From: Saint84_98@yahoo.com (Saint84_98@yahoo.com) Subject: [PW!] A Fox, A Rock, and a Sandshrew Newsgroups: alt.games.nintendo.pokemon Date: 2000/04/22 This is a continuacion of the post "A rocky start in Pewter" BBD127@aol.com wrote in message <"Really? Great!" Procyon took this as an affirmative and jumped over <to the Sandshrew. "Now, let's see... Sandshrew... lives in a dry <climate... rather dry skin also... loyal and affectionate... <definitely of the Ground type... probably evolves into Sandslash... <hm... most likely herbivorous... hates water.... ok, all done! Thanks <a lot, Mister... what did you say your name was?" <"Taron." <"Right. Taron. Great." He paused, suddenly aware that he was in a <rather awkward position. "So, um... how's life going for you Taron? <Are you a trainer too?" "Yeah, I'm a trainer too." Taron said proudly, "Are you here to get your Boulder Badge?" He asked taking off his shades and cleaning them on his shirt, even though he had no idea if they were dirty or not. Procyon noticed Taron's completely gray eyes, he wondered if Taron was possibly blind, but decided not to mention it. Procyon nodded. "Yeah, and I plan to earn the other seven as well." A Chansey came over and tapped Taron on the shoulder. "Chansey!" Taron reached over and took his three pokeballs off of the tray and attached them to his belt. He knelt down and patted his Sandshrew. "Yeah, me and Tumbleweed, here we can't lose." Procyon nodded. " I'm not sure how I'm going to defeat Brock, though, because all I've got are a flying type and a normal type, looks like I'll have to catch something else." Taron shrugged, "Well, I could challenge him first, then you could catch a water type or a grass type then challenge him yourself." "Sounds like a plan." ************* Taron pushed open the doors of the Pewter City gym. He immediatly felt like he had entered a cave. The smell of earth was everywhere. Someone who wasn't blind would have told you it was dark as well, this of course didn't matter to Taron, light didn't exist to him. To complete the effect, Brock had sent his Zubat flying around the ceiling screeching, the sound echoed in such a way that it sounded to Taron that there were actually dozens of Zubats. For all he knew, there very well might be. Mount Moon wasn't far away. "Brock, master of Pewter Gym, I, Taron Darkeyes have come to challenge you for a Boulder Badge." After speaking these words he felt like an idiot. Whoa Taron, he thought to himself, ease up on the medievil knight bit. Brock laughed. "Very well then, we shall use two pokemon each." Unbeknownst to Taron, Brock had flipped a switch and the rocky battle platform was rapidly connecting, and if Taron didn't move his legs would be chopped off. Taron heard the gears moving, and jumped just in time. He stood on the platform "looking" at his opponent atop his rocky throne. Taron was thinking about which two pokemon to use. He would use Tumbleweed obviously, but then who? Talon was a bird pokemon, that wouldn't help much, Pierre was nothing more than a worm, he couldn't hope to defeat Brock's pokemon, Rampage might be a good choice, True he was a normal type, but he was big enough to do some damage. Only problem was, he was disobidient. So who? He sighed quietly. Time was up he'd have to hope for the best. Here goes. He smiled. "Brock, you are the champion here, please choose first." "Very well. I choose, Vulpix." Taron heard the sound of a pokeball hitting the rocky floor, he then heard the pokeball snap open, followed by the sound of energy escaping the pokeball, and finally that same energy being transformed into matter. "Vul!" A high pitched voice stated matter-of-factly. The vulpix yawned already bored. Taron reached into his pocket and aimed his pokedex at it. "Vulpix, fox pokemon, gains more tails as it grows older." Taron put the pokedex away. "Oh gee, that helped alot." He muttered. "That's my point!" Procyon called from the sidelines. He then proceeded to write his own pro-dex entry "Talon, it's go time." He went through the normal actions of summoning forth a pokemon. "Speeeeaarow!" Talon cried after being released. Brock was unfazed. It wasn't surprising, Spearows were common in these whereabouts. "Vulpix, use an ember attack." Vulpix's eyes began to glow and an aura of fire engulfed it's body as it was charging up the attack. "Vuuullll!!!" In a second it launched a wave of flame towards Taron's Spearow. "Spe-" It gasped in the seering heat. "Don't give up yet Talon. Hit them with a Fury Attack!" Talon shook it's head and flapped it's wings, trying to clear off the ash from the attack. It took to the air. It divebombed the fox three times before missing. "Alright, enough playing around, Vulpix use Confuse Ray." Brock said calmly . The fox nodded and glared at Talon. It launched a bright beam of light at it, which hit it and sent it reeling back. It stood up and looked around, the whole room was swirling and it could no longer tell left from right. "Row?" "Come on Talon! use a peck attack.!" Taron shouted. It took to the air shakily. It looked around for it's target. Finally it spotted one. "Speeeaa!" It said swooping down for the attack. Taron ducked just in time to avoid the blow "Hey attack the Vulpix, not ME!" Taron said. He made a split second decision. "Talon return!" His Spearow disappeared in a red beam. He frowned at Brock. "That was a pretty cheap tactic. It matters not though, you just forced me to play my ace." He patted the pokemon by his side. "Okay Tumbleweed it's your turn." The Sandshrew nodded and leaped into the ring. "Shrew!" It called defiantly. "Okay Vulpix, Confuse Ray again!" It charged the beam again, but Tumbleweed was expecting it and dodged just in time. "My turn, Tumbleweed, use your Dig attack." Tumbleweed nodded and swan dived into the ground. "Careful Vulpix, be on your guard." Vulpix looked around warily, listening for some sign of where the Sandshrew would appear. The seconds dragged on as all parties concerned waited... and waited... finally Taron heard a rumbling deep inside the floorboards. He smirked and wondered if Brock heard it too. Suddenly there was a loud crash, and the floor erupted, sending a cloud of dust into the air. Taron, Brock and Procyon, all fell pray to a fit of coughing. The dust settled and Taron waited anxiously for the result. "Congratulations." Brock said, "Vulpix return. Geodude, help me out." Again Taron heard the sound of energy being turned into matter. "Geo!" "Tumbleweed, this'll be easy!" Taron shouted into the ring, even though Tumbleweed was only a few feet away. "Use the Dig attack again!" Brock sat up urgently. "Oh no you don't, Geodude, give him a Seismic Toss." Before Tumbleweed could disappear underneath the ground again, Brock's Geodude grabbed it, jumped up into the air and tossed it to the ground. Tumbleweed stood up and growled at the geodude. Tumbleweed, dig now." Taron called into the ring. "Sand!" Tumbleweed said shaking his head. Procyon watched as Tumbleweed walked up to its opponent pointed one long claw at it, then brought that claw up and brushed the top side of it underneath its chin. "What the?" Brock asked. Tumbleweed drew back a clenched claw and punched the Geodude in the jaw. The force of it's blow sent it flying back. Taron pulled out his pokedex. "Identify attack." He ordered. "Processing... Attack identified, Rage." The pokedex stated in a mechanical voice. "Pokemon attacks until either it or the opponent falls, with each hit it takes its own attacks grow stronger." Taron was shocked. "Does Sandshrew learn this attack?" He asked "Negative." "Is there a TM for this attack." "Negative." "Well then where did it...?" Taron wondered but then sat back to watch the fight, he couldn't give anymore commands it wouldn't work. "Geodude, use Defense Curl." The Geodude curled up into a ball. Tumbleweed walked over and picked up the geo-ball, and began to bounce it on his head. He then swiped a claw at it and sent it flying against the wall, it bounced back to him and he hit it again. This went on for a minute or two. The geo-ball uncurled and the geodude stood there gasping for air, unconcious. Sandshrew jumped up and did a midair blackflip, after landing he crossed his arms over his legs in Brocks general direction. Brock stood up and pulled out a pokeball. "Geodude return. Well Taron, that was an interesting fight, I still can't figure out where that Sandshrew learned a Rage attack. Here is your boulder badge." Tumbleweed ran up, took the badge and gave it to its blind trainer. Taron turned to where Procyon was sitting. "Well," He said smirking. "Your turn Procyon." Procyon sweatdropped. "Uh Taron, I'm over here." Taron facefaulted. TBC...