As soon as he finished speaking, Brock sent out his second Pokémon.
"Next up is this guy! Geodude, go!!"
A Pokémon consisting of a rocky head and two powerful stone arms appeared in the arena.
> Pokémon: Geodude
> Gender: ♂
> Level: 20
> Ability: Sturdy
> Moves: Tackle, Rollout, Harden, Mud-Slap, Rock Polish
> Potential: Gym
As soon as Geodude appeared, Kai scanned its stats. Seeing a Level 20 Geodude, he couldn't help but look down at his partner.
"Froakie, are you still doing okay?"
After all, Froakie had already fought one grueling round and expended a lot of energy. Although he had the type advantage over Geodude, there was still a noticeable gap in their levels.
Froakie shook his head firmly, indicating he was more than ready to keep going.
"Your Froakie is very eager to fight," Brock noted, nodding. "Then, let the battle begin!"
Brock wasted no time and commanded, "Geodude, use Rock Polish, then follow up with Rollout!"
Geodude's rocky surface began to shine as it smoothed out, increasing its speed.
"Froakie, use Growl! Then condense a Water Pulse in your hands and charge forward!"
Seeing Brock use Rock Polish, Kai immediately guessed his intention. Even if a Water Pulse hit directly, Geodude would likely complete the move, and its Sturdy ability would prevent a one-hit knockout. Kai decided to lower Geodude's attack power first with Growl and then go for a head-on collision. At this stage, a Geodude with boosted speed wouldn't be much slower than Froakie anyway.
On the other side, Geodude finished its Polish and launched into a high-speed Rollout, hurtling toward Froakie.
In an instant, the two collided. Froakie, with Water Pulse energy swirling in his palms, braced himself against the rapidly spinning Geodude.
Kai clenched his fists, thinking silently: Come on, Froakie! You can do this!
As if sensing Kai's thoughts, Froakie's body began to glow.
"Froakie!!" A dazzling white light erupted from his body.
"That's it, Froakie!" Kai cheered.
Even Brock couldn't help but exclaim, "This is... evolution!"
The light of evolution grew brighter and more intense, the sheer force of the transformation knocking Geodude backward. The cry from within the light shifted, becoming sharper and more mature. As the radiance dissipated, a taller, more slender Pokémon stood in the arena.
> Pokémon: Frogadier
> Gender: ♂
> Level: 16
> Ability: Protean
> Moves: Pound, Growl, Lick, Water Gun, Quick Attack, Water Pulse, Ice Beam, Work Up, Double Team
> Potential: Champion
Looking at the Frogadier in the arena, Kai couldn't hide his excitement. "Go, Frogadier! Finish this with Water Pulse!!"
Brock wasn't about to back down: "Geodude, give it everything you've got! Use Rollout!!"
Bang!!
The two forces collided, kicking up a massive cloud of dust. When the air finally cleared, Geodude lay on the ground, unable to battle. Frogadier was propped up by one hand, panting heavily. Even with the evolution, the level gap was significant, and taking a second-turn Rollout had been brutal.
If it hadn't been for the initial Growl and the burst of energy from evolving, he might have lost. Of course, Kai still had Ralts in reserve, but achieving a clean sweep with his starter in his first Gym battle was definitely something to brag about later. He already started imagining how he'd tease that "idiot" Ash about it.
Brock recalled his Pokémon and walked toward Kai, who had entered the arena to check on Frogadier. Brock held out a small, diamond-shaped object.
"Congratulations, Kai. This is the Pewter Gym's Boulder Badge. Please, take it."
Kai stopped channeling his Viridian Power into Frogadier—which he had been doing subtly to help him recover—whispered a few words of praise to his partner, and returned him to his Poké Ball. He accepted the badge with both hands. He pulled a badge case from his inner pocket and carefully snapped his first trophy into place.
"Thank you, Brock."
"You're welcome," Brock replied. "You know, you really don't seem like a rookie Trainer."
Kai had left a great impression on him, and the two chatted for a while before Kai made his exit.
After stopping by the Pokémon Center to ensure Frogadier was fully healed, Kai headed straight for the local jewelry store. Little Ralts was getting quite impatient about her new accessory.
He pushed open the door to a high-end shop, and a staff member greeted him immediately.
"Hello! How can I help you today?"
"Hi there. I'd like to customize a casing for a necklace," Kai explained.
The employee led him to a private room. While waiting for the jeweler, Kai checked in with Ralts via their psychic link.
Ralts, you'll be able to wear your Mega Stone very soon.
Ral! Her soft, excited voice echoed in his mind.
A middle-aged man soon entered. "Hello, I'm the owner. What kind of casing are we looking for?"
Kai detailed the exact dimensions and the durable, high-quality material he wanted for the setting. After discussing the price and confirming it would be ready by the next day, Kai paid the deposit and stepped back out into the sunlight.
He reviewed his plan. First: Mt. Moon. A free Moon Stone was too good to pass up, and he wanted to see if there were any interesting Pokémon to catch. After that: Cerulean City. Aside from the Gym battle, there was the famous "Underwater Ballet." Of course, being a refined gentleman, Kai definitely wasn't going just to... ahem... watch the show.
"Next stop: Mt. Moon!"
As he reached the foot of the mountain, Kai released his team. Ralts immediately pounced into his arms, rubbing her blue head against his chest.
Kai laughed, ruffling her hair. "I'm sorry, Ralts. The city is just too crowded, and until we're a bit stronger, it's safer for you to stay tucked away. I'll make you something extra delicious later to make up for it, okay?"
Ral! She turned her head away playfully, as if saying, "Fine, I guess I'll forgive you."
"Frogadier..." the newly evolved Pokémon sighed to himself. Why is she acting like such a child? I don't get it. I have to stay focused—I'm going to be the greatest ninja in the Pokémon world.
Frogadier's eyes turned resolute. Ever since Kai had shown him some ninja videos the night before, the usually aloof Pokémon had... well... gone a bit "shinobi."
Kai shook his head with a smile. "Alright, let's head up."
Mt. Moon was teeming with life. Being a mountain, it was packed with Rock and Ground-type Pokémon—perfect training targets for a Water-type like Frogadier and a Ralts with Grass-type coverage.
Would you like me to translate the journey through Mt. Moon next?