Hard as a Rock

The forest gradually gave way to rocky terrain, and the path underfoot turned rougher as Tyrunt and I ventured further away from Oreburgh. The soft earth gave way to scattered boulders and jagged paths that screamed Geodude territory. It wasn't exactly the most comfortable place to be, but I wasn't exactly living a luxury life anyway. We needed a challenge, and honestly, it'd be nice to fight something that didn't roll over and faint at the first Tackle.

The midday sun was beating down, making the sweat cling to my back. Tyrunt, of course, didn't seem to mind. It stomped along, head held high, occasionally gnawing on random rocks, probably hoping one of them would fight back. I let it chew away—better a rock than my arm, right?

"Alright, big guy," I said, scanning the area, "let's see if we can find something worth your effort this time. No more fluffy stuff."

Tyrunt huffed, which I chose to interpret as agreement.

After clambering over rocks and stumbling through uneven ground, I finally spotted one—a Geodude. The thing was half-buried, lounging like it didn't have a care in the world. Its eyes were closed, soaking up the sun like it was on vacation. I nudged Tyrunt, pointing. "There. Rock with arms, let's go wake it up."

Tyrunt eyed the Geodude, then looked at me like it was saying, Are you serious? That lump? I nodded. "Yeah, that one. Don't look so unimpressed—you're about to make it wish it stayed buried."

"Alright, buddy, start off with a Tackle—but, you know, maybe don't break all your teeth this time."

Tyrunt charged forward, lowering its head, and rammed the Geodude, sending it rolling across the rocky ground. The Geodude flailed, letting out a startled growl. It seemed genuinely offended that someone dared disturb its sunbathing.

"Great, now we've got its attention," I muttered. The Geodude wasn't taking this lying down. It pushed itself upright, glaring at Tyrunt, and then scooped up a handful of rocks. "Uh-oh..."

The Geodude flung the rocks with surprising force. Tyrunt dodged most of them, though a couple still bonked off its armored hide. Tyrunt glanced back at me as if to say, This guy's for real?

"Hey, stay focused!" I called out. "Go in with a Bite, but remember, don't actually eat it!"

Tyrunt lunged again, jaws open wide, aiming for Geodude's arm. The Geodude tried to yank its arm back, but Tyrunt was faster, snapping its teeth around the rocky limb. There was a loud crunching sound, and the Geodude let out a guttural groan, trying to shake Tyrunt off.

"Yeah, I know, it's all rocky and gross, just hold on for a second!" I shouted, realizing Tyrunt's face was twisted in a way that suggested biting Geodude was about as tasty as chewing gravel—probably because it was exactly like chewing gravel.

After what seemed like an eternity of Geodude flailing and Tyrunt trying to pretend it was totally fine biting a rock, I yelled, "Alright, let go and back off!"

Tyrunt released Geodude, spitting out bits of rock dust and taking a few steps back. Geodude, on the other hand, looked seriously irritated, like it was ready to go all out. I didn't have the time—or patience—to let it get any more worked up.

"Okay, let's end this! Tyrunt, use Stomp!"

Tyrunt roared and stomped forward, raising one heavy foot before slamming it down on Geodude's body. The impact made the ground tremble, and the Geodude let out a wheezy groan. I didn't need a second invitation. Grabbing an empty Poké Ball, I tossed it at the Geodude, watching as the red light sucked it in. The ball wobbled once, twice... click.

"Nice," I muttered, picking it up. "And that's another one for the collection." Tyrunt strutted over, clearly expecting praise. I patted its head, even though it gave me a bit of a side-eye, still chewing on bits of gravel. "Yeah, yeah, you did great. But seriously, next time, maybe less biting rocks, okay?"

Tyrunt huffed in response, as if I was the unreasonable one. Honestly, it was probably right.

After the battle, we headed back towards Oreburgh. Not because I was desperate to rest—although my legs were practically jelly—but because Tyrunt and I needed to start working on some new moves. If every battle was going to be like that Geodude fight, we were going to be in serious trouble. Tyrunt had power, sure, but I needed something a bit more, well, strategic. Besides, I was tired of Tyrunt's only answer to every problem being to either bite it or headbutt it into oblivion.

We stopped at a relatively flat patch of ground just outside the city, where we could practice without attracting too much attention. Tyrunt was sniffing around, looking curious about what the next plan was. I pulled out the old, tattered notebook I'd been using, flipping through pages until I found the section about different potential moves. Most of it was copied from library books or overheard conversations between trainers—whatever information I could get my hands on.

"Alright, big guy," I said, "how about we try working on Dragon Tail?"

Tyrunt blinked, then looked back at its tail like it was suddenly remembering it had one. Not exactly the confidence boost I was hoping for, but it was a start.

"Yeah, that thing behind you," I said with a sigh. "Come on, give it a good swing. Pretend it's like... swatting a Zubat, alright?"

Tyrunt huffed and spun around, its tail lashing out. It hit a nearby rock, sending it skidding across the dirt. I nodded. "Okay, not bad. But let's try to get some more oomph in it, yeah? It's supposed to have, you know, dragon energy or whatever. More roar, less flick."

Tyrunt gave me a look that said, More roar, huh? That's some amazing advice. But it tried again, this time putting a bit more force behind it. The tail slammed into another rock, shattering it. Tyrunt turned back, clearly expecting some applause.

"Alright, alright, I get it, you've got the hang of hitting rocks," I said, rolling my eyes. "Let's keep practicing until it actually looks like something a real move tutor would approve of."

Tyrunt snorted, but there was a flicker of excitement in its eyes. It liked the challenge, and honestly, I liked watching it work through it. We weren't getting anywhere fast, but we were moving, and that was enough for now.

After about twenty more swings—most of which missed completely, or sent Tyrunt tumbling forward off-balance—I decided we'd done enough for one day. I sat down on one of the larger rocks, wiping sweat off my forehead, and glanced at Tyrunt, who was panting slightly, its eyes still bright.

"Good work today, buddy," I said, tossing it one of its favorite Pokéblocks. "We're getting there... just gotta keep swinging, I guess."

Tyrunt caught the Pokéblock in its mouth, crunching down on it happily. I leaned back against the rock, letting out a long breath.