The ball opened up to reveal a Pokémon with a body covered in grey, rocky plates. Its underside and rear were smooth, and it had four short legs with two claws on each foot. It had a triangular head with narrow, red eyes, two fangs protruding from its upper jaw, small, triangular openings on the upper sides, and a short horn on the tip of its snout. A spiked ridge ran along its back.
The PokéDex beeped.
"Rhyhorn, the Spikes Pokémon. A ground/Rock dual-type Pokémon. Rhyhorn's brain is tiny, giving it a one-track mind. When it runs, it forgets why it started and continues until it falls asleep. However, it may recall the reason for demolishing something. Due to its short legs, it is inept at turning and can only run in straight lines. It does not care if obstacles get in the way, merely smashing through them or sending them flying, although it may feel pain the day after a collision. This personality is how Rhyorn expands its territory. Rhyhorn is powerful enough to shatter skyscrapers or mountains instantly after charging forward with head tackles. Rhyhorn lives in rough terrain. A Rhyhorn's territory expands to six miles."
Ash sent out his Eevee at the same time as Brock sent out his Rhyhorn.
"The first round. Gym Leader Brock's Rhyhorn vs Challenger's Eevee." Flint's voice boomed.
"Begin!"
"Rhyhorn, Tackle!"
Rhyhorn's roar reverberated as it barreled down the field towards them, as it trembled in its wake.
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The roar hit Ash in the chest as much as in the ears, a low, grinding bellow that seemed to come from the stone itself. The ground shuddered under Rhyhorn's charge, each step a hammer‑blow that sent fine dust leaping from the packed earth and shook his bones.
His survival instincts, which have been put to the test ever since he became a trainer, rang in his head. Trusting them as he had done before, he shouted while diving away from his previous position.
"MOVE!"
Eevee, sensing the danger, dived out of the way as the Rhyhorn thundered past his previous spot, and ploughed through a rock, shattering it. Some of the shards of the destroyed rock flew towards him, nicking his clothes and his face.
Ash's fingers brushed his cheek, and they came away streaked red. For a breath, he couldn't move, couldn't think. Blood. His blood.
The smear on his fingertips shattered the illusion — this wasn't a spar, wasn't a match where someone would blow a whistle to stop things. For a heartbeat, the world tilted, his chest hollowing as the truth pressed in: one mistake, and they were prey.
A sharp thwack jolted him back. Eevee's tail struck his leg, not in play but in urgency. Ash blinked, the sting snapping the haze apart.
"Vee! Vee!"
Eevee's eyes locked on his, fierce and trembling with worry. That look anchored him more than pain could. Ash exhaled, steadying himself. Fear was still there — sharp, real — but it was no longer hollow. It was fuel. He clenched his jaw and lifted his gaze to Rhyhorn.
Staring down Rhyhorn's eyes that had locked onto themselves, he knew that there were no referees here, no safety nets. Just prey and predator, and the fragile line between them. How you survived depended upon you and how you and your partner adapted.
Yes, he felt fear, but...
"Tackle, Rhyhorn!"
Staring down the behemoth that had started coming towards them as they started moving out of the way, he smiled — not because it was safe, but because it wasn't. The fear sharpened into something hotter, wilder as the adrenaline kicked in.
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They dodged out of the way in two separate directions out of Rhyhorn's path, to confuse him from not attacking the other, as it would have to decide which one to attack.
They would have to fight back. They cannot keep dodging out of the Rhyhorn's path every time. Just as Rhyhorn was turning around to start attacking, "Quick Sand!"
Eevee darted forward towards Rhyhorn with the priority move of Quick Attack. Just as Rhyhorn had finished turning back, Eevee came in front of him and used Sand Attack to dig up the ground a little and hit Rhyhorn on his face, blinding him momentarily.
As Rhyhorn roared in frustration, Brock's command broke any kind of momentum Ash and Eevee felt they had made as they remembered that Brock was on the field as well.
"Smack Down."
"Get out..."
Just as Ash had started saying, Eevee used Quick Attack to get out of Rhyhorn's immediate range as he pushed his front legs on the ground, lifting his front and stomping down on the floor with a heavy slam.
The stomp cracked the battlefield like thunder. A shockwave rippled out, the air itself buckling with the force. Then came the rain—splinters of stone, jagged chunks, and fist-sized boulders hailing down in a deafening barrage. The battlefield howled under the bombardment, every impact like the crack of a gunshot.
Ash and Eevee scrambled to find a position of refuge as the projectiles started falling on them as rain. Eevee used Quick Attack while barely dodging out of the way, some hitting his flanks. Ash ducked, shielded, and took cover behind a rocky outgrowth in the field to weather the bombing, curling in on himself to make himself small. He nearly got hit with the rocks as they dug into the ground and raised dirt in the air, making it hard for the challengers to breathe properly through the dust. Each impact rattled Ash's teeth, the dust clawing down his throat.
The rock bombing had stopped after a few moments that felt like an eternity. Coming out from behind the rock, Ash searched for his Eevee. As the haze thinned, he spotted a shape through the grit. Small. Bruised. Still standing. Eevee shook the dust from his coat and met Ash's gaze, eyes fierce despite the welts striping his sides. Ash's chest ached with something raw — fear, pride, relief all tangled together.
Both of them looked at the big figure of Rhyhorn, who had yet to be hurt from any attacks. Gritting their teeth, they thought of only one thing: they had to counterattack fast.
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"Ho~ You two are still standing?" Brock intoned.
Gritting their teeth, Ash and Eevee decided to ignore his taunts to engage Rhyhorn. Ash needed to think of something and fast. The plan he had thought of would work, but he did not know which other moves Rhyhorn knew. It was going to be a gamble with how Rhyhorn attacked previously. If only there was...
Looking around the field briefly, he remembered the part of the Survival mode Flint had said before. Widening his eyes as a plan formed, he commanded with confidence, while bending down.
"Quick Attack!"
Eevee, trusting his judgement, moved through the uneven terrain that was nearly the same as the dry riverbed they had trained on. He picked something and prepared himself.
"You do not learn, now do you?"
Ash threw the thing as Brock turned to his Rhyhorn.
"Horn Attack!"
Eevee darted through the path and jumped on Rhyhorn to hit him when the Rhyhorn's horn started glowing and was about to hit Eevee, who was on the path of the attack. The horn gleamed, a spear of death aimed straight at Eevee's chest. Ash's mouth went dry—he was too far away, too slow, too human. Then the stone cracked against Rhyhorn's eye. The beast bellowed, jerking its head aside, the fatal thrust missing by inches. The air between horn and fur seemed to hum with the attack that should have skewered him.
"Rhyhorn!"
"Double Kick!" Ash's command rang out.
Eevee twisted in midair, both hind legs hammered into Rhyhorn's plated side with a crack that rattled Ash's own bones. Pain lanced up the little fox's body, his paws trembling as though he'd kicked iron. But the giant shifted. Staggered. A mountain moved. Ash's throat burned with a mix of terror and pride — proof that the smallest could make giants stumble.
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Brock's eyes narrowed, his jaw tightened, his voice edged with iron, tone sharp as he turned towards his dad, the referee, "He interfered. He struck my Pokémon himself. That's against the rules."
Ash and Eevee froze.
Flint's gaze lingered on his son, then shifted to Ash and Eevee — dirt-streaked, bruised, still standing. His silence pressed heavier than stone. Then, finally, one brow lifted.
"No. It isn't..."
The words dropped like a gavel. Eevee's ears twitched. Ash blinked and felt fear in the beat of brief silence that followed, thinking that he was disqualified.
"...against the rules at all. Nothing is stopping a trainer from hitting the other's Pokémon." Turning to Ash and Eevee's shocked visage, he continued. "I am impressed. This is the first time, as per as I have seen, that a trainer actually understood the rules that they can act alongside their team without having it pointed out to them at first. Just because you are also new to this format should not mean that you are unable to appreciate one's efforts and ability to act. It would have resulted in disqualification if it were the Standard mode, but it is not. You should recognise this, Brock — this boy fights not as trainer and Pokémon, but as one half of a being prepared to fight with his fangs drawn. And that… is what survival demands."
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Brock growled at the words his father said.
Ash and Eevee let out a sigh of relief that they did not know they were holding back.
Hearing pained grunts from the side, they turned to look at Rhyhorn, who was gritting his teeth and wincing from time to time as his right eye was swollen shut, faint brownish streaks clinging to the dust‑caked plates around it. He kept his head tilted, favouring his good side, but the uninjured eye burned with pure contempt.
It seemed that Rhyhorn was far from going down for the count, but the heavy breaths it was taking meant that it could be defeated. Now, they have to just keep on landing good hits on it. Easier said than done, but still possible.
"You guys going to continue or what? This little guy is getting restless."
Flint's drawl made them look at him as Pikachu, who was with him for the time being, looked reluctantly at them and with concern as well.
Ash and Eevee gave him a confident nod, trying to show that they were ready, before continuing with the match.
They were not going to go down that easily.
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"Quick Attack!"
Eevee once again bounded along the field to get to Rhyhorn.
"Rhyhorn!"
Ash turned to look at the vicious grin on Brock's face and felt his stomach drop. As he turned to shout at Eevee, Brock's cold command rang out like a gunshot.
"Smack Down - Range."
"DODGEEE!!!!"
Rhyhorn's roar tore through the air as it gouged its claws into the ground, shattering it in places. With a heave of muscles and stone, it tore chunks of the battlefield free. Rhyhorn swung its horn like a sledgehammer, launching the rocks one after the other in a blistering barrage.
The air howled as cannonballs in the form of chunks of jagged earth passed through the air towards their targets. Eevee's experience in using bursts of Quick Attack to dodge out of the way of a rocky bombardment kept him safe, but was tiring him out quickly.
Ash barely dodged out of the way of a projectile that would have hit him had he not dived sideways for the floor. The displacement of air from the projectile that nearly hit him made it feel as if the air tore itself at his face. He barrel rolled out of the way of an attack as Flint's cruel laughter of the devil rang out among the splintering of rocks, the rising dust clouds and the booms of the smashing of the ground.
With his heart thundering against his chest and dust filling the air choking his throat, Ash realised something else about this as well, as he heard Flint's proclamation.
Flint's laughter rolled out across the dust-choked field, rough and delighted.
"Hah… clever, boy. I've seen that trick before — hell, I've used it. Indirect fire turns the whole field into a weapon. Means trainer and Pokémon are both targets. Every shard, every splinter, fair game. Dangerous… oh, dangerously smart. And the best part? It's not against the rules. Brilliant!"
Ash blinked, chest still heaving. Was Flint talking about him, for staying alive, or about Brock, for weaponising the terrain?
Brock glanced at his father, brow tightening. He'd only tried the command because it made sense in the moment — but Flint's tone carried approval, like he'd uncovered a hidden path without meaning to.
The words hung between them, praise and warning at once, and neither boy could tell who they were meant for. They only knew of one thing now.
The reason why Survival was never heard of before, and as to why it was named such.
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Ash's breath rasped in his throat, the grit grinding between his teeth. Flint's words clung to him heavier than the dust — as much a target as your Pokémon. He'd known this wasn't a game, but now the truth had teeth. The next rock could end him as easily as Eevee.
Gritting his teeth, he looked around as the barrage came to a stop. He could not get up, as that would give away his position. The dust in the air made it hard to see and breathe. His stomach was gradually dropping as he could not see Eevee. With frantic darting eyes, he looked everywhere in the settling dust.
There.
His stomach dropped as he saw an unmoving small silhouette on the ground. No. Nonono... Hmm? Ash blinked as he saw the shadow move. Was the dust playing on his eyes?
Hope rose in his chest as the silhouette gradually got up and started panting. The small silhouette's ears twitched as if listening for something. He was going to call for Eevee when Rhyhorn roared. The roar drove away a bit of the dust cloud around Rhyhorn before it started to slowly move through the dust cloud, looking here and there as if searching for its prey and issuing a challenge at the same time.
If the gleam in its uninjured eye was anything, Rhyhorn certainly was. Turning to look at Eevee's position, he saw the fox move in the direction of Rhyhorn with his heavy steps masking Eevee's progress.
Ash waited, sprawled on the floor, dust-covered, with his open eyes stinging a bit while keeping a continuous track of Eevee. He would have to wait for the correct moment. He felt his eyes closing, wanting to blink for a moment as the dust started settling down. He had to wait for the perfect moment to give the command to strike. There can be no mistakes. Their chances of winning depended upon it.
He felt his eyelids trying to shut in an attempt to relieve the pain. He could not give in. He had to see. He had to... Eevee had reached near Rhyhorn. That made him snap his eyes open despite the uncomfortable feeling in his eyes. Just a few more steps...closer...closer...closer...NOW!
Ash's voice rang out in the gym as he shouted, getting the attention of everyone, "DOUBLE KICK!"
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Eevee exploded into motion, the dust parting behind him a little as he moved, his hind legs coiling and releasing like springs. The first kick slammed into Rhyhorn's plated foreleg with a crack that echoed off the gym walls, the impact jarring up through Eevee's spine. The second blow landed higher, just behind the shoulder, where the armour thinned — not enough to pierce, but enough to make the giant grunt and stagger half a step.
The sound wasn't just a thud — it was the deep, resonant boom of force meeting mass, the kind of hit you felt in your ribs even from across the field. Dust puffed from the seams in Rhyhorn's armour where the shock travelled through its body.
Ash closed his eyes and got up in that moment while trying to maintain distance from the epicentre of the battle. He grinned even during his attempts to get back his sight as he heard Rhyhorn give a pained grunt and collapse on the floor towards one side.
"Rhyhorn!"
"Keep it up, again!"
"Shake it!"
Eevee went for another Double Kick to keep up the momentum of the fight. Just as he neared Rhyhorn's face, Eevee coiled his legs to attack again when Rhyhorn shifted his face. The first hit of the double kick landed on Rhyhorn's face just below his swollen eye and then on his jaw.
Rhyhorn's head snapped sideways from the jaw strike, a guttural bellow tearing from its throat. Its forelegs shifted wide to steady itself, claws gouging furrows in the dirt. The injured eye clamped shut entirely now, the swelling sealing it off from the fight.
Brock's voice cracked like a whip. "Shake it off! Don't let him—"
But the command was cut short by Rhyhorn's own snarl, low and furious, as it swung its head toward where it thought Eevee was. The hit landed true as the sound of rock hitting flesh was heard. The hit hurled the mid-air Eevee across the room, made him bounce from the floor and hit the recovering Ash in his chest, driving the air out of both of them.
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Ash's vision flared white as Eevee slammed into him, the impact knocking him flat and crushing the breath from his lungs. For a heartbeat, all he could hear was the ringing in his ears and the ragged wheeze of Eevee trying to breathe against his chest.
Pain lanced through his ribs as he rolled to the side, dragging in a shallow gasp. Eevee slid off him, paws scrabbling weakly at the dirt, sides heaving. The little fox's eyes were still sharp, but the tremor in his legs told Ash the truth — that hit had rattled them both.
Across the field, Rhyhorn's good eye locked on, its breath coming in heavy, steaming bursts as it shook its head. The blow had cost it too — the swing had overextended, and it was still shaking its head as if to clear the jolt from its skull. Dust clung to the cracks in its armour, and its stance was just a fraction too wide.
Brock's voice cut through the haze, low and urgent now. "Finish it before they recover."
Ash's pulse spiked. They had seconds — maybe less — before Rhyhorn charged. His body screamed to stay down, but his mind was already moving, searching for the one move that could turn this around before the beast bore down on them again.
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Breathing heavily, Ash thought of a hasty but dangerous plan. Not seeing any other option, he spoke to Eevee, who was getting his bearings while still panting from exhaustion, and looked at Rhyhorn, who was starting to get up from the hits earlier. "Eevee, do you trust me?"
The panting Eevee just grunted as he stared at the behemoth that was going to come at them any second now. Ash whispered a few words before settling Eevee down, who narrowed his eyes.
Rhyhorn stood up, favouring its right side and then roared.
"Tackle, Rhyhorn!"
Rhyhorn roared before starting to come at them.
"Quick Attack! Towards him."
Trusting him, Eevee darted through the dirt towards the running Spikes Pokémon.
Just before they made contact, with a little distance of nearly 3 meters to spare between them, their respective trainers gave out a command to finish the battle.
"Iron Tail!" "Bulldoze!"
The silver arc of Eevee's tail struck true, slamming into the joint just above Rhyhorn's right foreclaw. The impact cracked like a hammer on stone, and the behemoth's leg buckled under its own charging weight.
But momentum is a cruel master.
Rhyhorn's Bulldoze had already begun — its massive frame ploughing forward, claws tearing furrows in the dirt. The sudden collapse of its front leg sent all that force spilling sideways. The ground shook as its horn gouged into the floor, ripping up chunks of stone in a spray of grit and dust around it, swallowing Eevee in its wake as well.
Rhyhorn tripped and fell towards the direction he was charging at, ploughing up rocks and the ground as he skidded and skipped forward. He eventually came to a stop with a crash.
The dust slowly settled down as one of the two downed Pokémon began to get up shakily on his injured body. After a few moments to check if the other would rise, Flint raised his hands and the flags. Lowering one flag, he pointed the other to the trainer who won this battle.
While one got victory, the other looked on in despair as he went to get his Pokémon.
Flint's voice landed like the gavel in a courthouse.
"Eevee is unable to battle. Rhyhorn wins!"
Ash rushed and knelt beside his living, but unconscious Eevee as the pained grunts and the warm praise of Brock for his Pokémon became background noise. Ash's hands trembled as he brushed the dirt from Eevee's fur.
All he could think was, I let him down.
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(AN: How was it? Is the quality alright and the battle up to the mark?)