Route 4

Benny had been waiting for almost an hour when it was nearly his turn to face Brock. Rillo, on his shoulder, sensed his nerves and patted his head. He smiled at her. She was ready for this and had been for awhile. Benny noticed a young woman behind him smiling at Rillo.

"Hi. This is Rillo," said Benny, leaning down for Rillo to look at the girl. Rillo jumped off Benny's shoulder and hugged the girl. She giggled and squeezed Rillo. "What's your name?" she asked.

"Benny," he replied. "And yours?" The girl looked about his age and she had two PokeBalls on her belt as well. She was brown-haired with freckles, a head shorter than Benny but infinitely better looking. Her smile reminded him of his mother, sweet and kind, but her laugh was even nicer than he could have imagined. She released Rillo from her hug and looked at him.

"Efa," she said. "What's your other Pokemon?" She pointed to the dangling PokeBall on his bag. She seemed quite interested in how he had managed to obtain Rillo and Lapras and she introduced him to her Pokemon, a Squirtle she had named Squirt and a Clefairy named Zen. Benny felt more relaxed thanks to the girl and by the time they finished chatting, they were next up.

Benny wasn't ready. His stomach began twisting and he didn't want to go yet. He told Efa to go ahead and wished her luck. She grabbed his hand and dragged him in to watch her battle. He jumped into the stands and Rillo looked intently on as Efa stepped up to battle the gym leader, Brock.

She was really quite good. Her Clefairy took the brunt of the hits from Brock's Pokemon, but Squirt was close behind to finish off whatever rock-type Brock put forth. Efa seemed confident, but Brock's Golem thrashed Zen into the dirt with a well-timed attack. Squirt managed to hold off Golem's power for a short while, but he, too, fell to the rock-beast. Benny's heart sunk. If Efa lost, how could he do any better?

She spoke with Brock briefly before running up to Benny. She gave him a quick hug and wished him luck, then shoved him off into the arena. Benny had forgotten that he wanted to puke. Rillo followed along behind him, giving her meanest face to Brock, who stood tall and intimidating at the other end of the battle arena. Benny reached his platform and looked towards Brock.

"Are you ready?" asked Brock. He grabbed a few new Pokeballs from behind him. Benny knew he wouldn't get the same ones Efa had had. "I saw you watching."

"Yes, I was watching," mumbled Benny. What was this guy's problem? Was he not allowed to watch? "I was watching her though." Brock looked towards Efa and smiled.

"Your girlfriend?" he asked. Benny felt his face turn bright red. He looked at Efa, who smiled at him and giggled again. That giggle he liked. He felt himself getting upset, but managed to say no without his voice shaking. Brock laughed and said, "I'm only teasing! Now... let's do this."

Brock tossed a Pokeball in the air. Benny would decide which of his Pokemon he sent out after. An Onix burst forth from Brock's Pokeball and shook the arena. Benny felt his legs buckle at the size of the monstrosity. He thought briefly, but Rillo decided for him. She rushed out and gave Onix the most intimidating look her sweet face could muster. Benny heard Efa giggle again.


Rillo and the Onix looked at one another. Brock was allowed first move and he stood silently, eyeing Benny. Suddenly, Onix reared up and Benny heard Brock shout, "Rock Smash!" Benny directed Rillo away from the crushing blow and she barely managed to escape the destruction. Obviously Brock wasn't going to play with him. Benny knew he had the type advantage, but he had to be smart. Brock was no clown in the gym and his type could withstand a lot of what Benny could throw back.

"Rillo, Power-Up Punch!" Rillo used her speed and ran up the Onix's back. It roared with anger and Rillo jumped up, dodging the spiked head. She seemed to float for a moment, then slammed her little fist hard into the Onix's head. It roared again and Brock shouted, "Rock Throw!" Rillo was still midair when a rock collided with her small body. She flew halfway across the arena and hit the ground hard. Benny took a step towards her, but she jumped up with anger on her face. She swayed slightly, off-balance, but used her tail to maintain balance.

"Rillo, good girl! You're doing great! Now use Low Sweep!" Rillo feigned passing out before rushing headfirst at the Onix. She swung her massive tail right into the huge body before her. Brock had shouted an attack, but Benny barely heard the words as the Onix roared. As the Onix collapsed, Rillo was flung high in the air by some supernatural force. She slammed hard back into the ground. Oh no! Payback! Rillo didn't move. The Onix struggled to lift itself, but couldn't succeed in doing so. Brock returned Onix to its Pokeball, then looked at his choices. Benny ran out into the battlefield and scooped Rillo up. She wasn't completely out, but he knew that dark move took its toll. Efa waited for him by his platform and took Rillo back to the stands for him. She smiled at him nervously before he turned back to face Brock.

"Not bad, kid," said Brock. "Your friend lost though. You got lucky against Onix. This one should be funner." He threw out his Pokeball and Benny was surprised to see a Sudowoodo emerge. He tossed Lapras into the arena, but now it was his move first.


"Sudowoodo...is a grass type. I thought you only used rock types," questioned Benny. Brock was surprised.

"No, Sudowoodo is very much a rock type. But he does have one slight advantage thanks to his bushy appearance," Brock said. "Make your move."

Lapras looked at Benny for direction. She was young, but a great help in everyday things. Now was her chance to shine. "Body Slam!" She flashed forward, floating above the rocky arena, before pummeling Sudowoodo with her large body. The apparent-rock type flew backwards and rolled around. Brock instantly counter-attacked, "Wood Hammer!"

Sudowoodo bolted forward, slamming Lapras hard with its wooden body. Lapras shrieked in pain, slamming into the rocky arena floor. It's over. Benny glanced at Efa slightly. She was looking at Lapras nervously. Rillo was sitting in her lap, wide-eyed and scared.

"Lapras! Get up, girl! We can do this!" Benny yelled out to her. She looked at him and rose. That attack would destroy her if it hit her again. "Use Sing!" Lapras turned to Sudowoodo and began her melody. Brock tried to attack with Wood Hammer a second time, but Sing's effects were clutching onto Sudowoodo fast. It ran at Lapras, but fell down face first. Brock shouted out, "Wood Hammer, quick Sudowoodo!" The Pokemon lifted itself up and ran at Lapras again. She was too quick and he was too drowsy. She dodged the attack and turned to face the stumbling "rock type".

"Lapras! Hydro Pump!" Benny yelled. He knew she could do it. She lifted up her head, then aimed her mouth at the sleepy Sudowoodo. Water burst out from her mouth, but the power was too much for her and she only slightly struck Sudowoodo. The water woke it up quickly, but now they were even-footed. She was wounded, so was he. Brock shouted a command, but Benny didn't hear. He knew it was Wood Hammer. He told Lapras to use Water Pulse and his stomach clenched with fear.

Sudowoodo's attack collided with Lapras' head, but her Water Pulse hit him as well. They both flew backwards and crashed to the dirt. Neither moved. They waited. Sudowoodo was the first to rise. It looked weak, but if Lapras didn't get up too, Benny was done for.

Rillo spoke to Lapras, the little monkey screeching across the arena. The eyes of Lapras shot open and she rose slowly. She was on the edge of fainting. Brock yelled to Sudowoodo to use Wood Hammer one last time. It began running at Lapras as Benny told her to dodge it. Please tell me it worked... Sudowoodo charged at Lapras, but turned right at the last moment. It slammed into a giant rock and fell back, dizzy with confusion.

"Water Pulse can cause confusion! I forgot!" Benny heard Efa shout. He had remembered though. He had hoped for it. He told Lapras to end this with one last Body Slam. She didn't move as fast, but she slowly moved towards Sudowoodo, who was struggling to lift itself up. Lapras floated right over him, then slammed down onto him. His twiggy arm flailed under Lapras' weight, then stopped. He had fainted. She looked at Benny, who smiled at her with pride. She closed her eyes, rolling off Sudowoodo, then fainted as well.​

---

Kiya's heart began to quicken as she struggled to come to a decision. Should she go for it? She knew full well that the smarter choice would be not to, but… Champion, her usually-faithful Hitmonchan, sat next to her, eyes focused on the scene below him paying no mind to her. It seemed even her partner had abandoned her in this struggle. No matter. This had always been her own fight. She felt her hands begin to tremble the longer it took for her to decide.

The martial artist had come to the Pewter City Gym, psyched for her first gym battle and completely ready, but it turned out that other battles had been taking place at the moment so she instead decided to climb to the bleachers overlooking the battlefield so she could watch them. Master Kiyo had taught her the importance of learning about an opponent, although that usually happened during the battle as opposed to before it in her experience. Everything was fine until she started getting a little bored, so she absentmindedly opened the canvas sack she had brought with her to hold all her stuff. She hadn't actually checked it since starting her journey, although she didn't feel the need to since she packed it herself, so one could imagine her surprise when she found something completely unexpected.

An entire bag of individually wrapped Custap Berry-flavored hard candies with wrapping that even had a Custap pattern on it sat in the middle of her bag as if it were staring at her. There was a note inside signed by her mother saying, "Don't eat them all at once! And don't tell your dad either. -Love, mom." This was where her trouble began. Kiya's dad made a big effort to teach her about the importance of eating right for a martial artist's body, and she understood it, trying her best to take care of her body. The problem was that for as long as she could remember she had a great affinity for sweets, which happen to be infamous for being bad for you. Her mom sees no harm in some candy or dessert every once in a while, but her dad claims that it's a slippery slope, and that once she starts it will be difficult for her to stop. If anyone has ever seen her with a large quantity of candy at her disposal, they would know that her dad is right in that regard.Thus, whenever she is around easily-accessible sweets, Kiya is forced to wage an internal battle with herself.

She couldn't believe what her mother had done to her. What had she been thinking!? Was this a way for her to train her discipline? Yes, that had to be it… Her mother wasn't so cruel as to needlessly torture her with such a thing. But that still didn't help her with her current predicament. She could feel her heartbeat growing louder, each individual beat like a drum as she stared at the candy in her bag. Just one couldn't hurt, right? She'd put so much work into her body that it should be impossible for one little piece to undo it all. A tiny, delicious, oh so sweet little piece...

Kiya slapped herself hard, the sound reverberating throughout the gym and causing others to look her way. She couldn't give in so easily! But it was clear that she was fighting a losing battle. She shuffled around inside her bag for something that could help her when her hand bumped against something hard. It was a pokeball, one of the many she had brought for catching pokemon along her journey. But she knew that pokemon weren't the only things they could capture. She grabbed the ball and brought it close to the bag of candy.

This all started when she caught a glimpse, so all she had to do was to not look at it! It wouldn't do for her to have to go through this every time she opened her bag, so simply closing it wasn't a good option. That's where the pokeball would come in. She would just capture the bag of candy, so that whenever she looked in her bag it would be no different than if it were any other pokeball. It was genius! She sat there holding the pokeball next to the bag, ready to put her plan into action, but for a moment she didn't move. Then, in a swift motion as if trying to keep others from seeing, she grabbed a single piece of candy before the rest of the bag was enveloped in the ball's red light. There was no shaking or pinging sound since what the ball contained was inanimate, and in an instant the situation had been resolved.

Kiya sighed, and rolled the piece she'd saved in between her fingers. She was ashamed of herself, but also knew that having the willpower to put away all those other candies had to mean something. She didn't want to try opening that ball again, nor did she want to waste another ball to contain the single piece, so she quickly unwrapped it and popped it into her mouth. In an instant, all feelings of shame and guilt disappeared, and she was in heaven...


Once that little episode with the candy was done with, Kiya turned her focus back onto the battle. The previous one had finished and a new challenger approached. She wondered if she had missed her chance, but simply became determined to seize the next one. The new challenger was a messy-looking man with a black shirt and torn jeans with earphones hanging from the collar of his shirt. He and Brock talked for a moment, the same as with the previous challengers, when Brock suddenly received a phone call. After a brief conversation he returned to talking with messy man, then that guy picked up his phone for a call of his own. He didn't look very happy. He started screaming into his phone, something about a stalker and an adventure, but he eventually seemed to calm down a bit. Soon enough, he put the phone away and put a cigarette in his mouth before finally pulling out a pokeball.

The battle began with the smoking guy sending out a Beedrill and Brock sending out a strange pokemon Kiya hadn't seen before. Her mother had gotten her a pokedex and a pokegear thanks to some favors with co-workers at Silph Co. so Kiya pulled the dex from her bag and pointed it at Brock's pokemon. It was apparently called Kabutops, and was Rock and Water type.

The smoking guy began by calling out moves like Hyper Beam and Earthquake, which his Beedrill apparently didn't know. Then he started calling moves that Kiya wasn't sure even existed, like Super Drill Attack and Wreck-Its-Face Attack. Brock didn't seem very amused, looking more shocked than anything. After a bit, he managed to call an order the Beedrill could actually follow, namely, "Stab its eyes out." The Beedrill flew up close to the Kabutops and jabbed at its eyes, but Brock ordered it to close them and the Beedrill's huge stingers just bounced off the Kabutops' rock-hard skin.

After that, Brock went on the offensive. His Kabutops struck the Beedrill immediately in front of it with a powerful Stone Edge attack, hitting it with jagged rocks that shot up from the ground. Smoker ordered his pokemon, that had somehow managed to survive, to get out of there, then had it focus on dodging the next few hits. It seemed he had abandoned any hope of offense. The Beedrill was fast and Kabutops couldn't hit it as it fled. That is, until Brock ordered it to use Rain Dance. Its scythes began glowing and it started dancing, bouncing on one leg before alternating to the next. As it danced, dark clouds suddenly began forming above the battlefield and rain sprinkled down. The longer the pokemon danced, the larger the clouds grew and the more intense the rain became, until it reached a heavy downpour.

The Kabutops was upon Smoker's Beedrill in a flash, having suddenly become much faster, and hit it straight on with another Stone Edge attack. Amazingly, the Beedrill was still up and able to fight, but it didn't look like it could last much longer. Smoker's face was one of annoyance more than anything, something that surprised Kiya. Brock, however, wore a grimace. He recalled his Kabutops into its pokeball and said something to Smoker before sending out a much weaker-looking Geodude that seemed rather unhappy in the heavy rain. Kiya could only wonder why Brock would do such a thing.

Smoker didn't look too happy about what should have been to his advantage, but he still ordered his Beedrill to stab at the Geodude, the same as what he tried before against the Kabutops. Just like the last time, the blow did nothing to the Rock-type, and a quick Rock Throw attack from the Geodude finished off the gravely wounded bug. Smoker's second pokemon appeared to be a Weedle, something that Kiya wasn't sure helped him much when he already had a Beedrill. Maybe he just liked bugs? She realized that she probably wasn't one to talk, knowing full well that if a Tyrogue or even another Hitmonchan crossed her path she would do everything in her power to catch it despite having Champion.

The Weedle did absolutely nothing to its opponent before succumbing to the Geodude's rollout attack, ending the battle. Brock and Smoker said a few more things to each other before Smoker left, not looking very sad or angry about his loss but definitely not happy either. Kiya didn't learn anything about Brock as a trainer from that fight, but she did learn a good deal about the Kabutops and she supposed that counted for something if he sent it out. Once Smoker left, the rain clouds were soon to follow, leaving the battlefield free for a new opponent. Kiya didn't waste any time, leaping down from the bleachers down to the field with Champion close behind her.

Brock seemed to raise an eyebrow at Kiya when she stepped up to her designated place on the field. Most people did, though, apparently finding her outfit strange for whatever reason. She paid it no mind, though, and instead just got into a fighting stance. Now Brock's other eyebrow rose. "You know your pokemon is going to be the one fighting, right?" he asked, only semi-jokingly. She didn't need to respond as Champion soon took his place on the field, taking his own stance that was, rather uncharacteristically for a Hitmonchan, identical to her own. After all, he had been practicing Karate in the dojo alongside Kiya for as long as he could remember.

While she was an experienced fighter when it came to martial arts, she had also done pokemon battles several times in the past against others in the dojo who kept pokemon as well as some of the neighborhood children. In her early battles, she struggled with giving commands when they needed to be given. She usually knew what she wanted to do in a given situation, but she had always been used to simply reacting to things with her body as opposed to translating them into thoughts, then into words. Champion would also struggle between doing what he felt was best in the situation or obeying Kiya's delayed commands. With the help of Master Kiyo, Kiya discovered that she could react faster if she acted as if she herself were the one battling, and attempted to synchronize her moves with Champion's.

Brock could tell that the pair was serious. "Is this your first gym battle?" he asked. This surprised Kiya, as she was always used to just getting right into the fight after readying her stance. She just stood there for a moment, feeling awkward in this strange limbo between her "battle mode" and her "social mode", as it could be said.

"Y-yes, this is my first," answered Kiya, not used to conversation from her fighting stance. Champion turned around, sensing his trainer waver. She noticed and tried to steel herself, not wanting to show weakness to her partner and rival. Kiya took a deep breath to get back to her usual self and stood up straight. She then held out her right hand, holding up 3 of her fingers. "3 minutes. Win or lose, this match will take no more than 3 minutes. I have no badges, and no other pokemon, but I would advise that you don't hold back." Her expression had become fierce, and the moment of awkwardness felt like it was an eternity ago. Champion turned to face Brock again, glad that he worried about Kiya for nothing.

Brock gave a smirk after hearing Kiya's announcement. "That sounds like a challenge! Alright, it looks like it's about time to get this battle started." He walked to a rack by the wall that held several pokeballs and picked one out before coming back to his place on the field. "No holding back, then? Come on out Aerodactyl!" He tossed the pokeball he had retrieved into the air, and out came a grey-skinned flying pokemon with purple wings, a triangular spade-tipped tail, and very sharp-looking teeth. It roared loudly as it emerged. Kiya didn't bother looking it up on her pokedex, only focusing on the battle at hand as she pictured herself right there in the middle of the ring where Champion stood.
​

Benny rushed off his platform and to Lapras. She was still conscious when he approached her. He got down and lifted her head. "It'll be okay, girl," he whispered to her. "You did an amazing job." Benny wasn't sure if he had lost. Did his Pokemon need to be standing at the end? Brock returned his Sudowoodo to its ball. Benny pat Lapras on the head, then returned her to her ball as well. He stood and Brock stuck out his hand.


"Give me your Pokemon and I'll heal them up," he said to Benny. Benny handed Lapras over just as Rillo limped back out onto the arena floor. She was hurt, but quickly reached Benny and hugged him. She allowed him to put her in her Pokeball and handed her to Brock. He turned and entered the back stage. Efa walked out to where Benny stood. She put her hand on his wrist and his knees almost buckled. She was smiling.

"I think you did it, Benny," she excitedly whispered. Her smile was so nice. He smiled back at her and shrugged. Even if he hadn't won, maybe they could fight Brock again together tomorrow. He liked that idea. Brock returned from behind the curtain. He handed Benny his Pokemon back. Benny and Efa looked at him, waiting for an answer.

"Congratulations," Brock said, smiling finally. He stuck out his hand and Benny stuck his out in return, still unaware of what was happening. Brock dropped a Boulder Badge into his hand, then clasped his shoulder. "You did great out there, but you still have work to do if you want to keep growing." Benny nodded. He started smiling and looked at the small silver badge in his hand. He had done it. He still had so far to go, but he felt like he could go home proud already. The problem with that was that he finally realized why his father had wanted this dream. It felt amazing.

"And you," said Brock, turning to Efa, "Come back tomorrow morning and try again. You're something special." She looked shocked, then smiled and hugged Brock, thanking him. Benny felt his face turning red and he didn't think he liked Brock as much as he had moments before. You're jealous...and you just met her. Don't be so silly!

Efa and Benny left together and stepped back out into the afternoon sunset. She was already going on about strategies to beat Brock the following day and Benny starred, smiling and nodding, offering small tips when he could.

"Ohhhh, Benny! How did you know to use Water Pulse? Such a smart choice!"

He thought she was even more beautiful in the sunset than under the stadium lights.

"It was so impressive when Rillo ran up Onix's back and gave it a good whopping!"

Benny was glad to have met her. She helped him stay confident and cool when things looked dark.

"Benny, are you listening to me?"

Benny realized he was starring at her with a big grin on his face. They had walked all the way back to the restaurant he had eaten at. "Uh..." he stumbled, "Y-yeah! I was just thinking about how great you're going to do tomorrow!"

Nice save... She bought it. She smiled and hugged him. She even smells amazing! This felt like a better hug than Brock had gotten. She let go of him and looked at the restaurant saying, "I'm starving. Shall we eat?" He nodded. She seemed to want to keep hanging out with him, which he didn't mind at all.

As they ate, Efa continued speculating on her next battle with Brock. She told Benny about where she had grown up, far off in Kalos in a town called Santalune, but she had moved to Kanto with her family before beginning her own Pokemon journey. She was quite an intelligent young woman. She had previously owned a few Pokemon from Kalos, but had left them at home to start a fresh experience. He was really happy to hear that she was on a similar journey as him and before he knew it, he blurted out, "Want to travel together?"

She didn't answer. She just looked at him curiously. Too soon, oh no. She's going to say no and now you look like a fool. "Uh...I mean...maybe just until C-," he began. She jumped out of her seat and hugged him again. He felt his face turning bright tomato red.

"Yes!" Efa shouted, "Absolutely!" She let go of him and sat back down, bright smile of hers present on her face. He took a sip of his drink as she started talking to him about her strategy for the battle the following day.

They left the restaurant full and confident in Efa's battle with Brock tomorrow. Benny released Rillo from her ball and she jumped onto Efa's shoulder and gave a big grin to Benny. He knew he couldn't hide his crush from her and he laughed as Efa handed Rillo a small snack. Benny returned to his father's friend's home as night settled in Pewter City, asking if Efa could stay as well. His father's friend eyed him suspiciously, then told him to sleep on the couch.

Efa wished him a good rest for tomorrow then closed the guest bedroom door that Benny had previously slept in. He laid down on the couch and Rillo snuggled up next to him. She slapped her big tail across his face playfully, pointing at the door to where Efa was. Benny ruffled her hair and closed his eyes. He was so proud and happy of his two Pokemon, but he knew he'd need to get them some friends to help future battles. Lapras was so pleased with herself for the win and he had hugged her tightly when he showed her the badge. He was proud to have her on his team and Rillo loved spending time with her as well.

"Rillo, what do you think of naming Lapras Indigo?" he asked his small Aipom. She looked thoughtfully at the Pokeball that housed Lapras. She smiled and gave him a pat on the head, showing her approval.

Rillo and Indigo...
Squirt and Zen...
Benny... and Efa.

He drifted off to sleep, comforted with the thoughts and dreams his mind played for him.​

---

Not wasting any time, Brock gave the first command. "Hit it with Fire Fang!" Suddenly, the Aerodactyl's mouth filled with fire that cloaked its teeth, and with incredible speed, the pokemon dove at Champion. He and Kiya stood their ground.

When the enemy drew close, Kiya made her move. "Mach Punch!" Champion delivered a lightning-fast right hook aimed straight for the creature's face. "Now Comet punch!" Not letting up for even a moment, Champion locked his opponent in a flurry of punches that were all aimed for the gut, focusing his damage on one spot just as he'd been taught.

Brock suddenly grinned. "This is your chance! Take it up with Sky Drop!" While the Mach Punch did noticeable damage, Kiya realized that the Aerodactyl didn't seem fazed by the Comet Punch despite all of them hitting in a focused area. Champion didn't seem to realize that his attacks were suddenly doing less damage and couldn't react in time when the ancient pokemon quickly grabbed his gloved fist with its sharp, talon-like feet. With a single, powerful flap of its wings, it pulled Champion high into the air where he struggled to land a punch with his other hand past the air resistance. Mid-ascent, the creature did a graceful front flip that turned all of its momentum downward before flinging Champion straight into the ground with that same momentum. There was a loud crash as Champion was driven into the ground, a large dust cloud expanding from the impact point. It seemed like Brock truly wasn't holding back one bit as he shouted, "Again! Don't give it a chance to recover!"

Champion was still trying to stand as the Aerodactyl shot towards him like an arrow. "Dodge roll!" Called Kiya as she leapt into a roll off to the side, mirroring her pokemon. Champion moved just in time to avoid the Aerodactyl's talons, which hit the rock where he'd been just moments ago hard. Rising from the ground left the Aerodactyl open for just a moment, so she shouted, "Mach Punch!" Champion leapt from where he knelt on the ground after the roll and his fist flew into the same spot on the Aerodactyl's gut. "Roll out of there!" This time she didn't attempt a follow-up, and Champion was able to get away from it. He was lucky, as the Aerodactyl had charged forward to grab him again without even receiving another order from Brock. No, that wasn't true. He'd told it not to give Champion a chance to recover, so it wouldn't.

After another order to dodge, Champion barely managed to avoid the next charge. The Aerodactyl was much faster than Champion could ever hope to be, but the Hitmonchan's movements were timed and much more efficient, allowing him to dodge the attacks of such a fast pokemon in the first place. Unfortunately, Champion was beginning to grow tired. To dodge an enemy of that speed he required intense concentration and that was becoming increasingly difficult to accomplish as the battle dragged on. It didn't seem like it would be doing so for much longer though when Brock spoke up. "It's amazing that your Hitmonchan can keep up with my Aerodactyl! But that's not going to be enough. Earthquake!"

The flying Pokemon went high into the air before diving straight down, slamming its talons into the ground with much greater force than before. It caused the ground to immediately shake and even break apart in some places, and a shockwave shot out from where the Aerodactyl had landed. No amount of timing and dodging could save Champion this time, as the shockwave sent him flying backwards. Kiya grit her teeth. She and Champion were great martial artists, but martial arts were created for men to defend against other men. Pokemon were different. A strong pokemon was a force of nature, and martial arts didn't train against that.

"Grab it while it's down!" shouted Brock. Champion was struggling to get up after the Earthquake when the Aerodactyl rocketed for him, and it was upon him in seconds, grabbing him by the shoulders.

At that moment, Kiya noticed an opening. "Now, Bullet Punch!" Kiya had felt all of Champion's attacks first hand so she knew that Mach Punch was definitely his strongest attack, but being on the ground like he was at the moment there was no way he would be able to wind his fist back for a good one. Bullet Punch wasn't as strong, but it could be fired off much more quickly and without the wind-up, relying on the number of punches to make up for lost power.

Exploiting the opening between the Aerodactyl grabbing Champion and it taking him into the air, Champion launched his fist forward at a blinding speed, delivering several punches in what looked like a single jab straight into the Aerodactyl's side. The Aerodactyl roared in pain at the hit, surprising Kiya who was under the impression that Mach Punch was stronger, but it still wouldn't go down. Just like before, the Aerodactyl soared into the sky with Champion underfoot, the latter unable to do anything. "This is it," announced Brock. "Finish it with Sky Drop!"

"Endure it!" ordered Kiya right as Champion was being flung to the earth again. He hit the ground and kicked up another cloud of dust, obscuring the result of the battle. The dust thinned, and Champion's silhouette could be seen getting to its knees. Kiya could hear Brock whistle, further impressed.

"Good move, but it won't save you. He can't fight anymore." Brock pointed to Champion as he spoke, and when the dust had completely settled it was clear that he was not only severely injured, but that he was also very tired by the way he panted for breath and slumped a bit in his stance. "It's been past 3 minutes. That number was your- no, his limit, right?"

Kiya hadn't realized that it had already been that long. Brock was right, though. Champion was a powerful fighter, and his Karate skills gave him an advantage against most other, more feral opponents, but the problem was that as a Hitmonchan he had naturally low stamina. He couldn't fight for any longer than 3 minutes without tiring himself out if he fought at his full strength. Kiya looked at the way Champion struggled to continue, then looked at the Aerodactyl, still soaring and strong. It would take a miracle for them to win now. But…

"Lots of energy!" Shouted Kiya, repeating a phrase that Master Kiyo would say to get pumped up. "No matter the pain, the blood, sweat, and tears we shed along the way, we won't stop until we've reached the summit, until we've reached victory! Fwaaa!" With that finishing shout, Kiya stomped on the ground and punched both her fists into each other. Champion did the same, his fighting spirit shining through his exhausted body.

Brock's smile grew wider. "Looks like we're not quite done yet, Aerodactyl! Go, Earthquake!" The airborne Aerodactyl dove straight down into the ground.

There was that move Champion had no way to dodge. "All out attack! Close the distance!" Using every last bit of energy he had left, Champion dashed towards the Aerodactyl in an attempt to get it before it hit the ground. When it looked like he wouldn't make it in time, Champion surprised Kiya by lunging forward and using his Mach Punch to propel himself, a clever idea she wouldn't have thought of. It made her wonder whether or not he really even needed her there.

She couldn't think about that now, though. Not at such a crucial point in the match. The Mach Punch didn't take him all the way, but it brought him close enough. "Bullet Punch!" The Aerodactyl had nearly hit the ground, its talons pointed downward already, when Champion struck it in its gut where he'd been striking for most of the match. Unfortunately, the lighter nature of Bullet Punch meant that it would not be enough to stop the speeding Rock pokemon, and it still managed to slam into the ground. "Endure!" Called Kiya the moment she heard the Aerodactyl's crash, and while the shockwaves from the crash still knocked Champion back, he was able to stand up again, although it took a significant amount of effort from the looks of it.

The Aerodactyl also seemed to struggle a bit to rise, having taken damage from the off-balance landing. It almost looked like it was going to double over, Champion's concentrated hits to its gut finally taking their toll, but the creature righted itself and roared loudly into the air. Champion, on the other hand, wobbled in place, barely able to stand. It seemed like this next move would be one that decided the winner. Kiya was determined to have it be Champion. "Bullet Punch!" She shouted as loud as she could.

"Rock Slide!" Countered Brock. The Aerodactyl stomped and roared loudly, forcing rocks down from the gym's stone ceiling, and at the same time Champion lunged forward and threw his fist. However, as Champion's fist moved forward, so did his body, continuing until it fell limply on the stone floor. He had fainted from exhaustion. The falling rocks slammed into the Hitmonchan's motionless form, ensuring that even if he did somehow find another surge of energy, it wouldn't be enough for him to get back up. Thus, the battle was over.
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Benny had slept well. Efa had him up early, but she rushed out the door before he could even blink. She was back within twenty minutes showing off her new Boulder Badge. She told him she had spent the whole night thinking of a new strategy to beat Brock and had finally figured out a good plan of attack. Benny was slightly hurt she hadn't waited for him, but now they could head onwards to the next gym. Benny was packed up and ready as Efa entered from the bedroom. Squirt and Zen waddled behind her, happy and proud of their victory.

"Good work, you two," said Benny, bending down and patting Squirt on the head. Zen hugged at his leg and he pat her head as well. He looked up and smiled at Efa, who said, "Ready to go? We can get through the caverns by noon if we leave right away!" Benny nodded. They thanked his father's friend again for the night and headed off. Rillo was on Benny's shoulder as they entered the outskirts of the city. She was excited and bounced between his shoulder and Efa's, taking in every sight there was. Squirt was stuffed into Efa's bag, snuggled nicely and enjoying the cool breeze of the mountainous region. Zen squeezed herself into Benny's bag as well, comfortable around the young man quickly. Clearly they weren't in a mood to be in their Pokeballs. Indigo was the only Pokemon in her ball and she was quite content with that.

Benny and Efa reached the edge of the rock-laden path and breathed in the misty air. It was still early in the day and the morning dew shined on the shrubs and trees. The wild Pokemon were calling out to each other and packs of Spearow fluttered from one tree to the next. Benny was taking it all in and loving it. He turned to Efa and said, "Let's not rush. I just want to enjoy the beauty here, especially you."

He felt his heart sink to his stomach, then his stomach hit his throat. He hadn't meant to say that. He meant to say he wanted to enjoy the scenery with her. He looked at her quickly. She wasn't looking at him, but up over at a fluttering Hoothoot. She didn't say anything, but kept walking.

It was silent for what felt like an hour, except the crunching of their feet under gravel and the ambient noises around them. Rillo was back on Benny's shoulder, but she gave him a confident smile. Benny didn't want to stutter with his words and kept silent after his gaffe, so he felt less confident than her. They approached a small bridge near a stream and Efa stopped. Benny had been looking at the stream in appreciation of the beauty and realized she wasn't next to him, stopping quickly. He turned back to face her. She was smiling at him and finally spoke, "I want to catch a Pokemon here!" She grabbed his hand and began crossing the bridge.

"Ho there!" Benny and Efa stopped halfway across the bridge. A large man was approaching from the other side of the bridge. He was dressed well for the rocky ground and looked quite winded, but he smiled at them. As he stepped onto the bridge, Efa held Benny's hand tighter. Thank you, sir. Benny was practically melting. The man stopped directly in front of them, smiling and stretching his back.


"You kids fixin' to head through the mountain?" he asked in his booming voice. Benny noticed a few Pokeballs on his belt as he stretched.

"Yeah, we just received our Boulder Badges," said Efa nervously. Squirt and Zen heard the nerves in her voice and pounced out from the bags. Rillo remained vigilant on Benny's shoulder. "Are you a trainer?"

"Back in my youth, I surely was," said the hiker, chuckling. "I got myself a few badges, just like yours. Almost became the champ of the Elite Four even! Har!"

"Well, maybe we'll get as close as you someday too!" said Benny, slightly intimidated by the man's size. The hiker had just noticed Squirt and Zen on the bridge and bent over to look at them.

"How are you two doing today?" he asked. Zen looked up at Efa, then said Clef. Squirt nodded at the hiker. "Har! Clever little buggers, aren't they? Well then, kids, onto business. They call me the Toll Troll. I'm no horror story villain, but this here is my bridge. Most folks don't cross here, but up the road some. Guess you two stumbled onto my land. Now...it's no problem and this is a shorter path up to the mountain, but there's a price."

Efa looked at Benny and got closer to him, nervous at the man's sudden seriousness. Benny eyed the Toll Troll and said, "Well, we aren't interested in paying anything, so we'll head back. Sorry for th-"

The Toll Troll cut him off, "Now wait a second! Har! I just said I'm no bad guy! All I ask for is a quick battle! If you give me a good show, I let you pass. I didn't mean to scare you two, my goodness!"

The Toll Troll laughed heartily and the echo sounded in the quiet little enclosure. "Yeah, that'd be okay with us," said Efa before Benny could even interject. Well...guess we're going to battle!

The Toll Troll grabbed three Pokeballs off his belt. He smiled wider than ever and tossed the three Pokeballs up in the air. Out burst forth a Nidoqueen, a Stantler, and a Pikachu.


Benny and Efa looked at each other. This guy meant business. Benny was pretty sure this was going to end poorly for them, then they'd be out a few hours of travel time and their Pokemon would be weakened. "Uh...listen, we're just going to..." Benny started, but Rillo jumped off his shoulder and landed, giving a leer to Nidoqueen, who towered high above even the Toll Troll.

Efa looked at Benny and said, "I guess we're battling."

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