The doors of the Pewter Gym groaned as they opened, revealing a cavernous hall of stone and shadow.
Nathan stepped inside.
His boots echoed against rough-hewn rock as he crossed the threshold. No polished tiles. No glass. Just earth. Layers of dust coated the edges of the field, and towering slabs of granite rose like pillars around the arena.
It didn't feel like a gym.
It felt like a trial.
A young attendant with sandy hair and a clipboard greeted him near the entrance.
"You Nathan?"
"Yeah."
"System-registered challenger, first attempt. Got your scout token verified. You'll be in Rotation Match Variant 3. Leader's waiting."
She gestured toward a tall stone arch ahead. Nathan nodded once, wordless, and walked forward.
His heart pounded, not with fear, but with focus.
This was it.
Past the arch, light filtered from vents in the ceiling, casting angled beams over a three-tiered field: ground level, low ridge, and central plateau. Rock piles and small cliffs dotted the landscape.
A figure stood in the centre of the topmost tier, arms folded, eyes closed in stillness.
Brock.
When he opened his eyes, they were calm, brown, and unflinching.
"You're Nathan," he said. "I heard from Elias. He said you didn't flinch at type disadvantage."
"I don't plan to."
Brock nodded once. "Then let's begin."
He walked to his end of the battlefield and pulled out a grey and green pokéball.
Nathan stepped into position at the opposite edge.
𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐭: 𝐏𝐞𝐰𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐆𝐲𝐦 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝
𝐎𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐧𝐭: 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐤 – 𝐑𝐨𝐜𝐤-𝐭𝐲𝐩𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭
𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭: 𝟐𝐯𝟐 | 𝐓𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐑𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞
𝐕𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐁𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐏𝐨𝐤é𝐦𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝
𝐎𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐮𝐬: 𝐖𝐢𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐲𝐩𝐞 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 – 𝐑𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝: 𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐔𝐧𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤
Nathan pulled two pokéballs from his belt and tapped the middle of one.
"Squirtle," he said, "you'll get your fight. But not yet."
He tossed the other.
"Zorua, lead."
Light flared. The dark-type fox emerged in a blur, ears back, tail flicking.
Brock nodded. "Geodude."
The floating rock Pokémon appeared, arms crossed, eyes set.
Nathan smirked internally. Just like in the photo at the museum.
The battlefield shifted—stone platforms retracting, sliding—until both Pokémon were on level terrain.
𝐁𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝: 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐯𝐬. 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐤 – 𝐑𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝟏
𝐓𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧: 𝐅𝐥𝐚𝐭 | 𝐃𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐇𝐚𝐳𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝟏𝐱 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞
𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐏𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐲: 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐨𝐫
𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥: 𝟓 | 𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐄𝐗𝐏: 𝟐𝟒 / 𝟒𝟎𝟎
Brock moved first. "Geodude, Rock Polish."
Geodude began to shimmer faintly, its movements sharpening.
"Zorua, Feint Attack!"
Zorua vanished in a flicker and reappeared behind Geodude mid-buff. The blow struck clean—but didn't stagger.
Geodude HP: 82% | Speed ↑↑
Zorua HP: 100%
"Rollout!" Brock called.
Geodude spun violently, kicking up dust. Zorua sidestepped once, twice, barely avoiding a direct hit.
Nathan watched the dust cloud rise, noting how it blurred her outline.
"Use the cover," he called. "Copycat, now!"
Zorua mimicked the Rollout motion, only to veer unpredictably and strike from the opposite side.
Geodude HP: 61% | Zorua HP: 84%
Brock's brow twitched. "You're not just attacking, you're adjusting rhythm."
Nathan said nothing. He'd learned to let the System do its quiet work.
But Geodude's next Rollout was sharper, faster and it clipped Zorua hard, knocking her aside.
Zorua HP: 51%
Nathan narrowed his eyes. "We don't win by trading hits."
He scanned the rocks behind Brock's Geodude and grinned.
"Zorua, Leer, then retreat to the back ridge!"
She growled, eyes flaring red, before darting toward the jagged incline.
Geodude pursued.
"Now, Feint Attack into the ridge! Force a miss!"
Zorua vanished and Geodude smashed into stone.
Dust burst. Shards flew.
Zorua emerged behind and struck with claws full-arc.
Geodude HP: 18% | Defence ↓↓↓
"Wrap it, Copycat!"
Another spinning assault, this time from above.
Geodude hit the ground hard and did not rise.
𝐆𝐞𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐝𝐞 𝐅𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝. 𝐙𝐨𝐫𝐮𝐚 𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝟔𝟎 𝐄𝐗𝐏.
𝐙𝐨𝐫𝐮𝐚 𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐝: 𝟒𝟏/𝟏𝟎𝟎 – 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐲 → 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭
𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐄𝐗𝐏: 𝟖𝟒 / 𝟒𝟎𝟎
Brock returned Geodude silently.
He pulled out a second pokéball.
From the look in his eyes, this was the real test.
"Onix."
The massive serpent of stone roared into existence, towering above the field.
Zorua took a step back, eyes wide.
Nathan grabbed her pokéball. "You've done enough. Rest."
He tapped another.
"Squirtle, let's finish this."
The turtle Pokémon emerged with calm focus, raising his arms.
The terrain shifted again, this time to elevated platforms and boulder clusters.
Brock didn't wait. "Onix, Bind, anchor that field!"
The massive body whipped around a cluster of rocks, crushing them and forming a barrier between Squirtle and open field.
Nathan scanned the shifting terrain and smiled.
"You're trying to control the pace again."
Squirtle lowered into stance.
"But we've trained for that."
"Water Gun, off the ridge!"
Squirtle turned, fired at the sloped rock beside him. The blast kicked dust and launched him forward off the incline like a cannonball.
"Now Tackle, into the joint!"
He struck Onix mid-neck, right at a seam. The giant hissed, writhing.
Onix HP: 84% | Squirtle HP: 100%
"Onix, Rock Tomb!"
Massive stones fell but Squirtle darted between the gaps, staying close.
"Withdraw and spin!"
Squirtle ducked into his shell, took the next impact on his back, and ricocheted off a stone into Onix's flank.
Onix HP: 64% | Squirtle HP: 77%
Nathan's mind raced.
He's dragging it out. Trying to bait overcommitment.
"Squirtle, Tail Whip. Then drop below the plateau!"
Onix followed, slithering fast.
"Now! Water Gun from below!"
The blast caught Onix mid-climb, crumbling the rocks under his own weight.
He dropped.
And didn't rise.
𝐎𝐧𝐢𝐱 𝐅𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝. 𝐒𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝟖𝟖 𝐄𝐗𝐏.
𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐄𝐗𝐏: 𝟏𝟕𝟐 / 𝟒𝟎𝟎
𝐎𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐮𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐞: 𝐃𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐆𝐲𝐦 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐤é𝐦𝐨𝐧
𝐑𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝: 𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐔𝐧𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤 𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝
Silence.
Then applause, from the side benches, Gym staff and a few onlookers clapped quietly.
Brock returned Onix and walked across the field.
"Well fought."
Nathan exhaled, heart racing.
"You broke rhythm. You repositioned under pressure. And you didn't rely on brute force. That's the kind of battle that earns respect."
He handed Nathan a stone badge, shaped like a pointed crest.
"The Boulder Badge."
𝐁𝐚𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝐀𝐜𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐝: 𝐁𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐁𝐚𝐝𝐠𝐞
𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐆𝐲𝐦 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐓𝐢𝐞𝐫 𝟏 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐞
𝐔𝐧𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝: 𝐏𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡 𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐜 – 𝐏𝐨𝐤é𝐦𝐨𝐧 𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐄𝐗𝐏 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠
𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐎𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞: 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐭𝐨 𝐂𝐞𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐲
As Nathan stepped out into the light of Pewter morning, his badge glinting against his chest, he heard the System hum once more.
And in that sound, he felt it:
Not just a win.
A foundation.