The referee's voice echoed like a hammer strike.
"Final round—Ferrothorn versus Onix! Battle… BEGIN!"
The arena trembled as Onix slammed its tail down, sending shockwaves through the battlefield. Brock wasted no time.
"Onix—Rock Throw, keep the pressure on!"
Huge chunks of stone launched forward like cannonballs.
"Ferrothorn, Gyro Ball—spin and deflect." Tharion's voice was cool, precise.
Ferrothorn's body rotated rapidly, its metallic frame becoming a whirling mass of spikes. The boulders crashed against it and shattered, fragments scattering harmlessly across the field.
Onix roared in frustration.
"Close in," Brock commanded.
The stone serpent lunged forward with startling speed for its size, jaws wide to clamp down.
"Anchor yourself—Iron Defense!"
Ferrothorn's metallic surface gleamed, hardening just as Onix's jaws clamped down. Sparks flew as rock ground against steel. Ferrothorn groaned but held firm, vines whipping outward to lash at Onix's face.
Nina clenched her fists.
"Ferrothorn's holding its ground!"
Brock's expression remained steady. "Onix—use Bind!"
The serpent coiled its massive body around Ferrothorn, constricting with crushing force. The Gym walls shook from the pressure.
"Endure it," Tharion said softly, eyes sharp.
"Feel the strain. Now… break it—Power Whip!"
A sudden surge of green light coursed through Ferrothorn's vines. With a burst of strength, they snapped outward, glowing fiercely, slamming into Onix's body with enough force to stagger the giant back.
Nina gasped. "That's new! Ferrothorn just learned Power Whip!"
The vines cracked like whips, each strike leaving dents in Onix's rocky hide.
But Brock only smirked faintly.
"Good. Now it gets real. Onix—Dig!"
The serpent dove underground, the battlefield rumbling violently as it tunneled. Dust and stone erupted everywhere.
Tharion narrowed his eyes. "Predict the strike… vines spread."
Ferrothorn extended its whips across the ground like roots, feeling the tremors. The vibrations shifted—suddenly Onix erupted from beneath, jaws snapping upward.
"Catch it—Leech Seed!"
Ferrothorn launched a spiked seed that latched onto Onix's neck, sprouting vines that sapped its energy. The giant roared in anger, thrashing violently.
"Shake it off—Rock Slide!" Brock barked.
Onix smashed the ground with its tail, sending a cascade of boulders crashing down onto Ferrothorn. The steel Pokémon was battered, its body rattling under the assault.
Dust filled the arena, blocking vision. Both trainers stood firm, eyes locked on the battlefield.
And then—amidst the storm—Onix let out a bellow that shook the walls. Its body glowed faintly, cracks of energy forming across its rocky surface.
Nina's eyes widened. "That—! It's learning something new!"
The glow intensified as Onix raised its head high. A shimmering wall of light spread across its body—Onix had just learned Rock Polish. Its movements became smoother, faster, its massive form darting with sudden speed.
"Impossible," Nina whispered. "It's faster now…!"
Brock's voice was like steel. "This is the heart of Pewter's defense—an immovable wall that can strike before you even react. Onix, charge!"
The rock serpent blurred forward with unnatural speed, slamming into Ferrothorn like a living avalanche. Ferrothorn skidded back, sparks flying as its spikes scraped against stone.
Tharion's cloak fluttered from the sheer impact. He raised a hand calmly."Ferrothorn—show them. Full strength."
Ferrothorn roared, its body glowing with the green energy of Power Whip again, but this time stronger, sharper—almost instinctual. Its vines lashed upward, colliding with Onix's hardened body in a thunderous crash.
Steel and stone slammed together, sparks and dust exploding outward. The entire Gym shook from the impact.
Both Pokémon pushed against one another, refusing to yield.
Onix's speed-enhanced strikes smashed against Ferrothorn's iron armor. Ferrothorn's newly mastered Power Whip carved into Onix's rocky body, vines snapping with whip-crack force.
Neither side backed down.
The referee shielded his face from the dust storm. Nina's heart pounded.
And then—both Pokémon let out a roar as they lunged, Ferrothorn glowing with surging green light, Onix gleaming silver with Rock Polish speed.
The battlefield exploded with their clash—
The battlefield shook as the dust finally settled. Ferrothorn's glowing vines writhed, coiling around the massive Onix, while the rock serpent's body gleamed from its newly learned Rock Polish. Both Pokémon roared, their final clash sending sparks and stone fragments spraying across the Gym.
"Finish it, Onix—Iron Tail!" Brock commanded, his voice sharp as steel.
"Endure, Ferrothorn—Power Whip, full strength!" Tharion's tone never wavered.
Onix's tail swung like a mountain collapsing, glowing with sheer metallic force. At the same instant, Ferrothorn's vines surged, glowing with brilliant green energy, wrapping and lashing with whip-crack speed.
The two forces collided—steel against stone, will against will. For a heartbeat, the Gym floor itself seemed ready to split.
Then—Onix let out a final roar before collapsing to the ground with a resounding BOOM, its tail falling limp. The referee raised his hand.
"Onix is unable to battle! Ferrothorn wins! The victory goes to Challenger Tharion!"
The crowd that had gathered to watch broke into scattered applause. Nina leapt up, clutching Rogenrola's Poké Ball tightly, her voice bright with joy."You did it, Tharion! You actually won your first Gym battle!"
Ferrothorn wobbled slightly, exhausted but triumphant, its iron body scratched and battered. Tharion walked forward, placing a steady hand on its cold frame."Well fought. You've earned this."
Brock recalled his Onix, his expression calm yet proud. He stepped forward, holding out a small, stone-gray badge in the shape of a boulder."This proves your victory. The Boulder Badge."
Tharion accepted it with a nod, tucking it carefully into his jacket. But Brock wasn't finished. He reached into a small chest at his side and pulled out an item—a peculiar, glimmering stone set within a metallic casing.
"I don't normally do this," Brock admitted, "but your battle forced my Onix to grow in ways I've never seen. It broke through and learned Rock Polish mid-fight. That's rare—special. As appreciation, I want you to take this."
He held out the strange item."This is an Everstone Core. It's used for evolution in certain rock Pokémon. Someday… if you raise a Rogenrola all the way to its next stage, this stone will help it evolve to its final form, Gigalith."
Tharion blinked, surprised. His first instinct was to shake his head."That's too much. I didn't battle for gifts beyond the Badge."
But in that moment—
[System Notification]Item Identified: Everstone Core
A rare Gym-kept evolutionary catalyst.
Key to unlocking Gigalith's evolution path once Boldore reaches maturity.
Bestowed only as recognition of exceptional battles.
Tharion's eyes flickered faintly as he processed the message. So it wasn't just a symbolic gift. It had a purpose, one that directly tied to Nina's Rogenrola.
He exhaled slowly, then bowed his head slightly to Brock."…Then I'll accept. Not for myself, but for the strength of those beside me."
Brock's stern face softened into a small smile. "Good. That's the answer I hoped you'd give."
Nina's eyes widened in wonder as she stared at the shining stone."Does this mean… one day, Rogenrola will become something as huge and amazing as Onix?"
Tharion smirked faintly. "Bigger, and stronger. You'll see."
The chapter closed on that image—Tharion tucking away the Boulder Badge, Nina cradling the gift like it was a treasure, and Ferrothorn watching silently, its iron body gleaming with pride after its first Gym victory.
But in the back of Tharion's mind, he knew this was only the first step.Eight badges. Eight trials. And far greater battles still awaited.