long ago. It was a rather uneventful trip, but Matt had shown Erik his full complement:

Pidgeot, Onix, Beedrill, and the rare Kangaskahn. Even with that team, Kangaskahn was

the weakest, only at level 14. Matt had been training it since level 3, which was how he

had managed to catch it with then Pidgeotto.

Erik, in turn, showed Matt his own team. Bulby, Oddball, Gusty, and Buttergirl.

Matt explained that he would nickname his Pokémon, but he just couldn’t think of any.

Never the less, they arrived at the end of the day, and sat a moment enjoying the

sunset before stepping into the city. Erik had read about the Pewter City’s gym. A

Pokémon gym was a place where a Pokémon Trainer could compete for a badge, but only

badges from gyms that the Pokémon League had authorized counted into challenging the

Elite Four, the ultimate team of Trainers. Pewter Gym was the first gym, and the easiest.

Erik had also learned that the gym leader was an early riser by the name of Rockellie.

Erik started straight for the gym, but Matt placed a hand on his shoulder, holding

him back.

"You’ll fight best in the morning. Besides, I want the badge too, so let’s get it

together. Okay?" he said.

"I guess you’re right. In the morning then. Anywhere to stay?" Erik asked,

reluctantly agreeing with Matt’s advice.

"Okay, you don’t seem to know this, but the Pokécenters don’t just heal

Pokémon. They have an entire wing for Trainers to spend the night." Matt chided.

Walking to the Pokécenter, Erik had Matt healed their Pokémon, then got a room.

As soon as they were inside, they fed their Pokémon while the other showered.

Sitting down at a small table in the room, they discussed strategy. Finally, Matt went into

a long lecture.

"Okay, Rockellie used three Pokémon, Graveler, Golem, and Onix. The tradition

is to use rock type Pokémon, since this is a rock city. Pewter. In case you don’t already

know, Erik, you should have a good advantage. Bulby’s a grass type, which is strong

against Rockellie’s Grass type. Plus Bulby’s at level 83, so you should beat him with no

prob. As for me, Onix might do, since he’s at level 22,but Pidgeot is weak against rock

type. Beedrill might be able to win, if he were a higher level, and Kangaskahn, even if

he’s a grass type, is too low to stand a chance. I might have to borrow Oddball, ‘k?"

Matt said, summing just about everything up.

"Sure." Was Erik’s short and direct response. It was nice to have someone talking

instead of being alone, Erik decided. And with that, they were asleep as soon as they hit

the pillows.

<><><>

Erik opened the door of a large gray building marked simply as "Pewter City

Gym". Inside, several shouts could be heard. Erik stepped inside, along with Matt, and

looked around, his eyes just adjusting to the dim light.

"What do you mean I can’t take over? I passed all the tests and you said you

wanted someone young!" a boy about eleven was shouting at a figure in the shadows,

standing.

"I told you already," the figure said, his voice cold and hard. "It’s not anything to

do with you except that you’re way too young! I wanted someone thirteen or fourteen!

Come back when you’ve grown up, Brock." He said.

The boy Brock hesitated for a moment. "Then I challenge you! You can’t deny a

challenge, but this is for the gym! If I win, then I become Gym Leader. If you win, I’ll

never bother here again! Two Pokémon each!" he shouted.

With a smirk, the figure jumped and landed on a small, chalk rectangle. "Then let

the battle begin. Rockellie chooses, Golem!" he shouted, throwing a Pokéball into the

middle of the ring.

Brock, having drawn back to another white, chalk circle on the opposite side of

the gym, drew back a Pokéball of his own.

"Geodude, let’s go!" he cried, throwing the ball into the ring as well. Both balls

struck the ground, opening to reveal the Trainer’s Pokémon. Brock’s Geodude looked

like Team Rockets, Erik decided, while Golem looked like a big, cracked boulder with

arms, legs, and a snake head.

So engrossed in the battle was Erik that he didn’t think to bring out Dexboy.

"Geodude! Use the speed tackle I taught you!" Brock cried, and Geodude sped to

a blur, moving around Golem. Erik could just make out Geodude making swipes

incredibly fast. In a moment, Geodude was panting, and Golem was on the ground.

"Nice, original move. Golem, return. Graveler, I choose you!" Rockellie shouted

as he put away Golem’s Pokéball and threw another. This one looked like a cross

between Golem and Geodude. Suddenly noticing the similarities, Erik decided that

Graveler and Golem must be the evolved forms of Geodude, or something like that.

"Geodude, return!" Brock called bringing back Geodude and pulling out another

Pokéball. "Onix, go!" he cried.

The huge snake formed from energy, and almost touched the incredibly high roof.

"Underground!" Brock cried.

"Defense curl!" Rockellie cried as Onix leapt up and burrowed under the ground.

Graveler curled up tightly, but that only made it easier to hit as Onix burst from

underneath it, blowing it towards the ceiling.

"Graveler, return!" Rockellie cried before Graveler could exit by way of the roof.

"Nice victory. But what do you plan to do about the holes in my floor?" he asked.

"Onix, return. I don’t plan to fight on my floor. I’m going to install a field of

rocks, so that it will give me a slight advantage." Brock called as he brought Onix back,

Rockellie walking towards the exit.

"Wait a second!" Matt cried. "Who do we fight for a badge?" he wondered.

Without turning, Rockellie called, "Him. Good luck, Brock." And he was gone.

Matt was the first person to speak. "Well, are we going to battle or not?" he

asked.

"Brock smirked at him. "Alright! One Pokémon each, agreed?"

Matt eagerly pulled out a Pokéball. "Agreed. Let’s go, Onix!" he called,

throwing a Pokéball, releasing the giant Pokémon.

Brock’s face showed his surprise, but it quickly faded. "Looks like a grudge

match. Onix, we can beat him!" he cried, throwing his own Pokéball. Brock’s Onix was

completely identical with Matt’s, just a couple of feet shorter.

"Onix! Tunnel!" Matt yelled, and Onix burrowed a hole in the floor of the gym.

"Follow it, Onix!" Brock cried, but it was too late.

Matt’s Onix burst out of the ground and knocked aside Brock’s. The two rock

Pokémon engaged in a fierce and fast paced battle, diving and lunging around each other

so fast that when one fell, defeated, neither Brock nor Matt had any idea who had won.

"Uh, Onix, return!" Brock called, pointing his Pokéball at the standing Onix. The

soft red beam struck it, but did nothing. Brock tried the same with the Onix on the

ground, but this time, the giant rock snake came into the Pokéball.

"Guess you won." Brock said, shaking Matt’s hand and giving him a Boulder

badge. Matt happily pinned the badge on the inside of his vest. Tagging Erik’s hand on

his way back, he said, "You’re up!"

Brock, with Onix defeated, chose Geodude. Erik used Oddball, and KOed

Geodude with a single Vine Whip. Erik pinned his own Badge, won almost too easily,

on the inside of his plaid. Erik looked at his plaid as he walked outside. It was the only

part of him that was dirty, and it was torn. Deciding to buy a vest, Erik questioned Matt

about it.

Matt said he knew where a store was, and Erik bought a rather expensive gray and

black vest, which he pinned his badge to. Using Matt’s map, they walked out of town,

still early in the morning, they headed out of Pewter City, and towards the next challenge:

Mount Moon.