At the referee's signal, the gym battle officially began.
Geodude raised its two massive fists, rubbing them together as it floated menacingly toward Eevee.
It was strange. Perhaps due to the magnetic force in its body, even though it was just a round body with no legs, Geodude could advance by hopping and even float briefly in mid-air. It was quite incredible.
Eevee, being a Normal-type, didn't actually have an advantage against Geodude; in fact, its attacks were weakened. Geodude's Rock-type meant Normal-type attacks only dealt half damage, which was not good news for Eevee.
Conversely, Geodude's hard body served as reliable armor and could unleash considerable power when using moves like Tackle.
Looking at this matchup, with one boosted and one nerfed, Eevee was clearly at a disadvantage. This puzzled Roxanne.
As a Gym Leader and a Pokémon Academy teacher, she understood type matchups better than most trainers and would never send out a Pokémon with a disadvantage. As a two-time conference winner, Natsui should understand this.
So why use Eevee?
Was he trying to practice battling at a disadvantage?
Before she could think further, the two Pokémon had already clashed.
Geodude unleashed Mega Punch. Each swing seemed to carry immense force, looking powerful and intimidating.
Eevee wasn't suited for close combat, so Natsui naturally wouldn't let it fight Geodude head-on. Instead, he used Eevee's speed advantage, constantly using the terrain to harass Geodude from different angles, trying to find an opening.
However, Geodude's two large fists created an impenetrable defense, leaving no openings whatsoever.
Nearby, the students watched intently. Although both Pokémon were in their first stage and weren't using high-level moves, this was a battle between a Champion and a Gym Leader. Natsui's name alone commanded their full attention.
Watching the two Pokémon go back and forth, Natsui considered his strategy.
His gaze swept over the large rocks on the field, and an idea came to him.
"Eevee, jump onto those rocks!"
Hearing the command, Eevee leaped onto a high rock. To continue its attack, Geodude followed. This pursuit created a time lag, giving Eevee more time to prepare.
"Use Sand Attack!"
Eevee turned its rear, and as its hind legs kicked the rock, countless bits of debris showered down onto Geodude's face.
Hit squarely by the sand, Geodude had to block its face to protect its eyes. This forced it to pause, halting its attack and losing sight of Eevee.
When the sand cleared and it looked up again, it saw Eevee's head getting closer and closer, ramming into its body.
Geodude was halfway up the rock, in an unstable position. The impact knocked it straight to the ground.
Before it could steady itself, Eevee turned again, kicked back with its hind legs, and used Double Kick, striking Geodude twice.
Thump!
Geodude was knocked backward until it hit another rock.
Geodude's toughness was commendable. Any other first-stage Pokémon would have been knocked out, but its rock-like body gave it high physical resistance. Although bruised, it could still fight.
"Great job!" Roxanne shouted. "Geodude, hang in there! Use Rollout!"
Geodude shook its head to clear the dizziness, then tucked in its arms and rolled towards Eevee.
Natsui observed that Geodude's stamina was mostly depleted. He decided not to have Eevee evade anymore, but to meet it head-on to decide the match.
"Eevee, use Take Down!"
Take Down, while dealing significant damage, also causes recoil.
Natsui wouldn't risk it at a critical moment, but Eevee had barely taken any damage so far and had plenty of stamina, so there was no need to worry.
Geodude rolled faster and faster, building up momentum. Eevee, not to be outdone, suddenly accelerated, charging recklessly at Geodude!
As everyone watched, the two Pokémon collided solidly.
A loud crash echoed through the gym. Both Pokémon stopped instantly, then fell back in opposite directions.
That was a serious impact.
Fortunately, aside from feeling dizzy and a bit sore, Eevee was largely unharmed. It immediately got up and resumed its battle stance.
Geodude, however, rolled backward a dozen times.
Just as Natsui thought the match was decided, he was surprised to see Geodude shakily get back up.
This was unexpected.
An average trainer's Pokémon would have been unable to battle, but Roxanne's Geodude clearly had outstanding endurance.
Of course, this might also be due to Eevee's Normal-type moves being resisted, but even so, Geodude looked like it was on its last legs.
Sure enough, at Natsui's command, Eevee used Swift. The attack hit Geodude, and this time, it was knocked out for good.
Really tough...
Natsui smiled helplessly. When not at a type advantage, these Ground- and Rock-type Pokémon were incredibly durable, hard and stubborn, requiring a lot of effort to take down.
From her position, Roxanne smiled and recalled her Geodude.
Although the opponent was just an Eevee, the result didn't surprise her. After all, a battle also depended on the trainer, and this man was clearly among the best.
Even her students, despite being on the gym's side, showed no dissatisfaction at their leader's loss. Instead, they whispered among themselves, excitedly discussing Eevee's performance.
Although the battle lacked flashy moves, being able to watch Natsui battle up close was thrilling enough for them.
It was like watching your favorite athlete perform simple warm-ups, yet still finding it exciting.
Some even seemed to be "siding with the enemy," happy for Natsui's victory.
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