Chapter 36

Leaving the Pokémon Center, Huo La walked toward the Pewter Gym.

Looking from afar, the entrance of the Pewter Gym revealed the heaviness of "rock"—the entire door frame was carved from a single piece of dark gray giant rock, the surface still retaining the natural rock texture, and even the door handles were polished rock pillars. One could feel the unique, steady aura of the Gym from afar.

Pushing open the heavy wooden door, the interior of the Gym was pitch black, with only sparse light seeping in from the skylights on the roof, casting fragmented light spots on the ground.

Huo La frowned, his nostrils filled with the unique, damp, earthy smell of rocks, fermenting in the dim space, appearing particularly quiet.

He slowed his pace, his gaze scanning carefully in the darkness, and finally settled on a "rock" directly opposite—the rock's outline was peculiar, hazy in the dimness, and it vaguely revealed the arc of a human figure, not like a natural formation, but as if someone had deliberately stood there.

"Brock." Huo La suddenly spoke, his voice echoing lightly in the empty Gym, breaking the dead silence.

In the darkness, the "rock" moved abruptly, and a low voice came: "Who are you?"

"I am Huo La from Pallet Town, here to challenge you and win the Pewter Gym Badge." Huo La's tone was calm but firm, without the slightest stage fright.

"Pallet Town..." Brock's voice carried a bit more emotion. "Another Trainer from Pallet Town; quite a few people have come from there recently."

As his voice fell, the figure slowly stood straight, the originally curled posture unfolding, and it was indeed a tall boy.

Following his action of standing up, with a soft "Click," all the lights in the Gym turned on suddenly!

The blinding white light instantly filled the entire space. Huo La subconsciously narrowed his eyes, and when his vision gradually cleared, he saw the scene in front of him—the interior of the Gym was actually a rugged battlefield, the ground covered with protruding rock blocks and low stone pillars, and even the surrounding walls were embedded with irregular rocks, completely simulating the combat environment that Rock-type Pokémon were best at.

Brock stood on the other side of the field, wearing a dark brown outfit with a green vest over it, two Poké Balls tucked into his belt, his eyes serious: "The Gym challenge is an official match certified by the League, different from casual battles on the roadside. There are clear rules. Are you aware of this?"

"I am aware." Huo La nodded. He had long since learned the basic rules of Gym matches from the data, and at this moment, he was even more confident.

"Since that is the case, the rules for this match are a 2V2 battle." Brock raised his hand to signal the field, his tone solemn. "Both sides will send out two Pokémon until one side's two Pokémon have all lost their ability to battle, and the match ends. During this period, you are allowed to switch Pokémon, but each Pokémon can only use four skills."

Huo La nodded slightly, his fingertips touching the Poké Ball on his waist lightly, looking up at Brock, his gaze sharp: "The rules are clear, I have no objections. Can we begin?"

Brock looked at Huo La's firm gaze, a subtle look of recognition curling at the corners of his mouth—this year's Trainers from Pallet Town seemed to carry a kind of unyielding tenacity.

He didn't say anything more, raised his hand to take out a Poké Ball, held it high: "Since that is the case, my first Pokémon is this one! Come out, Geodude!"

A red light flashed, and a round Rock-type Pokémon landed on a stone pillar in the center of the field, its body covered in hard, dark gray rocks, its fists clenched, emitting a "thump-thump" sound, full of power.

Huo La's eyes constricted slightly—Geodude, Rock+Ground type, solid defense, is the perfect opponent for Nidorina.

Pokémon: Geodude

Gender: Male

Level: Lv17

Aptitude: C

Status: Healthy

Nature: Relaxed

Type: Rock/Ground

Ability: Sturdy (A Pokémon with this ability will retain at least 1 HP when hit by an attack while at full HP.)

Height: 0.4m

Weight: 21kg

Held Item: None

Skills: Rollout (Proficiency 36%), Rock Throw (Proficiency 45%), Tackle (Proficiency 88%), Rock Polish (Proficiency 71%), Bulldoze (Proficiency 39%)

Improvement Count: 0

Huo La didn't hesitate in the slightest, took a Poké Ball from his waist: "My first Pokémon, Nidorina! I choose you!"

A red light flashed suddenly, and a figure more than twice as large as the previous Nidoran landed in the center of the field.

Nidorina was covered in pale blue fur, the sharp claws on its four limbs glowing faintly. Standing on a protruding rock block, it actually formed a condescending posture toward the Geodude below, without the slightest cowardice of being suppressed by the rock field.

"Nidorina?"

Brock's eyes sank instantly, his tone carrying a bit of confusion, and even a trace of pity. "Don't you even understand the most basic type advantage? Although Nidorina is stronger than Nidoran, it is still a Poison-type after evolution. And Geodude is a dual Rock+Ground type. Your Nidorina can't rely on type advantage at all, and will even be countered by Geodude's Rock-type moves! You've chosen this way, you're doomed to lose."

Huo La just had a calm expression, his fingertips tapping his palm lightly: "It's too early to talk about winning or losing. Gym Leader Brock, underestimating your opponent, especially underestimating a Pokémon you don't understand, is quite dangerous."

The corners of Brock's eyes jumped—he almost couldn't help but retort: You were the one who chose a Pokémon that is doubly countered, and now you're turning around to remind me not to underestimate my opponent? But he ultimately suppressed the thought of complaining. As a Gym Leader, he was more accustomed to letting strength do the talking.

He took a deep breath and ordered in a low voice: "Geodude, use Rock Polish first! Then use Rollout to crash into it!"

Geodude immediately let out a muffled low roar, and the rocks on its body suddenly glowed with a layer of fragmented luster—this was the effect of "Rock Polish," which could significantly increase its speed!

Immediately after, it curled its body into a gray ball, rolling rapidly along the rock slope of the field, rushing toward Nidorina. The small stones along the way were all shattered by it, and the momentum was astonishing.

"Nidorina, Dig!" Huo La's command followed immediately, without the slightest panic.

A sharp glint flashed in Nidorina's eyes, the sharp claws on its forelimbs suddenly glowing with cold light, and it scratched fiercely at the rock ground under its feet!

Surprisingly, even on the hard rock field, its sharp claws broke through the ground as easily as cutting tofu, quickly digging out a deep hole. Its body took the opportunity to drill in, leaving only a pitch-black hole.

Geodude's Rollout crashed fiercely into the rock block where Nidorina had originally stood. With a loud "Boom," the rock block shattered instantly, but the target had long since disappeared.