Entering The World Of Pokemon

As soon as Brock let out his Geodude, I realized I had no idea what the hell to do. I have a Pikachu. Geodude and Onix are BOTH ground types.

This badge was not going to be easy…

“Go, Cinna!” I yelled, trying to sound completely confident in my abilities. “Uh…quick attack!”

Brock’s Geodude was knocked backwards slightly. “Rock throw!” he yelled.

Oh no. That’s super effective, isn’t it?

I squeezed my eyes shut, unwilling to watch Cinna get one hit KO’d. This was going to be highly embarrassing, I clearly wasn’t ready for this gym…

“Pika!” Cinna screeched angrily. There was a slight zapping noise, and Brock’s laugh.
“You can’t use electric attacks on a Geodude! They don’t affect ground types!”

I opened my eyes hesitantly. Cinna was perfectly unscathed, though he was fuming with frustration. He’d dodged the attack, but seemed to have retaliated on his own because I was too busy waiting for him to faint. I smiled, relieved and proud. Cinna huffed back at me.

“That’s why I told you to use quick attack,” I informed him.

Brock’s Geodude came in for a tackle, but Cinna dodged again. A smile spread across my face. I had an idea.

“Just keep using double team!” I commanded. I’d seen a trainer do that once, and it had been near impossible to hit a single attack on his pokemon.

It worked like a charm. I could tell Brock was getting frustrated as Cinna danced circles around his Geodude, his face had gone red and his voice was raising. After a while, the Geodude eventually faded.

Cinna stopped, panting desperately and giving me a look of death. That had taken at least five quick attacks, not to mention quite a few double teams. He was clearly exhausted.

“Alright, fine…”

I withdrew him and sent out Volio, my Magikarp. I knew it stood no chance against Brock’s Onix, but at least Cinna could get a little bit of rest.

“Splash,” I said dully.

Volio splashed. Nothing happened.

Brock had his Onix use tackle, and that was it. Cinna was back in.

“Double team!”

“Rock throw!”

“Double team!”

“Rock throw!”

It was a stalemate sort of situation for a while – Brock couldn’t manage to hit, and Cinna couldn’t get an attack move in.

But, as was probably inevitable…Onix got a hit.

Cinna was knocked backwards mid-jump as the rocks hit him, smashing into the ground, bouncing limply, and skidding to a stop. One of my hands went up to my mouth. “Cinna?”

His leg twitched limply.

“C’mon, get up!” I urged. “You can do it!”

A hand patted my shoulder. “He’s fainted. Sorry, kid.”

I whirled on Brock, anger surging in me. I couldn’t believe I’d come this close just to lose to some stupid rock pokemon. Have I mentioned I don’t like rock pokemon?

“You put up a good fight,” Brock said encouragingly. “Maybe come back when you’re a little older and you can try again.”

“Okay,” I snapped. “I may be short, but I’m sixteen years old.”

“Really?” Brock laughed.

“Yeah! And I regret to inform you, but you haven’t won yet. I’ve got one more pokemon!” I rummaged through my bag and pulled out a pokeball.

I honestly had no idea what was in it. My father had given it to me before I left, but I’d neglected to use it. I wasn’t a kid anymore, I could be a pokemon trainer without help. Plus…no offense to my father, but he didn’t know too much about training and battling with pokemon. He was too absorbed in Silph Co.

Praying it was a water type, I tossed the pokeball. “Go, Cato!”

Did I just randomly name it? You bet I did.

Something snakelike and light blue popped out of the pokeball. Its underside was white, and there were funny finlike things sticking out of the sides of its head. I stared.

“Oh, a Dratini?” Brock asked curiously. “Well, bring it on!”

Dratini? I’d never seen that pokemon before. I think I’d heard of them, but they were pretty uncommon. It was a dragon type, wasn’t it?

Dragon type attacks…uh…”Dragon rage!”

Some sort of purple flames flew from Cato and knocked the Onix backwards. It fell spectacularily, shaking the floor with its weight.

“Okay, so maybe you really are sixteen,” Brock admitted with a smile. “Sorry about that. Here’s your badge.”

I withdrew Cato and picked up Cinna gently.

If I was truthful with myself, I’d never expected to win that thing. And I wouldn’t have, if not for a random Dratini. So maybe my father isn’t a complete idiot when it comes to pokemon.

I headed off to meet the others at the pokemon center, grinning all the way.