DPA: Rivals

Chapter 17: Stop Brock And Roll

"I want to thank you for your help the other day," Brock said, cracking his knuckles. "Pewter City would be in a lot worse condition if you two and Evan hadn't stepped in."

"It was nothing, really," Cameron said, adjusting his now lens-free glasses. "We're happy to help."

"We had no choice but to step in. It was the right thing to do," Daryon said, beaming from ear to ear, thoroughly enjoying being praised by someone of such high status. "Anytime you need us, we'll be here!"

"I'm happy to hear that," Brock chuckled. "Now, normally I would never offer this, but given the incredible circumstances, I would like to reward you for your valiant efforts in saving this city by granting both of you the Boulder Badge." He reached into his pocket, pulling out two small silver stones, intricately carved and smoothed, pins attached.

Daryon took one, looking at it for a second, before handing it back. "Thanks, really, but..."

"You'd like to earn it the old fashioned way," Brock said. Daryon nodded. "And you, Cameron?"

"The same," Cameron replied.

Brock put both badges back into his pocket. "I can respect that. Now, which of you would like to battle me first?"

"Me!" Cameron and Daryon both blurted out.

"Eager, aren't we? Well, I heard Cameron speak up first, so Daryon, if you would please join your friends over at the bleachers.

"Awww..." Daryon whined, kicking some dirt before joining Skye, Max and Vince on the sidelines, while Cameron and Brock each walked over to their respective sides of the battlefield.

"You'll get a chance," Skye said, putting a hand on Daryon's shoulder. "Heck, I might even battle him myself."

"Really?" Daryon replied, surprised.

"Yeah, it seems like it could be fun-"

"Shush!" Max interrupted, pointing at the battlefield. "The match is about to start."

"Are you ready?" Brock asked, selecting a Pokéball from his belt.

"Yes I am," Cameron said, doing the same.

There was a moment of silence, as the two looked over each other, each sizing the other up. Then, both of them threw their Pokéballs Brock releasing his Geodude, and Cameron sending out his Weedle.

"WHAT?!" Daryon stood up, dumbfounded. "Cam, why would you choose Weedle?!"

Skye grabbed the back of his shirt, pushing him down. "Shut up, he's trying to focus," she scolded.

Geodude rolls forward towards Weedle at a breakneck pace, gliding through the dirt like a bowling ball on a lane, with Weedle as the pin. Geodude smacked into Weedle, practically running Hairy Bug Pokémon over before turning around, rolling a safe distance away before Weedle could retaliate. Geodude then bolted forward, ready to deliver a second Tackle.

"Tetherball Maneuver!" Cameron shouted.

Weedle nodded, firing a String Shot at the oncoming Geodude, who wasn't nimble enough to change directions. Webbing wrapped around Geodude, not unlike a lasso, and, faster than the drop of a Hatterene, Weedle used Geodude's momentum against it, swinging it around and smashing it against several of the boulders that had been placed at random points around the gym. After a few seconds of this, Weedle let go of the webbing, sending Geodude flying through the air before colliding with one of the Gym's brick walls. Geodude had been knocked out. By a Weedle.

Daryon stared intensely at the fallen Geodude as his memory flashed back to the training they had all worked on while traversing through Viridian Forest.

"Remember summer camp, back when we were around Max's age?" Cameron said as Bulbasaur and Pikachu sparred back and forth.

"Bulbasaur, really put some force into that Tackle of yours-yeah, I remember; what about it?" Daryon replied, his attention still mostly focused on Bulbasaur's training.

"What was that game that we played all summer called? There was the ball attached to the rope, and we would hit it back and forth?"

"Uh, tetherball, I think-Bulbasaur, buddy, it isn't Tackling if you're using your vines."

"Ah, now I remember," Cameron said, pushing his glasses up his nose. "I'm trying to find ways to explore new avenues for Weedle's String Shot."

"You should keep doing that, Cameron-that's much better, Bulbasaur! Good job!"

"Bulba!"

Had Daryon been paying closer attention, maybe Weedle's surprise victory wouldn't have, well, surprised him this much.

His attention was shifted back to the present as Weedle began to glow, energy bursting out from inside, surrounding Weedle, changing shape, before coming to a halt, as what was once Weedle was now something else. Weedle had evolved into a Kakuna.

Every single person in the room gasped in amazement, including Brock, who immediately followed it up with a few claps. "Congratulations, Cameron, that was really amazing work so far."

"T-Thank you," Cameron stuttered, kneeling down and smiling at his newly evolved friend. Kakuna looked up at him, letting out a happy buzzing noise before slowly rolling its body to face Brock, ready to continue fighting.

"You defeated Geodude, and I'm really impressed with how quickly you did so," Brock said, returning Geodude to its Pokéball, which he clipped back onto his belt before taking another Pokéball off of it. "Let me warn you though, I still have one more Pokémon, and you won't defeat this one so easily. I hope you're ready."

Cameron stood up, smiling, feeling more confident than he ever had before. "Absolutely."

Brock sent out his Onix, a big hulking beast of a Rock Snake Pokémon , easily more than ten times Kakuna's size.

Before Cameron even has time to blink, Onix brings its tail down, smashing a nearby rock and sending chunks of it flying upwards. Onix then smacks its tail against one of these large fragments, hurling it towards Kakuna. Kakuna manages to use Harden just before the rock hits, lessening the damage. Kakuna moves a few feet towards Onix before Onix uses another Rock Throw, which Kakuna responds to with another Harden. This sequence repeats for a few minutes: Kakuna moves a few feet closer, Onix uses Rock Throw, Kakuna uses Harden. Kakuna moves a few feet closer, Onix uses Rock Throw, Kakuna uses Harden. Eventually, Kakuna manages to get close enough to Onix to deliver a Poison Sting to the enemy Onix, just seconds before a final Rock Throw knocks it out.

Cameron returns Kakuna to its Pokéball, sending out Mudkip. "Fountain Hop!" Cameron orders.

Daryon let out a laugh, as he remembered another moment from Viridian Forest.

"Holy Spritzee, that Water Gun is strong," Daryon said, staring at the remains of a fallen tree that Mudkip had blasted down with a Water Gun blast just seconds before, a rapid burst of water shooting from the Mud Fish Pokémon's mouth like a fireman's hose. The attack had been powerful enough that Mudkip had to grip onto the ground with its feet.

Mudkip shot a Water Gun downwards, towards the ground. The force of the blast shot Mudkip straight upwards, out of the path of an oncoming Rock Throw.

Onix continued to attack, Rock Throw after Rock Throw, Mudkip continuously propelling itself out of harm's way. Each Rock Throw became progressively less powerful, as Kakuna's poison slowly chipped away at Onix's health. After ten minutes, Onix collapsed on the ground, the poison having knocked it out.

Cameron had won.