[Geodude ♂ — Level 15 — Elite-tier]
The moment Gary saw Geodude's level, he understood Brock wasn't an ordinary "beginner Gym" leader. At the very least, Brock's fundamentals were solid.
"Squirtle, I'm counting on you."
Gary tossed his Poké Ball and released Squirtle.
"Squirtle!"
Squirtle faced Geodude with confidence. It had battled Geodude on Route 3 yesterday—Water Gun had ended the fight instantly. There was no reason to be nervous.
Brock's eyes narrowed in surprise. "A Water-type… Squirtle?"
Now he understood where Gary's confidence came from.
Geodude was Rock/Ground—four times weak to Water. Against a Water-type of similar level, it would typically be flattened the moment it took a clean hit.
Gary didn't waste time.
"I'll attack first. Squirtle—Water Gun!"
"Squirtle!"
Squirtle fired immediately.
But it wasn't the standard straight-line blast. Squirtle split the stream into a clustered burst—multiple smaller water shots that spread wide, closing off routes of escape.
Brock's expression changed.
That was not something most rookies could do.
"Geodude—Rollout! Dodge!"
Geodude curled into a ball and rolled hard across the rocky field. Its speed was decent, enough to avoid the first wave of water.
Unfortunately, the battlefield was still a Gym arena, not open ground. Geodude rolled straight into a stone pillar and bounced back, losing momentum.
The trailing burst of Water Gun caught up at once.
Bang!
"Geo—!"
Geodude's Special Defense was poor. The Water-type damage smashed through it, and it fell immediately, unable to battle.
Brock stared at his fainted Pokémon for a moment.
So he really isn't an ordinary rookie.
Even if Squirtle had the type advantage, changing a move's form mid-use—turning Water Gun into a multi-shot suppression pattern—was a level of control that most new Trainers simply didn't have.
"Geodude, return and rest."
A red beam recalled Geodude into its Poké Ball.
Brock's gaze sharpened. "Your Squirtle is good. But my last Pokémon won't go down that easily."
He threw his second Poké Ball.
"Go—Onix!"
A massive rock serpent erupted onto the battlefield.
Onix—8.8 meters long, a true behemoth.
Its body was composed of interlocking boulders, and the pressure it emitted was immediate and suffocating.
"Squirtle!"
Even Squirtle flinched. Seeing something in a Pokédex and seeing it in person were two completely different experiences. It took an involuntary step back, momentarily shaken by the sheer size.
"Squirtle, don't be afraid," Gary said steadily. "It's big, but it's the same as Geodude. It's still extremely weak to Water."
"Squirtle…"
The fear in Squirtle's eyes eased. It steadied its stance again.
Brock noticed the shift, and his respect deepened. This challenger didn't just command—he managed his Pokémon's emotions mid-battle. That alone separated him from most rookies.
"Onix—Bind!"
"ROAR!!"
Onix raised its upper body and whipped forward, its rocky tail snapping toward Squirtle like a living battering ram. The arena wasn't large. There was no real room to run from a tail sweep of that size.
Gary remained calm.
"Don't panic. Water Gun—aim for its head."
Squirtle fired a straight, concentrated Water Gun at Onix's face.
Both attacks landed nearly at the same instant.
The Water Gun struck Onix's head—hard—but it didn't drop immediately.
At the same time, Onix's tail coiled around Squirtle, locking it in place. With a brutal twist, Onix forced Squirtle's body to turn, dragging the Water Gun's line of fire off target.
Brock's eyes narrowed. The bind wasn't just restraint—it was control.
Gary's tone sharpened.
"Squirtle—condense Water Pulse!"
"Squirtle!"
Squirtle gathered water in its mouth, compressing it into a spinning sphere—Water Pulse.
It had awakened the move yesterday afternoon, but it still wasn't skilled. The projectile formed correctly, but its effective range remained short; it wasn't a reliable staple move yet.
Brock's expression changed instantly.
"No—Onix, throw it! Now!"
He knew Water Pulse. Onix had endured Water Gun. But Water Pulse, concentrated and rotating, would hit harder—and Onix couldn't take another super-effective impact at this range.
"ROAR!!"
Onix tensed and snapped its body sideways, hurling Squirtle away with sheer physical power.
But the moment Squirtle left the tail's grip, it released the attack it had been compressing.
BANG!
Water Pulse slammed into Onix's tail.
"ROAR—!"
Onix howled. Its massive body buckled and crashed down, rocks shaking the battlefield.
At the same time—
Thud!
Squirtle slammed into the wall at the edge of the arena. The shell absorbed the worst of the impact, but the throw still left it badly hurt.
Onix's size was a weapon in itself. Even without high Attack, raw mass could break bodies.
But when the dust settled, the result was clear.
Onix lay still.
Squirtle, though injured, remained conscious—panting, but upright.
Brock recalled Onix slowly, then exhaled.
"I've lost this Gym match."
"Thank you," Gary replied with a small smile.
"Squirtle! Squirtle!"
Squirtle cheered weakly, proud that it had secured Gary's first Badge.
Then its body stiffened.
"Hm?" Gary's eyes flicked down.
Squirtle's level ticked upward—15 to 16.
And in the very next second, a familiar white glow burst outward.
"Evolving?!" Brock's eyes widened. "Now?!"
The light of evolution engulfed Squirtle completely. When it faded, the small turtle had been replaced by a larger, stronger form.
Wartortle.
Its body was nearly twice Squirtle's size. Wing-like furry ears had grown from the sides of its head, and small fangs protruded from its upper jaw.
"Wartortle!"
Brock stepped forward, genuine admiration in his voice. "Congratulations. Your Squirtle evolved."
"Thank you," Gary said.
Brock reached into his pocket and handed Gary a stone Badge shaped like a rugged shield.
"This is the Boulder Badge—proof you defeated the Pewter Gym. Collect eight League-recognized Badges, and you'll qualify for the Indigo Plateau Conference."
Gary accepted it and looked down at the Badge.
In some interpretations of the Pokémon world, Badges weren't just symbols—they were authority, capable of influencing obedience and even interacting with Legendary Pokémon.
But in this world, they were what most Trainers treated them as: proof of victory, and a key to League participation.
[Ding! Mission complete. Rewards have been distributed to the space backpack.]
"Thank you for the match," Gary said. "Goodbye."
He turned and left the Gym.
Outside, Gary immediately checked Wartortle's data.
[Pokémon: Wartortle ♂]
[Type: Water]
[Level: 16]
[Potential: Champion-tier]
[Ability: Torrent (When HP is low, Water-type moves are boosted.)]
[Moves: Tackle, Tail Whip, Water Gun, Withdraw, Rapid Spin, Water Pulse, Protect]
[Intimacy: 212 (maximum 255)]
Gary's eyes lingered on the final move.
Protect.
Evolution often triggered the awakening of racial moves, and Protect was a particularly valuable one—an almost absolute defensive technique. While repeated use reduced its success rate, using it once or twice in a battle was still extremely reliable.
With Protect in its arsenal, Wartortle's survivability in real matches just jumped significantly.