Chapter 26

Bob breathed out.

As the pokéball left his hand, sweat began to form on his face.

'Guts and Dio are still in the game, yet they're too injured to fight,' He thought, as the red fuzz shaped into Graveler, 'I'm getting too nervous here,'

"Graveler!" He cried, bashing his four fists together, ready to battle.

Graveler eyed his opponent.

"Scyther!" It said, digging its scythe-like arms into the ground.

He nodded, no fear bubbling from the rock-type.

"Scyther, Agility," Bugsy ordered.

"Graveler, Rock Throw,"

The rock-type lobbed a few chunks of rocks at his enemy, but Scyther fluidly escaped the rocks.

SHING!

With its wings flapping with urgency, the bug-type shot forward, an arm glowing.

Luckily, Graveler tightened its guard before the attack battered against him, his arms not budging.

'Fury Cutter,' Bob thought as Scyther buzzed back, 'it's gonna use it all the way, I just know it,'

'Let's do the same,' Bob spoke again, "Rollout,"

So, Graveler tucked in his arms and rolled forward, a dust cloud left behind.

Bugsy looked on, "Scyther, meet its challenge with another Fury Cutter,"

BASH!

As the bug-type readied up, it was hit with the first Rollout.

"Scy!" It quickly retaliated with its second Fury Cutter, but this only lead to another assault by a rumbling rock.

BOOM!

Both slammed into each other, with Scyther pulverised by the rock, and Graveler nicked with the bug-type's deadly arms.

'One hundred and twenty,'

Almost drifting, Graveler turned around, in line with his foe.

BAM!

SHING!

The third time was not the charm, as both pokémon took an attack.

'Two hundred and forty,'

BASH!

SHING!

The fourth was the same, as the two fighters took another barrage.

However, both took a second to breathe, staring at each other.

"Graveler," Bob said, getting his rock-type's attention.

"Gravel?" He took one look at his trainer, and froze for a minute.

"Fury-" Bob noticed Graveler freezing, "Huh?"

"Graveler," The rock-type gave him a thumbs up.

'I didn't even say what I wanted to say,' Bob thought, 'Huh, guess he had the same idea,'

When Graveler looked over at Scyther, it was grinding one of its arms on its stomach, as if sharpening it to reap some crop.

Scyther looked back. Slicing down a rock-type with a maximum Fury Cutter was not hard for it.

A second later, both pokémon rushed forward.

Graveler quickly rolled forward, lumbering for the fifth time.

"Scyther..."

The bug-type, however, stopped again, turning its body to the side, and placing an arm far away.

As if it were a baseball player readying for a home run, Scyther began to swing its arm as Graveler came close.

Once again, Bob noticed a line following the glowing arm as it aligned with the tumbling rock.

WOOSH!

Dust flew as Scyther swung its arm on time.

Though, Graveler was nowhere to be seen.

Scyther was disappointed that this attack missed, but there was always next time.

And next time was as soon as expected.

With a thunderous crack, a spinning boulder broke out of the ground.

BASH!

And right into a wing that smashed into it.

However, Graveler still bludgeoned Scyther.

The bug-type recovered quickly and sliced the rock-type again.

Graveler retreated.

He was pretty bruised by the double Fury Cutter, but he still stood, not falling down.

Scyther was just as impressed, much like his trainer.

"Been a long time since a rock-type survived a fifth-hit Fury Cutter," Bugsy said, "Scyther, Agility,"

"Scyther!" It had been a long time since the bug-type found an opponent that was strong.

So, as the bug-type's wings buzzed with energy, it gained respect towards Graveler.

Scyther needed to finish him off if it where to show some resemblance of strength towards it's other allies.

"Rock Throw," Bob ordered.

This had Graveler swing a rock at Scyther.

WOOSH!

Like a bird diving for its prey, Scyther bolted forward, ready to cut Graveler up.

It took a moment for the rock-type to retaliate as there were two Scyther charging.

This retaliation was another Rock Throw, which was a guess, thrown at one of the bug-types.

BASH!

BASH!

Before Graveler could launch another rock, Scyther whipped its arms at the rock-type's face.

The rock was flung into the air from this attack, with Graveler dazed.

"Wing Attack,"

With a powerful glow, the bug-type's scythe-like arms battered the rock-type.

"Gravel..." The rock-type groaned, tightening up and absorbing every attack.

However, with each hit, his energy was draining.

BOOM!

Scyther was attacked from above by a rock, creating a small chance.

A chance to turn this battle in Graveler's favour.

Now, the rock-type was in close proximity with his foe, a huge rock held above him.

The bug-type caught wind of this.

It retaliated with forming its arms into an 'x', closing the distance as well.

A moment later, two powerful sounds sprang across the arena.

This was Scyther's two arms cutting deep into Graveler's front, and the rock-type's attack smashing the bug-type from above.

Both pokémon fell down.

"Scyther..." Scyther groaned, bruised, his vision almost in half.

Though, the bug-type was the first to get up.

It had been a long time since it was injured like this.

But, by how Graveler looked, the fight looked to be done.

"Gravel..." That thought shattered when Scyther caught sight of its foe.

Graveler could be grouped in the same condition as the bug-type, as his rocky legs were wobbly, as if he could fall down from another attack.

However, the rock-type was not afraid.

He didn't care how many times he would lose.

As long as it had meaning, Graveler would lose many times for Bob.

So, he went forward, Bob looking on.

'It could be a tight match,' Bob thought, 'but whatever happens, Graveler did his best,'

As this went on, Scyther had decided on something.

In fact, Bugsy thought the same thing.

It was a move the bug-type would never use.

Since Graveler had an attack that could take it out, Scyther needed to end this.

So, witnessing the lumbering rock moving forward, the bug-type raised an arm.

"Rock Throw,"

With a halt, just out of reach, Graveler picked up a boulder.

"Scyther, Rock Smash,"

He could only notice how much closer Scyther was.

WOOSH!

CRACK!

The very arm the bug-type held up shot forward like a bullet from a pistol, crashing into the chest of Graveler.

As he was in the process of throwing a rock, this was an effective attack.

"Gravel..." The rock-type buckled, as if to collapse from the pain.

The arm was brought back, with a sigh from the bug-type.

That was as far as Scyther could move.

"Graveler," As the rock-type fell, he arranged the boulder he held to land on the bug-type's head.

BASH!

With a little force, the rock collided with Scyther's head.

However, Graveler kept on falling, the boulder broken into pieces.

As his vision met the ground, Graveler would wonder if that last ditch attack worked...

THUD!

A cloud of dirt escaped as the rock-type's heavy body hit the floor, face first with his arms spread out.

"Scy..." The bug-type looked on in satisfaction.

This foe was a refresher.

"...ther," Another thud erupted.

This one was Scyther, on its back.

Once again, the two pokémon were down, but this time, it was the end.

"Gy-Gym Leader Bugsy has run out of usable pokémon," The referee spoke, raising the flag to Bob, "the challenger is the winner!"

"Hmm," Bugsy murmured, returning Scyther, "That's why you are my ace, Scyther,"

'I may have won, but at what cost?' Bob thought, returning his fainted Graveler, 'that's a loss for him,'

Both trainers met at the centre of the field.

"Thank you for the match," Bob said, raising a hand.

"Trainers like you are perfect obstacles for my bug-types," Bugsy spoke, returning the handshake, and handing Bob the Hive badge, "may I know your name?"

"It's Bob," He replied, taking the badge.

"This year's Silver League will be interesting," After saying this, Bugsy walked back to the tree, leaning against it, "I will return to my passion of research,"

Bob only nodded, and walked off.

'Today was a pyrrhic victory,' He thought, eying the badge in his hand, 'I learn't a lot from my pokémon,'

He then thought about Guts, 'Perhaps I will be able to teach him that technique when he evolves,'

When he reached the entrance, Bob felt a little relieved.

His second gym badge, though difficult, was finally conquered.

The second fortress had fallen.