The air inside the Oreburgh Gym was cool and smelled faintly of damp earth and fossilized stone. Thousands of lights hummed overhead, illuminating the craggy, uneven terrain of the Mountain Battle Arena. This wasn't the smooth, polished floor of the Jubilife Contest stage; this was a landscape of jagged peaks and deep pits designed to test a trainer's adaptability.
"The Gym Battle between the Leader, Roark, and the challenger, Julian from Sandgem Town, is about to begin!" the referee shouted from the sidelines, his flags poised and ready. "This will be a two-on-two match. Only the challenger is permitted to substitute Pokémon. Trainers, lead with your first partners!"
Roark adjusted his red safety helmet, a confident smirk on his face. "Since I'm the one who called you out, Julian, I'll go first. Let's see how you handle the heavy hitters of the underground. Onix, take the field!"
With a resounding thud, a massive chain of giant, grey boulders materialized on the battlefield. The Onix reared its head back, towering nearly twenty feet into the air, its rocky skin glistening under the gym lights. It let out a low, vibrating roar that made the ground beneath my feet tremble.
"A classic," I muttered, looking up at the stone giant. "But I think we can handle the scale. Floette, you're up!"
Floette emerged in a flurry of light, hovering delicately with her blue flower parasol. Compared to the massive Onix, she looked like a tiny speck of dust. The size difference was almost comical, and I could hear a few murmurs from the small crowd of miners watching from the stands.
"A Kalos native, eh? The newly discovered Fairy-type!" Roark's eyes gleamed behind his glasses. "I've been waiting for this. Onix, let's give them a proper Oreburgh welcome! Rock Tomb!"
Onix slammed its massive tail into the ground. Six jagged boulders rose from the earth and spiraled toward Floette like heat-seeking missiles.
"Don't get distracted by the size, Floette! Remember, you're not just a Fairy. Use Magical Leaf!"
Floette spun her flower, and a flurry of glowing, emerald-edged leaves manifested in the air. They didn't just fly; they tracked. The leaves sliced through the air, colliding with the incoming boulders in a series of sharp explosions. Dust filled the air, but one stray leaf managed to curve around the debris, striking Onix right on its rocky "nose."
Onix winced, letting out a pained hiss.
"Ho! Straight into the type advantage!" Roark laughed. "You're not holding back, are you? Using the Grass-type side of the Flabébé line to exploit Onix's quadruple weakness. Tactically sound, but a bit of a shame—I really wanted to see a Fairy move!"
"Trust me, Roark, you'll see plenty of magic before the day is over," I replied. "But first, we need to set the stage. Grassy Terrain!"
Floette performed a high-speed pirouette. A wave of vibrant green energy surged outward, turning the grey, rocky floor into a lush, temporary meadow. The light from the terrain flickered upward, and I could see Onix's expression soften as the energy began to slowly heal its minor bruise.
"Healing my Pokémon too, Julian?" Roark teased. "That's very sportsmanlike of you. But I can't let you keep that power boost for free. Onix, Rock Slide!"
The giant snake didn't even need to move. It channeled its energy into the ceiling, and suddenly, a hail of massive stones began to rain down on Floette's head.
"Brace yourself! Use Magical Leaf to create a path, then spin into a Fairy Wind!"
Floette blasted the largest rock directly above her into dust. Then, as the smaller shards began to fall, she tucked her petals in and spun like a top. A swirling pink gale erupted around her, creating a centrifugal shield that batted away the falling stones. It was a defensive maneuver we had perfected during our Contest training, and it worked perfectly in a combat setting.
However, as the minutes ticked by, the stalemate became clear. Onix was a tank. Even with the Grassy Terrain boosting Floette's leaves, the Onix had massive stamina and the terrain's healing was keeping it fresh. Floette, on the other hand, was starting to pant. Every spin took a toll on her tiny body.
"We're playing his game," I whispered. "Stamina against a rock... we'll lose that every time."
The green light of the Grassy Terrain flickered and died, the floor returning to its dull grey stone.
"Time's up on the meadow, Julian!" Roark shouted. "Onix, finish it with another Rock Slide!"
"Floette, return!" I pulled out her Poké Ball, the red beam striking her just as the first stone fell. "You did great, partner. Take a rest."
I looked at the Poké Ball in my hand, then at the massive Onix that was still looking relatively fresh. Then, I looked at the second ball on my belt.
"Alright, the warm-up is over. Sylveon, let's show him what a real Fairy looks like! Take the stage, girl!"
With a burst of pink ribbons and a melodious cry, Sylveon landed on a jagged rock formation. She looked stunning—her white fur pristine, her blue-and-pink ribbons dancing in the drafty air of the gym. She gave her ribbons a confident flick and winked at me.
"Sylve-on! (Finally! Watch and learn, boys!)"
"A switch to break the rhythm?" Roark nodded. "Wise. But Onix doesn't care how many ribbons you have. Rock Slide again!"
"Nimble feet, Sylveon! Weave through it and use Yawn!"
Sylveon was a blur of motion. Unlike Floette, who hovered, Sylveon used the terrain to her advantage, leaping from rock to rock with feline grace. As she dodged a falling boulder, she paused for a split second, opened her mouth wide, and released a large, shimmering pink bubble.
The bubble floated lazily across the field, popping right against Onix's snout. A cloud of sparkly, drowsy dust enveloped the giant snake.
Roark's eyes widened. "Yawn? Clever... you're exploiting the fact that I can't switch out to reset the status! But we aren't going down without a fight. Onix, use Rock Tomb to seal her in before you go under!"
Onix roared, putting its remaining strength into a massive upheaval of earth. Boulders rose up around Sylveon, forming a stone cage. Sylveon didn't panic; she just kept moving, keeping the pressure off her body. Slowly, Onix's head began to droop. Its heavy stone eyelids flickered once, twice, and then—THUD.
The giant snake collapsed, snoring loudly enough to rattle the windows.
"The plan worked," I said, snapping my fingers. "Now, while the big guy is dreaming... Sylveon, it's time to focus. Calm Mind, let's go!"
Sylveon sat back on her haunches and closed her eyes. A serene, purple aura began to radiate from her body as she heightened her mental focus and bolstered her internal power.
"Oh, this is bad," Roark muttered, scratching his chin. "A sleeping Onix and a Fairy-type that's currently buffing its stats... I might have underestimated just how 'demon-like' these Fairies can be in a fight!"
"One more, Sylveon! Keep that Calm Mind going!"
As Sylveon gathered her power, the atmosphere in the gym changed. The playful "Contest" vibe was gone. This was the quiet before the storm, and I knew that once Onix woke up—or once Roark sent out his next Pokémon—the real clash of Rock and "Demon" would truly begin.