◉◉◉◉◉
At the referee's signal, the Rustboro Gym battle officially began.
Geodude raised its massive stone fists, radiating fighting spirit as it bounded toward Eevee.
Though its body was completely round with no real legs to speak of, perhaps due to the magnetic force within it, Geodude was able to hop forward with surprising agility occasionally even floating briefly in midair. It was a strange yet impressive sight.
From a typing standpoint, Eevee wasn't at an advantage here at all. As a Normal-type Pokémon, its attacks would deal only half damage to Rock-type Geodude. That alone already placed Eevee at a disadvantage.
Meanwhile, Geodude's rock-solid body served not only as natural armor, but also greatly amplified the power of physical attacks like Mega Punch and Tackle.
With offense enhanced and defense reinforced, the disadvantage was clearly on Eevee's side.
Roxanne couldn't help feeling puzzled.
As both a Gym Leader and a Pokémon School teacher, she understood type matchups far better than most Trainers. A top-tier Trainer like Kai—who had already won two major Conferences—should certainly be aware of this as well.
So why send out Eevee in such an unfavorable matchup?
Was he deliberately training it in disadvantageous conditions?
Before she could think any further, the two Pokémon had already collided.
Geodude launched into Mega Punch, each swing of its massive fists carrying tremendous force. Every blow cut through the air with visible power.
Eevee wasn't built for close-quarters brawling. Naturally, Kai didn't allow it to trade blows head-on. Instead, he made full use of Eevee's speed and agility, having it dart across the rocky terrain and harass Geodude from different angles, searching for an opening.
Yet Geodude's defense was unexpectedly airtight. Swinging both arms in rapid succession, it blocked every approach, leaving Eevee with no clear chance to strike.
On the sidelines, the students watched without blinking.
Though both Pokémon were still in their basic evolutionary stages and the moves being used weren't particularly advanced, this was a battle between a renowned Conference Champion and their own Gym Leader. Kai's very presence alone was enough to make them take every second seriously.
As the two Pokémon exchanged blows again and again, Kai's gaze drifted toward the massive scattered boulders on the battlefield.
An idea formed instantly.
"Eevee—jump onto the rocks!"
With a quick leap, Eevee vaulted onto the higher stone formations. Geodude immediately followed in pursuit, hopping after it. That brief gap in timing gave Eevee just enough space to act.
"Use Sand Attack!"
Eevee turned its body and kicked violently with both hind legs. A storm of sand and gravel exploded downward, blasting straight into Geodude's face.
Caught off guard, Geodude threw up its arms to shield its eyes. Its forward momentum stalled instantly, and it lost track of Eevee's position.
Before the dust had even settled, Eevee's silhouette suddenly appeared from above—
Its head slammed directly into Geodude's body with full force!
Because Geodude was still climbing and hadn't fully stabilized itself, the heavy impact knocked it straight down toward the battlefield below.
Before it could regain balance, Eevee spun midair, snapping both hind legs forward—
Double Kick!
Bang!
Geodude was kicked backward, crashing hard into a massive rock before finally stopping.
Now this truly showed off Geodude's durability.
If it had been any ordinary base-stage Pokémon, it would already be unconscious. Yet thanks to its stone body and extraordinary physical resistance, even though it looked battered, it was still able to fight.
"Nicely done!" Roxanne called out. "Geodude, hang in there use Rollout!"
Geodude shook off the dizziness, tucked its limbs inward, and began to spin violently as it rolled toward Eevee like a runaway boulder!
Kai observed carefully. Seeing that Geodude's stamina was already heavily drained, he made a swift decision.
He chose to meet raw power with raw power and settle everything in one decisive clash.
"Eevee—use Take Down!"
Take Down carried backlash damage, but at this stage of the battle, Eevee had barely taken any real hits. Its stamina was still abundant.
Geodude's rolling speed accelerated faster and faster, carrying terrifying momentum.
But Eevee showed no hesitation.
With a fearless burst of speed, it hurled itself straight into Geodude's attack!
Under every spectator's gaze, the two Pokémon collided head-on.
BOOM!!
A deafening impact echoed throughout the entire battlefield.
Both Pokémon froze for an instant then were flung backward in opposite directions.
The collision had been brutal.
Eevee staggered briefly, its head spinning and body aching, but it quickly recovered and stood back up, lowering its stance for battle once more.
Geodude, however, was sent rolling backward more than ten full turns before finally stopping.
Kai was just about to assume the battle had been decided when—
To his surprise, Geodude slowly, shakily pushed itself back up.
That stunned even him.
Most Trainers' Pokémon would have fallen long ago under that impact. But Roxanne's Geodude showed terrifying endurance.
Of course, the reduced damage from Normal-type attacks also played a part—but even so, it was clear Geodude was already at its absolute limit.
Kai gave a short command.
"Finish it—Swift!"
Golden star-shaped projectiles shot from Eevee and struck Geodude squarely.
This time, there was no miracle.
Geodude collapsed with a heavy thud and completely lost the ability to battle.
So tough…
Even Kai had to smile wryly. Rock- and Ground-type Pokémon were famously stubborn. Without a type advantage, defeating them always took enormous effort.
From the command platform, Roxanne calmly recalled Geodude with a smile still on her face.
Despite the loss, the outcome hadn't surprised her. After all, this was Kai—one of the most exceptional Trainers among the current generation.
Even the students, who should have been rooting for their own Gym Leader, showed no disappointment at all. Instead, they excitedly whispered among themselves, animatedly discussing Eevee's battle performance.
The techniques might not have been flashy…
But witnessing Kai's battle up close filled them with an indescribable thrill.
It was like watching your favorite athlete perform even if it was only a warm-up, your heart would still race uncontrollably.
Some of them were so absorbed that they were practically rooting for the challenger now—
And felt genuinely happy for Kai's victory.
◉◉◉◉◉
~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
◉◉◉◉◉
For early access to advanced chapters on P-atreon:
P-atreon/iamxeno
(Just remove the - hyphen to access Patreon normally)
Thank you so much for your support and for reading!