Chapter 18

As he walked deeper into the cave, Bob took out the pokédex.

"Rattata, the mouse pokémon," the voice explained, "it is very cautious, often listening around. It can make its nest out of anything, and anywhere,"

Then, another message appeared.

"Rattata has been sent and delivered to your storage,"

'Good to know,' Bob placed it back in his bag, then heard another noise, 'Now, for this,'

The more he walked, the louder it became.

It sounded like a group of miners exploring and mining and were busy at that.

However, it did not sound like excavating anymore but burrowing.

'Is it a pokémon?' Bob walked on, 'must be a big one,'

Bob halted in his tracks.

On the right of the cave, he saw a long line of circular rocks running out of the ground then diving back into it.

Soon, a massive head lumbered up and took notice of the kid in front of it.

"Onix!" The rock-type roared after that, shifting its large body into a more defensive position.

'Knew it,' Bob brought out a pokéball, 'Let's see if the weaknesses do work,'

"Wooper," Wooper called out, looking up at the gigantic monster that loomed over them.

"Wooper, Water Gun,"

The blast drenched the Onix in the face, sending it into turmoil.

Its body snaked and unearthed the ground. It even shook the cave.

'So that must mean it was pretty damaged,' Bob took out a pokéball, 'an easy catch,'

"Onix!" Another roar shook the ground Bob stood on as the rock-type began to flick its body, ending in the tail swishing towards the water-type.

Bob kept watching, wondering how Wooper would take it.

However, this rock tail flying towards its target, looked different. It was leaving a small trail behind it, as if the air was holding on for dear life but was left behind.

BASH!!!

Onix's tail smashed head-on into Wooper, sending a shockwave that rang around his body and sent him flying towards Bob.

'What a strong attack,' Bob thought, looking down at Wooper, 'will he get up?'

On closer inspection, the water-type was knocked out.

A shiver went down Bob's spine upon seeing the downed Wooper, so he returned it and brought out another pokéball.

'Spinarak's another choice, but absorb will be useless if he faints from that assumed Tackle,' Bob lobbed the ball, 'this is a rough matchup in Onix's favour, but it will be a good challenge,'

"Quilava!" Guts cried, and then his eyes narrowed at Onix.

'He is in good form,' Bob held an empty pokéball in his hand, 'this should capture the Onix,'

"Quick Attack,"

Guts dashed from side to side, with the rock-type's eyes glued to the speedy foe.

This sent the fire-type into a slight rage as Onix seemed to look bored. Soon, he was pouncing into its face, with his foe not caring that much.

But, before Guts could hit, he began to spin and catch alight.

"Onix?"

His harmless attack was now an inferno.

With a heave, Guts' flaming body smashed directly into Onix's face, causing it to groan.

"Lava!" As he flew away, the fire-type quickly fired an Ember, sending the rock-type's face the other way.

This caught Onix off guard and brought a chance.

WOOSH!

A pokéball flew. Its target? Onix's head.

Bob was taking a chance, as the rock-type could escape, but he could just wound it more.

Although Bob's chances were half and half that the pokéball would work, that changed to a third.

CRUNCH!

The pokéball went from catching a pokémon to becoming its lunch.

Onix wasted no time chomping down the ball, swallowing it down like an appetizer.

'What?' Now, Bob was shaking, 'I didn't expect it to eat it!'

Before he could order another attack, Quilava was wrapped in its rocky coils.

"Q-uil!" He began to squeak, his body crushed and squeezed to the extreme.

"O...nix," Onix made it tighter, waiting for Guts to tire out.

'C-crap,' Bob breathed in, "Another Ember,"

"La...va," Guts was able to release a blast from his mouth, slapping the Onix in the face once more.

The rock-type cried in pain, and in this, loosed its grip.

Guts struggled out and hopped away from it.

But, as he looked at his foe, it stared back with cold eyes.

Onix swished his body, and that led to the tail, which was in perfect range.

WTISH!

"Quil..." The rocky end whipped into Guts' face, sending him a few feet back.

'That is a strong move,' Bob thought, looking down, now at a fire-type, 'Wonder if you'll get up?'

To which he did.

Guts groaned, standing up again. Though a bit bruised, he could still fight.

"Okay, Smokescreen,"

So Guts spewed out a cloud of smoke in hopes of attacking his foe unexpectedly.

But, before that dream could come true, a large rock flew and pulverised the fire-type, shutting down his smoke plan.

"Quilava..." He groaned, flinching from the injuries.

"Use Dig," Guts had a feeling of what Bob wanted to do.

With some smoke still up, the fire-type dug his way into the ground, disappearing from view.

The smoke cleared, and Bob stared at a confused Onix.

When it stared back at him though, he felt like wearing brown pants.

Onix's glare was sinister as if he was ignoring Guts altogether and readying to attack Bob himself.

Although this was an option, Onix was taken to the ground breaking up just under his head.

'There he is,' As Bob thought this, a burning ball of fire erupted from the ground like an active volcano.

As if he was a rocket, Guts slammed into Onix's chin, sending his head up. It was reminiscent of an uppercut.

"Quilava!" Guts cried out, feeling a sense of satisfaction upon seeing the rock-type falter.

It was only for a second.

While Guts was in the air, Onix recovered and his mouth began to glow.

Bob could only watch as a purplish-white beam escaped the rock-type's lips and drilled into the fire-type, sending him into the ground.

'Was that a dragon-type move?' Bob thought, 'No, I'm just assuming, but that is fascinating,'

He looked down but was interrupted by the glare of Onix.

'Why is he staring at me?' Bob began to tremble. He was sure Guts would've gotten back up.

But as that purple beam began to charge, Bob dived into a sea of dread.

Could he die?

The beam left in a satisfying 'BOOM' from Onix's mouth, and made its way to the frozen child.

If only a rampant fire-type didn't jump in front of the blast, Bob would've been written on a tombstone.

"Quil!" Guts groaned, tanking the blast, and landing on his feet, glaring up at his foe.

Bob's legs were wobbly, 'That blast could've killed me!'

However, he calmed down once he heard Guts' growling and his back spluttering.

It was like a high noon duel.

Both Guts and the Onix glared at each other as if to draw at any moment, but nothing happened.

"Quil...Quil," At this point, Guts was exhausted, but his stare was not.

It was not about protecting Bob, and more about how he wanted Onix to focus on him, and not on his trainer.

"Onix," The rock-type muttered, its mouth charging.

Bob gulped, "E-Ember, an-and charge it,"

Guts did so, and his mouth was beginning to bulge.

Like two railguns, the two blasts fired forward with overwhelming force...

...and connected.

BOOM!

Bob had to cover his face from the dirt flying around, blinding his vision.

When he lowered his arm, he was met with the gaze of an Onix.

A frightened one.

Onix still had that killer glare when it looked at Bob, but when its eyes looked down at Guts, the rock-type took a second to fight the pressure that was pressing it down. Plus, it was injured, and it did not want to continue.

"Onix," After another glance at Bob, it switched back to the angry fire-type.

It nodded.

Then, it snaked into the left wall of the cave, leaving a rumble that slowly died down.

Bob could've thrown a pokéball, but he was in his own situation.

'Did that Onix just retreat? He also gave Guts a nod, interesting,' Soon, he was on himself, 'Damn it! Why didn't I throw another pokéball? If I was not so frightened, I would've...'

"Quil..." Bob heard a sniffle from Guts.

All this time, he never focused on the fire-type's face, as he was thinking of Onix.

So he walked over to Guts, and when he saw his face, he sighed.

Guts' face was pummeled from pillar to post, and his left eye was swollen. Bob could bet he could not even see out of it.

"Oh, you struggler," Bob placed his hand on the fire-type's head, and Guts' responded by falling over from exhaustion.

"The second time you have an eye bruised," Bob held him in his arms, "are you trying to revert to your first stage?"

Bob soon noticed a single tear run down Guts' right eye.

"Don't worry about Onix, I'm proud that you held on," Bob said, taking out a potion, "and how you frightened him looking like this? you are growing stronger,"

"Quil," Guts replied, closing his eyes to the sprays.

"Also," Bob continued, putting the potion away, "I'm rewarding you for saving me, even if it was not intentional,"

"Now you can rest," Bob pressed the pokéball against Guts' nose, and he returned in a red fuzz.

'I never knew that could happen,' Bob put the pokéball away, and began to walk, looking at the hole the Onix made, 'that was a strong foe,'

As he walked, Bob began to think how if Guts had not evolved and not fought any strong pokémon, he would've fallen.

'He is my ace, so I am a bit biased towards him,' Bob thought, 'but if he had fainted, I don't think the others have a chance to knock it out,'

As he walked down the rocky chasm, he had a heavy pressure on him.

'God, I mean, Arceus, how things could've been different if Guts was not strong.'