Pokemon : I'm Just a Photographer!

Chapter 105: Chapter 105

After arriving at the Gym, Roark led Mike and the others to the battlefield.

As expected of a Rock-type Gym, the arena was covered in protruding boulders and uneven stone formations.

Every Gym designed its battlefield around the type it specialized in.

Cynthia found a seat in the stands, with Lucian sitting beside her.

Lucian adjusted his glasses, pulled out his phone, took a picture of Mike standing on the battlefield, and posted it in the fan group.

[ReallyDon’tWantOvertime: [Image]]

[ReallyDon’tWantOvertime: Our professional procrastinator is about to challenge a Gym.]

[Propht: That bastard actually went off to challenge a Gym?! Ask him when his videos are getting updated! [Angry Gengar.jpg]]

[PurpleScholar: Isn’t that the Oreburgh Gym?]

[ReallyDon’tWantOvertime: Yep.]

[ReallyDon’tWantOvertime: Don’t worry. I already asked him. He said the newest episode of The Wide World of Pokémon should be out soon.]

[ReallyDon’tWantOvertime: Relax. I’m personally keeping an eye on him.]

[JuicePigeon: We’re counting on you, Overtime Dude!]

"..."

Lucian switched off his phone and slipped it back into his pocket.

"Lucian, how do you think this will turn out?" Cynthia asked.

Lucian pushed his glasses up.

"Although this is Mike’s first Gym challenge, based on what I know about him, winning shouldn’t be particularly difficult."

"He already demonstrated a fairly high level of battling skill on Poké Battle."

Cynthia nodded in agreement.

Professor Kukui, sitting nearby, looked surprised.

"Did you say this is Assistant Mike’s first Gym challenge?"

Professor Rowan smiled.

"That’s right. He only started traveling recently. It’s probably been no more than a month or two."

"Is he actually a Trainer? I assumed he was a researcher, considering how much he knows about Pokémon," Kukui said.

"If you go by his own explanation, he’s neither a Trainer nor a researcher," Rowan replied, remembering Mike’s insistence on the matter.

"Huh?"

"He says he’s a photographer."

"Hahaha! Mike really is an interesting fellow," Professor Oak laughed.

...

On the battlefield, Roark went through the standard procedure and asked for Mike’s information.

"Assistant Mike, how many Gym Badges do you currently have?"

"Just Mike is fine, Gym Leader Roark. I don’t have any yet. Oreburgh is the first Gym I’ve challenged."

"Understood. In that case, according to League regulations, we’ll use a three-on-three format. The challenger may freely switch Pokémon during the battle. Once all three Pokémon on either side are unable to continue, the match ends."

’Three?’

’Perfect. I only have three battle-ready Pokémon right now anyway.’

Mike nodded.

"Understood."

"Good. If you’re ready, let’s begin the Gym challenge."

"I look forward to learning from you."

Roark and Mike returned to their respective positions.

After the referee announced the start of the match, Roark, as Gym Leader, sent out his Pokémon first.

As expected of a Rock-type Gym, his opening Pokémon was Geodude.

Mike vaguely remembered that Rock-type Gym Leaders in practically every region loved opening with Geodude.

He looked down at his shadow.

"Do you want to go first?"

"Gar—"

[Let Snivy go first. I’ll finish things.]

Mike smiled and nodded.

"All right."

He took out Snivy’s Poké Ball and flicked his wrist.

The ball flew over the battlefield and opened in midair.

A flash of red light appeared, and Snivy gracefully landed on the field.

With a sweep of her tail, she knocked the Poké Ball back toward Mike, who caught it neatly.

"I’m counting on you, Snivy."

Snivy nodded seriously.

Glameow lay not far from Mike, quietly watching the battle.

"A Grass-type Snivy against a Rock- and Ground-type Geodude. That’s an enormous type advantage," Professor Kukui commented.

Although Kukui was officially a Pokémon Professor in Alola, behind the scenes he was also the famous Masked Royal, a Trainer who had dominated Alola’s Battle Royal scene.

When Professor Rowan noticed the Leaf Stone hanging around Snivy’s neck, he couldn’t help laughing.

"That boy really never hesitates to spend money on his Pokémon."

First it had been Toxic Orbs.

Now a Leaf Stone?

"Here we come, Mike," Roark warned.

Gym Leaders generally offered a certain amount of guidance to Trainers attempting their first Gym challenge.

Giving them advance warnings was part of that.

A Gym Leader’s responsibility wasn’t merely to defeat challengers. They were also expected to help Trainers improve.

"Geodude, use Rollout!"

Geodude curled its body into a ball and rapidly rolled toward Snivy.

"Vine Whip."

Two vines extended beside Snivy’s neck and snapped viciously toward Geodude.

The pain from the type advantage caused Geodude to visibly hesitate for a moment.

However, it quickly accelerated again, slammed into Snivy, and sent her flying.

Mike narrowed his eyes.

As expected, real Pokémon battles were nothing like the games.

Even a four-times-effective Vine Whip couldn’t simply delete a Gym Leader’s Pokémon in one hit.

At least, his Snivy couldn’t do that yet.

"Pokémon battles aren’t decided by type advantages alone," Roark said with a smile.

"Even when Geodude takes a super-effective Vine Whip, it can reduce some of the impact by rapidly rotating its body."

"I’ll remember that."

Mike nodded.

"Good. Then we’re continuing. Geodude, use Rollout again!"

Geodude curled into a ball once more.

This time, both its speed and power were noticeably greater.

Mike pointed toward the rocks protruding from the battlefield.

"Snivy, use the rocks to evade."

Snivy extended a vine, wrapped it around a nearby boulder, and swung herself away.

Geodude chased closely behind.

"Using the terrain to dodge? Not bad. But unfortunately, Geodude’s speed will only keep increasing."

"Now. Go airborne."

Snivy watched Geodude launch itself high from one of the rocks, its spinning body descending toward her.

She tightened her Vine Whip and swung herself into the air.

One tiny foot lightly stepped on Geodude’s rapidly rotating body.

Using the momentum, Snivy sprang even higher.

"Escaping into the air?" Roark grinned. "Unfortunately, it looks like you’ve run out of places to dodge."

"Geodude, Fire Punch!"

Snivy began falling.

At the same time, Geodude launched itself upward from the ground, one fist wrapped in blazing flames as it swung toward her.

"That’s right," Mike said.

"It looks like you don’t have anywhere to dodge either."

Roark froze.

Countless leaves suddenly gathered around Snivy.

They began spinning on their own, rapidly forming a massive tornado.

"Snivy use Leaf Storm!"

With nowhere to evade in midair, Geodude was swallowed by the raging Leaf Storm!

Snivy, meanwhile, landed gracefully on a protruding boulder.

She turned toward Mike, gave him a wink, and smiled sweetly.

Behind her, Geodude crashed back onto the battlefield and its eyes had already turned into spirals.

At the same time, Snivy’s aura began climbing rapidly.

"So you were setting a trap for me."

Roark recalled Geodude and smiled.

"Nicely done, Mike. But you’ll need to be careful from here on."

He sent out his second Pokémon.

One of Sinnoh’s famous revived fossil Pokémon—Rampardos.

"This Rampardos evolved not long ago," Roark explained. "It’s also one of my proudest partners."

"It evolved around the time Ash and the others were here, right?"

Roark blinked.

"You know them?"

Mike nodded.

"I do."

"I see. Then here we come."

Roark pointed forward.

"Rampardos, Flamethrower!"

Rampardos opened its mouth and released a stream of scorching flames toward Snivy.

"Get behind the rock."

Snivy darted behind the largest nearby boulder and pressed herself against it.

Flamethrower struck the stone and split around both sides.

"Rampardos, increase the power! Break through the rock!"

Rampardos poured even more power into the flames.

Snivy was forced farther away by the intense heat, and Mike noticed cracks beginning to spread across the huge boulder.

’That’s ridiculous.’

’Isn’t Rock supposed to resist Fire? That Flamethrower is literally destroying a boulder by force!’

The rock finally shattered.

Countless fragments exploded outward.

"Use Vine Whip to spin yourself, then Leaf Storm!"

The instant the boulder broke apart, Snivy extended her vines and spun her body at high speed.

Using the force of that rotation, her vines smashed the surrounding stone fragments into even smaller pieces, scattering them everywhere.

At the same time, Snivy unleashed Leaf Storm.

The swirling leaves dragged the flying debris back into the tornado, forming a ring of stone around the outer edge of the storm.

Leaf Storm blocked Flamethrower and continued surging toward Rampardos.

"Flamethrower!"

Rampardos unleashed another blast and forcibly destroyed the Leaf Storm.

The stones caught inside were blasted in every direction.

For a brief moment, the battlefield fell still.

Snivy’s aura rose again.

Roark finally noticed something was wrong as his eyes widened.

"Contrary?"

Mike grinned.

After using Leaf Storm twice, Snivy’s Special Attack had already risen by four stages!

"Rampardos, charge straight in! Zen Headbutt!"

"Dodge, then Leaf Storm!"

Snivy once again used Vine Whip to swing away from Rampardos’s charge before firing a third Leaf Storm.

Rampardos smashed through the storm with Zen Headbutt, but numerous wounds appeared across its body in the process.

"He’s very skilled at using the battlefield," Lucian observed.

"Indeed," Cynthia agreed. "Snivy’s small body makes her particularly suited to swinging between those rocks with Vine Whip. She’s extremely difficult to pin down."

"She’s already used Leaf Storm three times," Lucian said.

"Unless something unexpected happens, the outcome has essentially been decided."

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