned her body as much as she could, flapping her wings and trying to generate enough power. The rocks were getting higher though, and Alaska had her fingers crossed, watching as purple energy was beginning to swirl around. Paige's feet were wriggling, and her body was beginning to twist more, just as the rocks began to fall… more energy was forming and spiralling… Alaska and Brock both watched nervously, the outcome surely to affect the battle…
"PIIIDDDGEEEEEEE!" Paige screamed, and broke free in the nick of time. A giant purple Twister erupted around her, blasting through the rocks like a fabulous little piece of convenience. Brock cursed as Alaska cheered, and the spiralling Twister began to send Onix spinning. He seemed too stunned to make any noise, simply rotating around, unable to pull away as sand and loose rocks were sent flying around the gym. After a few moments Paige came to a stop, and Onix fell straightened out and looking rather surprised against the ground.
"Pidgey Pidge!" Paige called out, still spinning slightly from the attack, and Alaska hoped she wasn't confused. She looked down at Onix and saw his eyes were spinning: at least he was confused as well.
"Get a grip and use Tackle!" Brock ordered, his smirk disappearing as he realised the threat that Alaska and Paige could pose, and Alaska beamed widely: they stood a shot.
"Quick Attack and hit him in the eye, than fly around the gym!" She called out. Paige stopped spinning stupidly and nodded, moving forwards like a bullet, the glowing energy wrapping around her. The speedy attack hit Onix directly in his spinning eyes, and he roared loudly and reared upwards, his right eye now firmly shut and the roar causing the entire building to shake.
"You still have one eye!" Brock cried out almost desperately, but as Onix tried to stare around with his left, Paige was too busy darting high above Onix, moving from corner to corner too quickly to manage. She suddenly dived down towards a rock, and Onix quickly bounded forwards, only to fall into Paige's trick. A large rock formation was shattered, and Brock cursed again as Paige soared high above.
"ROCK SLIDE!" Brock bellowed in his desperation.
"Steel Wing, finish this now!" Alaska yelled out. Onix tried to move, but Paige was too close and too fast: Alaska and Brock both watched in shock (happy and angry shock respectively) as the glowing wings smashed into Onix's middle. He let out a furious but weak roar as he rolled over, his tail coming close to hitting Alaska, before collapsing into the sand. Paige landed on a rock in front of Alaska, and the two stared simultaneously at Onix, before looking back towards each other, their smiles unmistakable, their happiness unable to be hidden as they realised what had just been accomplished…
I decided to save Alaska's reaction for her blog, which is coming up next, as that would probably get her emotions across better. There will still be plenty of witty jives taken at Brock though, so don't worry Expect that part in about a fortnight.
@WinterVines@Alaskapigeon
Chapter Fifteen: Getting Down and Dirty in the Dirt
A quick spray of Potions, a brisk check of injuries and a fast run through of moves learnt, with a bit of a surprise, Alaska, Paige and Darwin headed towards Pewter Gym.
Determination burned through Alaska as she walked towards the rock shaped building. After just escaping death so narrowly, and for the second time in a rather short space of days, she was ready to take on Brock. She wanted to show that she had the skills and power to win in battle, and had a perfect strategy in place, based on what she knew about Brock and his Pokemon. Alaska didn't quite know his style, but with her own unique spin, she would easily be able to defeat him.
"Are you two ready?" She asked Paige and Darwin, who were once again on her shoulders. The new and proud Pidgeotto gave a smile and a nod, while Darwin simply glared towards the gym, a steely look in his eyes. "That's a yes in my books. Let's go in and win this first badge!" Alaska took a deep breath, steadying and readying herself, and quickly cleared her mind of all questions about the mysterious Gideon and what had just happened. She took a step forwards, and the doors parted open.
"Back again, I see? Nice to see the sand didn't have too much of an effect on you," the robotic, disembodied voice chortled, causing Alaska to come to a halt. She glanced around again, and Paige and Darwin stared around in confusion, but Alaska decided to ignore it for now and walked determinedly forwards, taking extra care to avoid the quicksand all around her. The lights were out again, but as Alaska thought of something witty to throw in Brock's face, she began to hear a very familiar voice.
"I don't know if he escaped or not, but I imagine with the things he built he would have found a way," Mark Hansom was saying in the darkness. "I am going to contact all the necessary people as soon as I leave here, but just be on the lookout if you see him around, alright?"
"I will call you straight away, but I think we have the person here to answer all your questions," Brock said calmly, and the lights suddenly turned on. Darwin leapt onto the nearest rock as Brock and Mark suddenly appeared: Brock seemed rather calm, but Mark's handsome face appeared stressed as he turned towards Alaska in shock.
"Alaska, how are you, are you alright?" He exclaimed, rushing across the sandy field towards her.
"I'm fine!" Alaska said, ignoring him and staring back towards Brock, who raised an eyebrow at her stare. "I am fine to battle, and I am ready to battle!"
"I can see that," Brock said with a nod. "I notice you know have a Pidgeotto… better than a Pidgey, yes, but not all that better in the long run." His calm but arrogant demeanour was annoying Alaska, and she wanted to shove Mark aside and send Darwin hurtling towards him.
"Alaska, I need to know: did you manage to defeat Gideon?" Mark asked quickly. "I know you want to battle, but I saw the explosion and I must know!" Alaska sighed and figured it was best to answer, just so she could start her fight.
"He teleported away using this watch device," Alaska explained. "He said he knew another place to get the technology, so he must be going there or Mt Moon to get the fossils next." Than Alaska remembered some of the things he had said beforehand that were making her feel slightly worried. "He also said I was involved in a game now, and that I had to be prepared for the consequences of my actions." Mark nodded along to what she said, and tried to look calm and not worried, but when Alaska mentioned another place to get the technology, Mark's eyes bulged open for just a second, enough time for Alaska to see that information frightened him.
"Alight, thank you Alaska! I am sorry for what you had to go through today, and I hope I can make it up for you at some point," Mark said, giving her a pat on the shoulder. For a moment, Alaska was tempted to ask for a kiss, but pushed the joking thought out of her head and began to get her mind back on the battle. "I hope you have a good battle! I need to head back to the museum and check the damage. Brock, make sure you stop by there later," and with a final wave, Mark quickly walked away from the battlefield. Alaska was glad that he was gone: it was now just her and Brock with the sandy, rock strewn field in between them.
"Are you sure you wish to go through with this?" Brock asked as he pulled out a PokeBall. Alaska simply smirked, and exchanged smiles with Paige and Darwin. She had travelled this far and gone through so much already: she wasn't turning back now.
"Bring it on, Rock Head," she called out, and Brock simply laughed.
"Alright then: it will be a two on two match, due to your lack of Pokemon. Let's just hope they are all you need. GO GEODUDE!" He yelled intensely, and the ball burst open: the familiar rock head with bulky arms formed on the field, and Alaska looked down as the Geodude seemed to glare at her rather than her Pokemon.
"Let me guess, this is the guy I hit with my brownies?" She asked and Brock nodded, causing Alaska to laugh. "Excellent, it's always fun to go against old enemies! Darwin, in you go!" The Mankey leapt skilfully forward, landing a few feet in front of Geodude, and the two's glaring eyes met. Alaska was annoyed at Brock's latest dig, and was determined to bring him down at any cost. There was a tense silence for a moment, the two trainers deciding their moves and working out a last minute strategy, but than the match began!
"Tackle to start with!" Brock commanded.
"Easy defeat! Beat him back with a Karate Chop!" Alaska yelled. Geogude came soaring forwards with a push of his hands against the ground, but Darwin was ready and quickly brought his right hand down on the Rock Pokemon before he could get far: the force was enough to send Geodude flying backwards, crashing through a rock and landing near Brock.
"Impressive, but not impressive enough!" Brock called out as Geodude leapt back up. "Rock Throw, now!" Alaska wanted to get Geodude out of the way without tiring Darwin out, and was hoping the Karate Chop would have done more damage.
"Alright Darwin, use Seismic Toss to send the rock backwards!" Alaska ordered.
"GEOOOO!" Geodude yelled, grabbing a large piece of rock that had broken off from his crashing. He raised it above his head and tossed it with all his might. It hurtled through the air like a meteor, but Darwin had his legs bent and was ready for action.
"MAN MAN!" He screamed and jumped up to grab the rock, than using the momentum to do a spin in mid air. Brock simply gasped as Darwin spun around before finally letting go, sending the rock flying back towards Geodude, who was unable to dodge in time: the rock shattered across his face, turning into little bits of stone and dust.
"Excellent!" Alaska cried out in delight, and Paige clapped her wings next to her. "Now get over there and use Seismic Toss on Geodude before he can pull himself together!" Darwin nodded and bounded forwards, leaping off the rocks and soaring through the air like the monkey he was, leaving a worried look on Brock's face.
"Use Mega Punch to blast him backwards!" He ordered. Geodude was dizzy from being hit by the rock, but wiped his face clear and looked towards the leaping Mankey that was coming his way. He raised a rocky left hand that he made into a fist, and began to glow a dazzling white. Alaska knew that a direct hit, even though it was a Normal move, could still badly weaken Darwin, who was gathering speed the further he leapt forwards. An idea quickly formed in her head, and Alaska hoped she could pull it off.
"Darwin, leap up and use your tail to wrap around his other hand, and than use that for Seismic Toss!" Alaska ordered. Darwin gave her the thumbs up and leapt further into the sky as Geodude sent himself flying forwards. Darwin managed to pass just overhead, the glowing fist missing him by inches, and than let his tail wrap around the free hand. Geodude and Brock both looked shocked as Darwin pulled Geodude down and landed on his hands, keeping his tail high. Alaska and Paige began to laugh as his tail spun around like helicopter propellers, turning Geodude into a giant grey blur.
"KEY MAN!" Darwin screamed, and Alaska stopped laughing as she saw him let go: Geodude was now hurtling towards her at the speed of a racing car. She screamed and bent backwards, Geodude hurtling so close to her body that she could feel his flailing limbs whack against her. Alaska fell to the ground in shock, and watched upside down as Geodude smashed into the walkway, sending more rocks flying up into the air, before coming to a stop. There was silence for a moment, and Alaska knew everyone was watching Geodude, waiting for any signs of life, but he simply lay there, as still as, well, a pile of rocks.
"YES!" Alaska screamed, punching the air as she leapt up. Brock looked annoyed as he brought Geodude back, but Alaska gave Paige a quick hug and Darwin the thumbs up, who was bouncing around happily at his win.
"Nice work," Brock called out as he replaced Geodude's PokeBall for his second. "An interesting use of strategy, I am quite impressed by your skill. But now let's see how you handle my second choice!"
"Don't worry, I'm ready!" Alaska called back, feeling more confident now after that successful onslaught of attacks that left Darwin unscathed and fit enough to fight. Brock simply smiled, and he threw his second PokeBall into the air. Alaska expected it to land, but it simply hovered there as it burst open. However, she was left gasping as the energy poured headed towards the ground but also remained in mid air, as if a miniature skyscraper had just been created. The light faded, leaving what frankly looked like a giant pile of rocks piled on top of each other, getting bigger as they went up, and the top one had a jagged mouth, giant white eyes and a bit jutting out.
"ONIIIIIIIIX!" The Rock Snake Pokemon yelled down at Alaska and her team. She had heard from other people and online that Brock usually used an Onix, but the real thing was much more intimidating than Alaska had expected: he looked extremely hard and the height didn't help, nor the rough face glaring and roaring down at them. Compared to this thing, Darwin was a toddler trying to pick a fight with its local playground, and would inevitably end up losing.
"We need to do our best Darwin!" Alaska called out, and her Mankey nodded, though, like her, their confidence was draining away.
"You'll have to fight your toughest to defeat Onix!" Brock called out, sounding more gleeful, though Onix's huge body was blocking the gym leader's face off. Alaska wanted to glare at him, to shout that they would fight into the bitter end, but she needed to keep her cool if she wanted to be in control, and thought of which move to use first.
"DIG!" Brock yelled, and Alaska cursed: if she didn't move fast, she would miss this crucial turn.
"Seismic Toss!" She yelled. Darwin ran forwards, ready to grab onto the very tip of Onix's tail to throw him across the gym, but as he got near, Onix suddenly curved up before diving down with a roar.
"Pidgey!" Pidgeotto squealed as dirt was sent flying by Onix's Dig, his head managing to create a large hole in the middle of the field. Darwin was sent flying by the swinging tail, causing the Mankey to whack against a rock and slump down.
"Get up Darwin, Onix could come back at any moment!" Alaska screamed as the ground shook from the creature rumbling beneath them, the original hole already being refilled from the ground Onix was channelling through flying up and grouping back together. "When Onix comes back up, jump and use Karate Chop to blast him backwards!"
"Man!" Darwin replied, and Alaska smiled too him, but she knew this attack would be a long shot. Dig was a major disadvantage to Darwin, and she just hoped he could pull through. The ground began to rumble even more, and Darwin quickly bent his legs, ready to leap at a moments notice. The ground beneath him cracked, and Darwin went to jump, Alaska crossing her fingers, but the large grey head came roaring out too quickly: Darwin yelled out as he was sent flying upwards, and than struck again as Onix emerged smoothly out of the ground.
"No!" Alaska gasped, watching as Darwin spun helplessly through the air. She looked down and saw Brock was now smirking across at her, glad to have the ball back in his field.
"End this with a Tackle!" He commanded, and Onix responded quickly. Alaska tried to give an order, but Onix simply raised his head as high as possible and brought it down on Darwin. He came soaring back to the ground and struck the field with a surprisingly loud thump. Sand rose up into the air for a few seconds, masking his fate, but Alaska knew what it would be. She sadly pulled her PokeBall out, and looked down at Darwin's unconscious body, mad at herself for letting him down: he stood a great chance at this gym, and Alaska hadn't been able to get him through.
"You did your best, thank you," she said to Darwin as he turned to energy and came back. Alaska took a deep breath in, telling herself not to lose hope: they were both even now, there was still a chance. "Ready Paige?"
"Pidgeotto Gee!" Paige said with a nod, and flapped her wings and took off. Alaska thought she might have gotten scared off by Onix, and could see nervousness in her eyes, but was glad her old friend was giving it a shot.
"Flying types regularly fail here, no matter what strategy you have," Brock called out. "Dig may be useless, but I still have some other tricks in my arsenal!"
"We have our own tricks, so we'll just have to see who is the trickiest, won't we?" Alaska said, and then cursed at how stupid her pun had been. But Brock simply laughed, and looked up towards Paige with his smirk. The Pidgeotto was glaring off at Onix, and Alaska knew her temper would help pull through.
"Rock Slide!" Brock exclaimed, and Alaska swore loudly enough for him to smirk once more, but she knew this move was highly powerful and would be tricky to avoid: Onix was smashing the ground with his tail already, causing the larger rock formations to glow brown, sending bits flying into the sky.
"Dodge them and Steel Wing him in the middle!" Alaska cried. Paige nodded down at her, but Alaska could see she looked rather nervous. The rocks were rising up above her, and Paige quickly flapped her wings, turning them into a shining silver. She began to fly as the rocks began to fall, and Alaska watched intently and in fright as Paige did some amazing aerial turns to avoid being flattened against the ground. Several clipped her wings and one whacked against her talons, but Paige kept flying forwards.
"OOONNNN!" Onix roared as Paige approached, and he swerved his body. Paige managed to hit him, but in the middle like Alaska hoped: the last minute swerve caused Paige to crash into his upper body, tipping Onix backwards but he was easily able to correct himself. Paige soared high above, and Alaska laughed to see how she was taunting him, the Rock Snake unable to extend his body high enough.
"Nice little trick there," Brock said, "but let's see how you like Onix's Bind!"
"You can't reach Paige from up there!" Alaska snapped back. "Fire a Gust and blow this competition away!"
"That's what you think," Brock called out, and Alaska looked at Onix, taken aback by his words. She didn't think it would be possible, but she watched in shock as Onix coiled his body up like a gigantic rock spring, and suddenly launched himself upwards.
"Pidge Pidgey Otto Pidge!" Pidgeotto squealed, flapping her wings in a frantic manner, managing to unleash some wind, but to Alaska it looked as if Pidgeotto was merely trying to shoo Onix away from her.
"Fly away!" Alaska screamed, but it was too late: Onix did a magnificent coiling motion, like he was a giant rocky ribbon that Brock was twirling through the air, and wrapped tightly around Paige's lower body. Her wings were free but Paige was unable to move, being carried back down to the field by Onix and his weight, the tip of his tail stopping them from crash landing.
"PIDGEEEEE!" She screamed, trying to pull free, but Onix simply held on tighter now he was back on the ground. Alaska watched her flailing and squirming, wondering how long Onix would be able to hang on for: if he kept her in his clutches, than the battle could easily be over soon. There was only one move that could work, and that was a new move Paige had learnt in her evolution. Alaska had wanted to test it out, but her desire to defeat Brock distracted her, but if Paige could pull it off now, the win was hers.
"Tight spot you're in," Brock called out, still smirking. "Not many Pokemon are able to win after Onix gets them in their holds! It would be very hard to dodge a Rock Slide now, wouldn't it?"
"Oh shut it!" Alaska snapped, tempted to pull the brownies out and give him a good thrashing, but Onix was already acting, thrashing his tail. Paige had stopped fighting, simply staring towards the raising rocks with a worried look in her eye, and than staring at Alaska with pitiful eyes, almost as if she was apologising. Alaska couldn't let either of them give up yet, and knew they had to try the move.
"TWISTER, NOW!" Alaska screamed. It was an almost perfect move for the Bind: Onix wrapped so tightly around her, the Twister would be able to cause maximum damage. Brock did look a little scared as Paige wiggled and turned her body as much as she could, flapping her wings and trying to generate enough power. The rocks were getting higher though, and Alaska had her fingers crossed, watching as purple energy was beginning to swirl around. Paige's feet were wriggling, and her body was beginning to twist more, just as the rocks began to fall… more energy was forming and spiralling… Alaska and Brock both watched nervously, the outcome surely to affect the battle…
"PIIIDDDGEEEEEEE!" Paige screamed, and broke free in the nick of time. A giant purple Twister erupted around her, blasting through the rocks like a fabulous little piece of convenience. Brock cursed as Alaska cheered, and the spiralling Twister began to send Onix spinning. He seemed too stunned to make any noise, simply rotating around, unable to pull away as sand and loose rocks were sent flying around the gym. After a few moments Paige came to a stop, and Onix fell straightened out and looking rather surprised against the ground.
"Pidgey Pidge!" Paige called out, still spinning slightly from the attack, and Alaska hoped she wasn't confused. She looked down at Onix and saw his eyes were spinning: at least he was confused as well.
"Get a grip and use Tackle!" Brock ordered, his smirk disappearing as he realised the threat that Alaska and Paige could pose, and Alaska beamed widely: they stood a shot.
"Quick Attack and hit him in the eye, than fly around the gym!" She called out. Paige stopped spinning stupidly and nodded, moving forwards like a bullet, the glowing energy wrapping around her. The speedy attack hit Onix directly in his spinning eyes, and he roared loudly and reared upwards, his right eye now firmly shut and the roar causing the entire building to shake.
"You still have one eye!" Brock cried out almost desperately, but as Onix tried to stare around with his left, Paige was too busy darting high above Onix, moving from corner to corner too quickly to manage. She suddenly dived down towards a rock, and Onix quickly bounded forwards, only to fall into Paige's trick. A large rock formation was shattered, and Brock cursed again as Paige soared high above.
"ROCK SLIDE!" Brock bellowed in his desperation.
"Steel Wing, finish this now!" Alaska yelled out. Onix tried to move, but Paige was too close and too fast: Alaska and Brock both watched in shock (happy and angry shock respectively) as the glowing wings smashed into Onix's middle. He let out a furious but weak roar as he rolled over, his tail coming close to hitting Alaska, before collapsing into the sand. Paige landed on a rock in front of Alaska, and the two stared simultaneously at Onix, before looking back towards each other, their smiles unmistakable, their happiness unable to be hidden as they realised what had just been accomplished…
I decided to save Alaska's reaction for her blog, which is coming up next, as that would probably get her emotions across better. There will still be plenty of witty jives taken at Brock though, so don't worry Expect that part in about a fortnight.