The battlefield of the Pewter Gym rumbled as Brock reached for his final Poké Ball.
"You did well," he said calmly. "But this is my ace. Onix, take the field!"
A flash of light burst forward.
Onix emerged in full force, its massive rocky body coiling high, casting a shadow over Bulbasaur. The sheer pressure of its presence made the air feel heavier.
Bulbasaur steadied itself, vines twitching.
From the sidelines, Leaf called out, "You can do it! Don't let the size scare you!"
I smiled slightly. "We've trained for this. Right, Bulbasaur?"
"Bulba!" it replied firmly.
"Onix, Rock Throw!" Brock commanded.
Onix tore a massive chunk of stone from the battlefield and hurled it downward.
"Dodge left!"
Bulbasaur leapt aside just as the rock smashed into the ground, cracking the stone tiles apart.
Leaf gasped. "Wow… that was close!"
"Now—Vine Whip!"
The vines snapped forward, striking Onix's midsection. Chips of rock scattered across the field.
Leaf's eyes widened. "It's actually damaging it…"
But Brock remained composed.
"Bind."
Onix lunged.
Its enormous body wrapped around Bulbasaur in a crushing coil. The pressure forced a cry from my partner as the stone tightened.
Leaf stepped forward instinctively. "Oh no—!"
"Bulbasaur… use Growth!"
A green aura flared around Bulbasaur. Its body tensed, muscles strengthening as energy surged through it.
Slowly… slowly…
The coils began to shift.
Bulbasaur pushed outward with a burst of power, vines bracing against stone. With a determined cry, it forced Onix to loosen its grip and slipped free.
Leaf's face lit up. "It broke out?! That was amazing!"
I didn't hesitate. "Razor Leaf!"
A sharp storm of spinning leaves tore into Onix's rocky body. The attack forced the giant serpent back slightly, scoring visible cuts across its surface.
For a moment—
We had momentum.
But Brock's voice cut through the dust.
"Onix, Slam!"
Onix reared back and brought its massive body crashing down.
The impact shook the entire Gym.
Bulbasaur was struck hard and sent sliding across the stone floor.
"Bulbasaur!" I called.
It struggled… trembling… but forced itself back up.
Leaf clenched her fists. "Come on… you can still fight!"
Bulbasaur charged forward again, vines ready.
But Onix was simply overwhelming.
Another crushing strike landed.
This time, Bulbasaur fell—and didn't rise.
Silence filled the battlefield.
I closed my eyes for a brief second… then nodded.
"That's enough. Return."
A beam of red light brought Bulbasaur back.
"You did more than enough," I said softly. "I'm proud of you."
Leaf exhaled slowly. "That was incredible… It didn't back down even once."
Brock crossed his arms. "Your Bulbasaur used strategy well. Growth to escape Bind was clever. But against overwhelming mass and endurance… the margin for error disappears."
I accepted that.
This was real.
I reached for my final Poké Ball.
"Scyther… your turn."
The Poké Ball burst open in a flash of green light.
Scyther landed gracefully, wings buzzing faintly, blades gleaming under the Gym lights. Its sharp gaze locked onto Onix immediately.
The atmosphere shifted.
Leaf blinked, then straightened slightly, brushing her hair back. "A Scyther, huh? Trainers who use fast Pokémon are usually really—"
She paused.
Because I wasn't looking at her.
I was studying Onix.
Its movement pattern.
Its breathing rhythm.
The damaged sections from Razor Leaf.
My focus was absolute.
Leaf watched me for a moment… then smiled faintly to herself.
"He's really serious when he battles…"
Across the field, Brock narrowed his eyes.
"Interesting choice," he said. "Speed against stone."
Scyther lowered its stance.
Onix coiled.
The second half of the battle was about to begin.