The boy in gray recalled his Poliwag and quickly ran out of the arena.
Flint also recalled his Geodude, which had lost the ability to battle.
He handed the Poké Ball to the staff nearby, then got ready for the next challenger.
"Challenger number two, please prepare."
The boy sitting beside Eichi was the second challenger.
He walked down from the stands to the position where the first challenger had stood.
"Both sides, send out your Pokémon."
"Go, Slowpoke!"
"Go, Geodude!"
The Geodude Flint sent out was about the same as before.
Slowpoke, the Dopey Pokémon.
Type: Water, Psychic.
Abilities: Oblivious, Own Tempo.
Hidden Ability: Regenerator.
Description: Slowpoke's entire body is pink and slightly plump. Its curled ears, large round eyes with tiny pupils, and cream-colored mouth give it a dazed look. It has short limbs with one claw on each hand and foot, and a long pink tail with a lighter tip.
Talent: Good.
Rank: Rookie.
This Slowpoke looked quite decent. Its Trainer had done some research, clearly knowing this Gym specialized in Rock-types, which are weak against Water-types.
He had prepared specifically for that.
"Battle start!"
"Slowpoke, use Water Gun!"
From its mouth, Slowpoke fired a thick jet of water, much stronger than the previous challenger's Poliwag.
"Geodude, hide behind that rock!"
Luckily, there was a rock beside Geodude. It quickly rolled behind it.
The jet struck the rock. Although Geodude avoided damage, it was clear the rock wouldn't last long.
"Geodude, use Defense Curl!"
A silver light glowed over Geodude's body.
"Geodude, keep using Defense Curl!"
As the water struck the rock, Geodude continued strengthening itself.
But soon the rock gave way, shattered by the water pressure.
"Geodude, dodge!"
Geodude quickly rolled aside.
"Slowpoke, use Confusion!"
A yellow psychic wave appeared and struck Geodude.
However, the effect wasn't great. Flint called out again.
"Geodude, use Tackle!"
"Slowpoke, use Disable!"
Just as Geodude lunged forward, Slowpoke's eyes flashed yellow, freezing it in place.
"Nice job, Slowpoke! Use Water Gun again!"
Another jet of water hit Geodude directly.
After taking several direct hits, Geodude fell to the ground, unable to battle.
"Geodude is unable to battle! Slowpoke wins!"
"Gym leader, send out your second Pokémon."
Flint recalled Geodude, handed the Poké Ball to the staff, and sent out his next Pokémon.
"Go, Onix!"
Onix, the Rock Snake Pokémon.
Type: Rock, Ground.
Abilities: Rock Head, Sturdy.
Hidden Ability: Weak Armor.
Description: Its long, serpentine body is made of large gray boulders that decrease in size toward the tail. A rocky horn juts from its head above its black eyes.
Talent: Good.
Rank: Rookie.
This Onix was clearly not Flint's main battler, but its mere presence filled the field with pressure. The massive Pokémon, about eight meters long, was imposing.
"Battle continue!"
"Onix, use Bind!"
Onix was incredibly fast. The arena was small, so in the blink of an eye, it had reached Slowpoke.
"Slowpoke, use Water Gun!"
But Slowpoke was too slow, and before it could react, Onix had already coiled around it tightly.
"Slowpoke, use Disable!"
Onix froze for a moment. The challenger quickly ordered Slowpoke to retreat, but it was not fast enough.
Before it could move far, Onix recovered and squeezed again.
Its body tightened more and more until Slowpoke fainted.
"Slowpoke is unable to battle! Onix wins!"
"The challenger still has one Pokémon remaining!"
The boy recalled Slowpoke and threw his next Poké Ball.
"Go, Staryu!"
Staryu, the Star Shape Pokémon.
Type: Water.
Abilities: Illuminate, Natural Cure.
Hidden Ability: Analytic.
Description: Its flexible, golden-brown star-shaped body holds a red jewel-like core at the center, fixed in place by golden plates. This gem glows when it regenerates from injuries.
Talent: Good.
Rank: Rookie.
He's prepared well, all Water-types. Seeing Staryu, Eichi nodded internally.
"Staryu, use Water Gun!"
The attack hit Onix, dealing heavy damage but not enough to knock it out.
"Onix, use Tackle!"
Onix slammed into Staryu, nearly knocking it out.
But to everyone's surprise, Staryu used Recover, restoring much of its energy.
Finally, a beam of Bubble Beam sent Onix crashing to the ground.
"Onix is unable to battle! Staryu wins!"
"The Gym Leader's two Pokémon are down!"
"Challenger number two wins!"
Flint recalled Onix, then approached the challenger. He handed over a shining Boulder Badge.
Eichi and another spectator clapped for the winner.
The challenger thanked Flint, then left the Gym happily.
***
The next challenger, number three, wasn't as lucky.
He sent out a Nidoran and a Pidgey.
Neither could effectively deal with Rock-types, showing he hadn't studied the Gym beforehand.
His strength was about the same as the first challenger. He barely managed to tire Geodude out with Pidgey, but Onix quickly ended the battle.
Even after using all its moves, Nidoran couldn't hurt Onix and was knocked out by a single Tackle.
During the third challenger's match, a boy appeared on the walkway opposite the spectator stands.
He looked almost identical to Flint, clearly his son, Brock. At this time, Brock was around Eichi's age and hadn't yet taken over the Pewter Gym.
***
Before he realized it, it was Eichi's turn.
Eichi touched the two Poké Balls on his belt, then walked down from the stands to the challenger's position.
"Now, challenger number four versus the Gym Leader!"
"Each side may use two Pokémon!"
"Both sides, send out your Pokémon!"
"Go, Geodude!"
"Go, Scyther!"
Scyther appeared on the field in a fierce stance.
"A Scyther, huh? That's not great against Geodude," Brock thought to himself.