Pokémon Platinum - Here's To Sinnoh!

8. | Victory

Image: stardroidjean (Deviantart)

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"Let's give it our all in there!" Dawn said as she looked down at the two poké balls in her hands, smiling big in excitement. She was currently standing outside Oreburgh's gym, giving herself and her team a pep talk, while also chanting in her head that it won't be the end of the world if she happened to lose. "I'm gonna get the badge before Barry and rub it in his face!"

With a calming breath, she finally entered the building. An older man approached her, offering a kind smile, and greeted her. "Now, if you didn't know beforehand, our gym leader specializes in rock-type pokémon." Dawn eagerly nodded, relieved at the fact that this could go swimmingly. "Rock-types really hate water, yeah? They're also weak to grass-type moves! But don't you go thinking that it's gonna be that simple," he continued, which made the girl's expression fall. "You don't get to be a gym leader without covering for weaknesses. Okay, that's all the advice I can give! Thanks for listening!"

Dawn hummed in reply, trying not to overthink anything, then moved ahead. The interior of the gym reminded her of a cave – fit for a rock-type trainer. There were elevated platforms with stairs leading up to them and bridges connecting them, so she had the option to skip the two trainers before the gym leader. But, who in the world would do that?

The first trainer was a younger boy with a Geodude that didn't last long against Nagisa's Bubble (and didn't even get a chance to do anything). Same thing with the next kid, another Geodude. Although, he also had an Onix up his sleeve. The huge pokémon tried to bind Nagisa but couldn't seem to catch the smaller creature due to how nimble he was. It took two Bubble attacks before it went down.

"Pip, pip!" Nagisa chirped in joy, his beak glowing white and extending for a few seconds.

"Oh, hey." Dawn took out her pokédex to scan him; the Piplup had just learned Peck. That move would surely come in handy against a bug or grass pokémon. With that, she stored away the device and then the duo headed up to the last platform that was big enough for a battlefield.

The man with the burgundy hair awaited them at the end, greeting them welcomely. "This is the Oreburgh City Pokémon Gym. My name is Roark, and I'm but one trainer who decided to walk proudly with rock-type pokémon. As the gym leader, I need to see your potential as a trainer, as well as the toughness of the pokémon that battle with you. Are you ready?"

Dawn nodded and took her respective spot on one side of the battlefield while Roark took the other – Nagisa, of course, moving to stand several feet in front of his trainer. Dawn wasn't surprised that the gym leader sent out a Geodude; in fact, she sorta called it.

Given the first move, she had Nagisa attack with Bubble, something that Geodude fell to real quick. Dawn couldn't help punching the air a little, whispering a yes. "Now, don't get too excited," Roark remarked with an amused smile as he returned his pokémon and then switched it out with an Onix. The snake-like creature bellowed loudly before releasing Screech from its huge maw upon the order of its trainer.

Nagisa flinched and covered his ears, whimpering in fear. He failed to catch Dawn's call and, therefore, found himself captured in Onix's Bind. "Luuup!!" He cried as the rock/ground-type gave him a good squeeze.

"You're gonna be fine! You can get yourself out of there if you snap out of it and use Bubble!" Dawn once again called out to him. Thankfully the little guy heard her loud and clear this time, craning his head to deliver the attack to Onix's face. Groaning, the huge creature finally released him. Nagisa did his best to deliver another, stronger, Bubble and managed to take down his opponent. "Good job, buddy! Come on back here so I can heal you."