"Morning Sun, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting for so long. As compensation, if you defeat me later, I will give you something extra."
After Eddie waited for 10 minutes, Brock hurried back. The first sentence he said made Eddie, who had been waiting for so long, happy.
"Actually, I didn't wait for long. How could I feel embarrassed? But since Mr. Brock wants to compensate, I will accept it respectfully."
Eddie brushed off his thoughtful expression and spoke with a bright smile. Though he sounded polite, his words weren't exactly polite.
"You feel embarrassed, but you still want to compensate? This person's thick-skinned and changes his face so quickly," Eddie thought to himself.
Brock's mouth twitched upon hearing this. He had thought Eddie was being polite before, but now he seemed completely different when compensation was mentioned. Thankfully, he kept his eyes narrowed, or he might have rolled them in exasperation.
"...Ahem, Morning Sun, just call me Brock. Let me explain the rules of the Rookie Trainer Gym Tournament."
Brock pretended to cough, deciding not to argue further. "Both sides can use two Pokémon. When all of one side's Pokémon lose their combat ability, the other side wins."
As Brock said this, he took out a Poké Ball—an Ultra Ball. "Hmm, this Ultra Ball is different from the red and white Poké Ball on his waist earlier. Looks like Brock is ready to switch Pokémon. The one in the Ultra Ball is probably not his main Pokémon, the one he's been carefully training."
Eddie understood immediately and could only roll his eyes helplessly. "If there are no objections, then let the battle begin!"
"No objections, let's start," Eddie responded.
Brock was already prepared to fight.
After confirming that Eddie had no objections, he threw the Ultra Ball in his hand. "As a Gym Leader, I will send out my first Pokémon. Come out, Onix!"
The Ultra Ball opened in the air, releasing a white flash, and an Onix, half the size of the field, appeared.
Name: Onix
Type: Rock & Ground
Ability: Hard Head (Prevents damage from the recoil of its own moves)
Level: 24 (Intermediate)
Potential: Ouasi-Elite Level
Skills: Rock Throw, Rock Tomb, Skull Bash, Gyro Ball
"F**k, this is definitely the main Pokémon Brock is going to focus on. It even knows Skull Bash."
Eddie stared at the Pokédex in his hand, his expression turning serious.
Although he had suspected that Brock would send out a level 24 Onix, it was the worst-case scenario he had predicted, and he didn't expect to be right.
Moreover...
"According to common logic, in a gym match, the Gym Leader's last Pokémon is usually the strongest. I assumed this level 24 Onix would be the strongest he would send out, but it's actually his first Pokémon."
"That means Brock's second Pokémon will likely be stronger than this level 24 Onix. Could it be a Graveler above level 25?"
Eddie felt a chill run down his spine. A Graveler above level 25 was far more dangerous than a level 22 Geodude. Though the level difference was only 3, the evolution made all the difference, significantly increasing its power in every stat.
These changes weren't something the Pokédex could reflect, but any Trainer would understand the massive gap between an evolved and non-evolved Pokémon.
"What's wrong? Aren't you sending out your Pokémon?" Brock asked, noticing Eddie hadn't made a move.
"Could it be that this Onix is too strong and it scared him? Well, it's already impressive that he made it to Pewter City on his first day, but maybe he's not ready for this Onix. Should I let him go after all?"
Eddie wasn't the only one feeling the pressure; Brock was also unsure.
He had been told to use about 50% of his strength when facing a Trainer named "Morning Sun," and his last Pokémon had to be one equipped with a mega stone.
He had spent 10 minutes looking for the perfect Onix for this battle, but was Morning Sun really capable of overcoming this Pokémon?
He doubted this and wondered if Morning Sun had offended someone to end up in such a situation.
"Sorry, sorry, I was just thinking about something. Let's start now."
Eddie shook his head and decided that no matter what, he had to fight, so he pushed the thoughts aside.
Anyway, Graveler was no big deal. His Water-type Frogadier still had the advantage.
But for now, he would stick to the original plan.
"Come out, Charmeleon!"
"Roar!"
Charmeleon roared the moment it appeared, ready for battle.
Even facing Onix, much larger than itself, Charmeleon exuded confidence, its aura strong enough to even suppress Onix's.
"Charmeleon? The evolved form of Charmander, and this aura is even stronger than Onix's. Has he really reached this level on the first day of his journey?"
Brock was a little surprised, his gaze turning to Eddie.
Eddie remained calm, and Brock could read a lot from his eyes.
There was surprise, yes, but also confidence.
Confidence that he could defeat the Gym Leader, even with this level 24 Onix.
That determined look seemed to explain everything.
"I see, it seems he didn't offend anyone, but that person wanted to give him more trials."
Brock appeared to understand a lot now, a small smile tugging at his lips.
"Since this is a trial, I can't go easy. Let's give it our all!"
"Onix, Rock Tomb!"