"Sigh…"
Brock watched Pikachu leap down from Yuuto's shoulder and let out a deep sigh. He raised a hand to rub his brow, the helplessness in his squinted eyes practically overflowing.
"These young people today…"
"I've said it so many times—this is a Rock-type Gym. Rock-type, Ground-type, highly resistant to Electric attacks. Don't you understand?"
He seemed to be talking to himself while also offering Yuuto one final piece of instructional advice.
"Forget it."
He shook his head and refocused on the arena.
"Geodude, let's give him a little 'failure education.' Use Rock Throw!"
The round Geodude let out a muffled growl. Its two rocky arms slammed fiercely into the ground.
**Boom!**
The arena floor trembled. Several sharp, head-sized rocks suddenly broke free from the wall above Pikachu and hurtled downward. The attack was fast and covered a wide area—a classic opening move meant to panic novice Trainers and expose their poor command and reaction skills.
Brock crossed his arms, expecting the challenger to fumble and shout "Quick, dodge it!"
However, Yuuto remained perfectly calm.
"To the front left. Quick Attack. After dodging Rock Throw, approach in an arc."
The moment the command was given, Pikachu's tiny body glowed with white light. It shot forward like a streak of white lightning, slipping through the narrow gap between two falling rocks with extreme precision.
Not only did it completely evade the attack, but its trajectory also curved smoothly, heading straight for Geodude's flank.
Brock's squinted eyes opened a fraction wider.
*Huh?*
*This reaction… doesn't look like a complete beginner.*
Still, he stayed composed.
Geodude's defenses were extremely high. Even if Pikachu landed a physical hit, it should barely scratch it.
"Geodude, hold steady. Use Defense Curl, then wait for it to crash into you."
He wanted to see just how weak this Pikachu's attack really was.
Geodude immediately retracted its limbs into its body. A faint glow covered its rocky surface, making it rounder and even more solid—like an immovable boulder ready to take the impact.
A glint of understanding flashed in Yuuto's eyes.
*A Defense buff? Perfect.*
"Pikachu. Quick Attack followed by Tackle. Target directly ahead—full power."
Pikachu's charging speed surged. Before the white glow of Quick Attack had even faded, it shifted its body slightly, gathering all its force into its shoulder and side, then slammed violently into the rounded rock.
**Thud!**
Geodude was knocked backward, tumbling twice across the arena.
Thanks to the level advantage, Pikachu's Tackle was surprisingly effective.
Brock's brow furrowed for the first time.
*This impact force… something's wrong!*
How could a Pikachu's weight and Tackle power be strong enough to knock back a Geodude using Defense Curl?
Before he could process it, Yuuto's next command rang out.
"Pikachu, Thunderbolt—point-blank range."
*What?*
Brock's head snapped up.
*Thunderbolt?*
*This Pikachu knows Thunderbolt? How is that possible?*
*Does it have such a high level? Or is it an abnormal talent…?*
Pikachu landed steadily. Facing Geodude, which had just regained its balance less than three meters away, it unleashed a devastating point-blank Thunderbolt.
Even then, Brock was ready with his next command. He believed Geodude's level was close enough that it could still counterattack after taking the hit.
Unfortunately, the doubled power from the Light Ball left Geodude no chance. It didn't even get to scream. Its eyes spun into swirls as it fell stiffly to the ground, smoke rising from its body. It was unable to battle.
The entire Gym fell silent.
Only the faint crackle of residual electricity lingered in the air.
In the stands, Brock's younger siblings—who had been chattering excitedly moments earlier—now stared with wide eyes and open mouths, small hands covering their faces in shock.
"G-Geodude… lost?"
"It was defeated… by Pikachu?"
"That yellow Pokémon… is so… so strong!"
Brock remained silent for a full five seconds before quietly recalling the defeated Geodude.
When he looked up again, his squinted eyes were fully open. Though still narrow, they no longer held any contempt or carelessness—only deep shock and intense scrutiny.
"Thunderbolt… and a Thunderbolt with such concentrated power and precise control…"
He stared at the slightly panting but bright-eyed Pikachu, then at the calm-faced Yuuto across the field.
"Absolute power that overcomes type disadvantages… Unbelievable."
"A rookie Trainer and a single Pikachu…"
"I apologize for underestimating you earlier."
Brock's voice grew serious and solemn.
"You and your Pikachu are truly formidable."
He took another Poké Ball from his waist.
"However, to earn the Pewter Gym Badge, this level alone is not enough!"
"Come out—Onix!!!"
**ROAR!!!**
A deep, powerful roar accompanied the burst of white light. A massive figure crashed heavily onto the rocky arena.
Its segmented body, made of hard boulders, gleamed with a cold, dark-gray luster under the dim lights. Its enormous rocky head lowered, cold eyes locking onto the tiny Pikachu below. Its mere presence brought a crushing sense of oppression.
[Pokémon: Onix]
[Level: Common (Lv20)]
"It's Big Brother's Onix! Yay!"
The brief silence in the stands was instantly shattered. Brock's younger siblings jumped up excitedly, faces flushed with enthusiasm.
"Go, Big Brother! You'll definitely win with Onix!"
"That's Onix! The strongest Pokémon in the world!"
"Big Brother is invincible!"
Their cheers were filled with pure trust and adoration.
"Hah?"
Misty, standing nearby, was clearly displeased. She planted her hands on her hips and jutted her chin toward the stands.
"Strongest? What do a bunch of brats know! It's just an Onix. My Starmie could blast it to pieces with one Hydro Pump! Water beats Rock and Ground—quadruple damage! Don't you know anything?"
She had already decided to start arguing with the children.
Yuuto paid no attention to Misty's complaints or the kids' cheers. He calmly raised his hand.
"Pikachu, come back!"
Pikachu agilely returned to his side.
This deliberate switch made Brock's eyes narrow again.
*An intentional switch? In a Gym battle against the Leader, calmly conserving stamina and choosing a better matchup?*
*This tactical awareness… he really isn't an ordinary rookie!*
His opinion of Yuuto rose another notch.
"Pidgeotto, the rest is up to you."
Hearing that Yuuto was switching to Pidgeotto, Brock's lips curled slightly. *A Flying-type again? Rookies really are rookies after all.*
But when Yuuto threw the Poké Ball and the ridiculously huge figure began to materialize in the white light, Brock's serious expression cracked once more.
The cheers from the children in the stands were suddenly choked off.
Pidgeotto's enormous wings spread wide, casting a shadow that covered nearly half the arena. Its massive body—far exceeding any normal specimen—showed smooth, powerful muscle lines and eyes sharp as blades. A strong predatory aura radiated outward.
Brock's squinted eyes widened to their absolute limit.
He nearly blurted out, "It's a Pidgeot!"
But Yuuto's calm voice shattered the illusion.
"Pidgeotto, prepare for battle."
*Pi… Pidgeotto?*
Brock felt a wave of confusion.
*You're calling that a Pidgeotto? With that size and presence, I'd believe it if you said it was a giant Pidgeot!*
He stared hard at the colossal bird, using his professional Gym Leader instincts to calm down and examine its features carefully. The shape of the crest feathers, the length of the tail, the sharpness of its gaze… they were indeed those of a Pidgeotto.
But… wasn't it *far* too big?
After the initial shock, the children in the stands erupted into even louder noise.
"It's so big!"
"It's so fierce!"
"Big Brother… can Onix still win?"
"O-Of course it can! Big Brother's Onix is big too!"
Though they kept cheering, their voices now carried a hint of uncertainty.
Brock took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the storm in his heart.
*A Pikachu with super-charged electric power… and now a giant, mutated Pidgeotto… Just what is the background of this rookie Trainer?*
Still, as an experienced Gym Leader, he quickly regained his composure.
*No matter how big it is, it's still a Flying-type! Attacking a Rock-type Onix is still a type disadvantage! The advantage remains mine!*
"Onix!" Brock's voice regained its steady authority as he launched the first attack. "Use Smack Down!"
Onix's gigantic tail whipped up and slammed into a protruding rock nearby. Several millstone-sized, sharp-edged boulders were blasted forward like cannonballs, whistling through the air toward the hovering Pidgeotto and covering every possible escape route.
The execution was fast and vicious—clearly the result of countless hours of practiced coordination.
However, the giant Pidgeotto displayed terrifying agility that completely contradicted its massive size. It effortlessly let the first two rocks pass, then executed a light, dizzying left spin in mid-air, slipping perfectly through the gaps between the others. Finally, it suddenly retracted its wings, pausing strangely in the air and allowing the last two boulders to harmlessly cut past its face.
**Perfect evasion.**
"That size… and it still has that kind of speed?" Brock's understanding of Pidgeotto was completely overturned.
"Rock Slide! Continuous attack!"
Onix roared and shook its massive head, hurling more rocks in a relentless barrage that enveloped Pidgeotto like a storm of stone.
Yuuto's gaze, however, remained calmly fixed on Onix's body—especially the joints connecting its rocky segments. As the serpent launched its continuous attacks and made large movements, the rotation and twisting of those joints were clearly exposed to both his sight and Aura perception.
*That's the spot.*
The weakest point in its defense, and the critical location most likely to trigger a chain reaction throughout its entire body upon impact.
"Pidgeotto."
Yuuto's voice cut clearly through the roaring sound of shattering rock.
"Quick Attack—circle around to the side, between its third and fourth joints. Then Wing Attack, full power."
Pidgeotto let out a long, piercing cry that seemed capable of splitting stone and piercing clouds.
The guaranteed first-move priority of Quick Attack made it nearly impossible for the slow Onix to defend.
Brock knew Onix's weakness, but he hadn't prepared special defenses because he believed a Flying-type wouldn't dare approach closely.
He had miscalculated.
"Onix! Quickly retreat underground! Use Dig!"
Brock's reaction was fast, but it was too late.
Pidgeotto had already reached the optimal attack position. Sharp currents of air surged around the edges of its wings. Its massive body carried all the kinetic energy of its diving acceleration as it channeled every ounce of power into its wings.
It slammed down fiercely on the joint between Onix's third and fourth rocky segments!
A clear, teeth-grinding *crunch* rang out—like rock splintering.
**Direct hit.**
Unbelievably precise.
Onix let out a painful howl. The rock at the struck joint instantly fractured into spiderweb cracks. More importantly, the terrifying impact force was transmitted straight through that weakest point into the rest of its massive body, causing violent structural vibration and imbalance.
**Rumble…**
Onix's mountain-like body crashed sideways, smashing heavily onto the rocky arena and kicking up clouds of dust. It struggled to lift its head, but the intense pain and structural misalignment prevented it from exerting any strength. The light in its eyes quickly dimmed. Finally, unwillingly, it closed them and lost the ability to battle.
The dust slowly settled.
Absolute silence filled the Gym.
In the stands, Brock's younger siblings stood frozen with their mouths agape, small hands clenched tightly, eyes wide with disbelief.
Their "strongest brother in the world"… and his Onix… had lost?
Defeated in a single hit by that impossibly huge bird?
Brock stood frozen in place.
This rookie Trainer had defeated him again in a way he had thought impossible.
It was truly unbelievable.
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