Gym Challenge Battle vs Roxanne! Part -1

"Finally, it's here..." Ash murmured, his voice carrying a mix of anticipation and determination as he stood before Rustboro Gym's towering, rocky entrance. It had been three intense weeks since he first arrived in Rustboro City. From that moment, every day had been dedicated to relentless training as he had pushed himself and his team of Pokémon to their limits, refining the strategy he would use in this upcoming gym battle.

Originally, he'd planned a two-week training period. But by the end of the second week, it became clear that some of his Pokémon weren't ready for his planned strategy. So he extended his stay by another week, while also requesting a few crucial favors from his old friends, Misty and Gary, to fast-track his preparations. At the end of the third week, he finally felt his team was as ready as they could be so he booked his gym challenge slot for three days later and spent the time regrouping with his companions, May and his younger sister, Ashly, and learned that while he was away, the girls had their own adventures.

May excitedly recounted her encounters with two Pokémon coordinators, Janet and Chaz, who had inspired her to consider a new path. She attended a local Pokémon Contest where they competed, and by the end, May was sure: she wanted to try her hand at contests instead of going for the gym challenges.

Ashly, on the other hand, had an encounter with Rustboro Gym Leader Roxanne herself. Apparently, while exploring the city, Ashly had come across some young kids, one of whom was bullying a shy one. Ashly intervened, saving the shy kid and setting the bully straight. Roxanne, who had witnessed this, was impressed by Ashly and invited her to attend the school, which Ashly did for the rest of her time there.

Now, after three days of rest and catching up with his companions, Ash stood before Rustboro Gym's doors, invigorated and ready. Surprisingly enough, a large group of onlookers had gathered around the gym, standing in front of screens waiting for Ash to begin his challenge.

Inside, Ash was guided through the building straight to the stadium, where rows of spectators filled the stands, adding an air of anticipation to the space. Scanning the audience, he quickly spotted May and Ashly seated in a special box reserved for guests of the gym leader or challenger. A wide grin spread across his face as he saw Ashly cheering him on enthusiastically, sitting amongst Roxanne's students. Seated along with Ashly was Diancie, whom Ash had entrusted with his sister to show the diamond Pokémon what an official Pokémon battle looked like.

"Wow, that's a lot of people..." Ash muttered, taking in the scene.

"Well, that's to be expected," the gym attendant replied with a friendly smile. "We don't often see trainers attempt the advanced challenge, which means it's a rare opportunity for the crowd to witness Ms. Roxanne at her best. They're all hoping you're the type of challenger who can really push her to use her strongest Pokémon."

Ash chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. "No pressure at all, right?" he replied with a grin. The man nodded and left, wishing him good luck.

Moments later, the stadium erupted in cheers as Roxanne entered, exuding calm confidence. Her expression, however, softened into a smile as she greeted him. "Challenger Ash, it's a pleasure to finally meet you."

"Nice to meet you too, Gym Leader Roxanne," Ash replied warmly. "By the way, I heard you looked after my sister these past few days. Thanks for that."

"It was my pleasure; she's a wonderful student and quite the spirited young trainer," Roxanne replied. "But now that introductions are done, let's get to the reason we're here."

The referee stepped forward and raised a hand, calling for silence as he announced, "The match between Gym Leader Roxanne and Challenger Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town will now begin! This is an Advanced Challenge match: each trainer may use five Pokémon, with substitutions permitted only for the challenger." Assistants approached both Ash and Roxanne, handing each of them specialized goggles as the referee continued, "In accordance with Advanced Challenge rules, this match will take place under a permanent Sandstorm condition."

The stadium lights dimmed briefly, and in an instant, a powerful sandstorm began to swirl around the battlefield. To Ash's surprise, however, his vision remained clear, thanks to the specially designed goggles provided for the match. 'Must be these glasses...' he thought, impressed by Roxanne's foresight and attention to detail.

Meanwhile, a translucent window popped up in front of Ash's face:

[Objective: Defeat Gym Leader Roxanne and earn Stone Badge.

Rewards: 

1.  5 000 pts. 

2. Hard Stone x 1

3. Assault Vest x 1

4. Rock Type Pokemon raising and breeding guide x 1 ]

Roxanne took a Pokéball from her belt and threw it with practiced grace. "I hope this battle will be an educational endeavor for my students as well as for both of us," she said as the ball released a burst of light, releasing a large, avian Pokémon with a featherless, scaly snake-like head, mouth filled with sharp teeth, and a body covered with frayed-looking yellow and blue feathers. "Archeops, I choose you!" 

As soon as she released her bird Pokémon, a white aura flashed around its body, indicating a 50% boost to its Special Defense stat due to the sandstorm. Looking closely, Ash also noticed a Sharp Beak worn around the bird's neck as a necklace.

"Don't worry, it will be one hell of a lesson for you!" Ash smirked and tossed a Pokéball into the air, releasing his own Pokémon. As the light died down, a Pokémon that resembles a plesiosaur appeared with a blue hide with darker blue spots and a heavy, gray shell on its back covered in blunt knobs, as well as a Focus Band that Ash had bought for it by spending 1000 system points. "Lapras! Let's win this together!" he said, and the Water/Ice-type cried out with enthusiasm.

The referee looked between the two trainers and raised his hand. "Trainers, ready?"

Ash and Roxanne locked eyes, nodding in unison.

"Then let the battle between Archeops and Lapras begin!" 

******

As soon as the match began, Roxanne took the offensive. "Archeops, let's start with Rock Slide!" She commanded and Archeops flapped its jagged wings, stirring up a fierce gust as large, jagged rocks materialized around it. In an instant, the stones hurtled through the sandstorm, aimed straight at Lapras.

"Lapras, Protect!" Ash countered as Lapras focused and conjured a translucent, green shield around herself just as the rocks collided, shattering harmlessly upon impact. But as the shield faded, Lapras winced as particles of sand whipped against her.

Ash meanwhile immediately followed up with another move. "Lapras, let's chill things down a bit. Snowscape!" Lapras tilted her head to the sky and released a melodic cry. Dark clouds gathered above the battlefield, and soon snowflakes began to fall, blanketing the area in a shimmering layer of frost. For a brief moment, a soft glow surrounded Lapras as her Defense stat rose by 50%.

"Oh... interesting," Roxanne said sounding slightly impressed. "Smart move, but don't get comfortable just yet. Archeops, Dragon Breath!" Archeops opened its mouth and released a stream of pale purple fire from its mouth. It cut through the snow and sand, heading straight for Lapras.

"Lapras quick, counter with Ice Beam!" Ash called and Lapras opened her mouth, forming a ball of light blue energy in front of it and firing light blue beams of energy from the ball, intercepting the Dragon Breath. The two attacks collided midair, creating a powerful blast that filled the stadium with thick smoke, momentarily obscuring the Pokémon's view of one another.

"Archeops, get in close with Wing Attack!" Roxanne called out as Archeops's wings glowed a brilliant white as it charged forward, cutting through the smoke toward Lapras with the Sharp Beak in its neck glinting through the sandstorm, indicating its boosted Flying-type moves.

"Lapras, Protect!" Ash commanded. However, Archeops was too fast and struck Lapras with its wing, extracting a painful cry from Lapras. "Damn it! Lapras, are you all right?" he said, and Lapras cried softly while nodding. But despite her reassurance, Ash could see that, despite the physical defense boost, the Sharp Beak-boosted Wing Attack, as well as constant chip damage from the Sandstorm, was taking its toll on her.

"Archeops, go for another Wing Attack!" Noticing the vast difference in both Pokémon's speed, Roxanne decided to go for another fast and hard attack. Once again, Archeops's wings glowed white, and it rushed at Lapras.

However, this time, instead of going for defense, Ash decided to go on offense instead. "Lapras, let's try Confuse Ray!" Ash yelled, and Lapras's eyes glowed as she unleashed a disorienting ray that struck Archeops head-on. The Wing Attack landed once more, sending Lapras sliding back across the sandy-snowy field, but Archeops staggered in place, blinking in confusion as the move took effect.

Grinning, Ash took advantage of the opening. "Lapras, now! Use Hydro Pump!" Lapras took a deep breath and unleashed a powerful jet of water from her mouth. The Hydro Pump struck Archeops head-on, dealing a decent amount of damage despite its boosted defenses. 

"Archeops, snap out of it! Steel Wing!" Roxanne commanded as Archeops shook its head, fighting through the confusion, and a moment later its wings gleamed with a metallic sheen as it dove at Lapras.

"Quick, Ice Shard!" Ash shouted. Lapras formed a shard of ice in her mouth and launched it toward Archeops just as its Steel Wing landed, slicing through the air and striking Lapras's side. The shard hit Archeops at close range, and though it didn't do much damage, it disrupted Archeops's attack enough to prevent it from landing a critical blow. 

Both Pokémon were now visibly exhausted, breathing heavily as the relentless battle continued.

"Alright, Archeops, Lapras won't last long, use Air Slash!" Roxanne said and Archeops spread its wings wide, slashing through the air with a series of razor-sharp blades. The Air Slash attacks hurtled toward Lapras, partially obscured by the lingering sand and snow.

"Counter with Protect!" Ash called out, and the familiar green barrier shimmered around Lapras, deflecting the Air Slash.

But Roxanne wasn't done yet. "Archeops, finish it with Rock Throw!" Archeops wasted no time, launching a barrage of rocks at Lapras as soon as her shield faded. 

"Lapras, dodge and use Brine!" Ash instructed. Lapras lowered its neck, narrowly avoiding the rocks, and released a powerful stream of saltwater that surged toward Archeops and struck Archeops head-on, landing a critical hit despite the Sp. Defense boost due to its weakened state. It knocked Archeops back as dark clouds subsided and snow stopped falling from the sky.

When the dust cleared, Archeops lay motionless, its eyes swirling in defeat. The referee raised his hand. "Archeops is unable to battle! Lapras is the winner!"

******

"Not bad, Ash," Roxanne nodded approvingly. "But let's see how you handle something... a bit more... unexpected," she smiled and tossed another Pokéball high. When it opened, a burst of light revealed her second Pokémon. It was a bipedal tortoise-like boulder Pokémon with forearms and two claws on its hands and legs. It had a mustache, eyebrows, and a large black beard made up of iron sand. Jutting out of the top of its body are two large, black rocks with a smaller rock in between, forming the shape of a cannon. On the inner edge of the larger rocks are three golden dots, as well as a Magnet hung around its neck, amplifying its Electric-type attacks.

"Alolan Golem..." Ash murmured in surprise, as the spherical Pokémon's body glowed due to a boost from the Sandstorm.

Roxanne's smile widened. "So, you know this one. Good! At least you won't be completely blindsided by what it can do."

Ash nodded, acknowledging the challenge. He turned to Lapras, gently patting her head. "You did amazing, Lapras, but take a well-earned rest now." He returned her to her Pokéball and held another Pokéball in his hand. "Bulbasaur, it's your turn!" he called, releasing his small, quadrupedal, green amphibian Pokémon. 

As Bulbasaur appeared on the field, moments later, the second battle began.

******

This time, Ash took the initiative. "Bulbasaur, let's start with Grassy Terrain!" Bulbasaur's bulb lit up, releasing a vibrant green aura that spread across the battlefield. The comforting warmth of the Grass Energy not only boosted Grass-type moves by 30% but also provided Bulbasaur with some healing every few minutes, helping to counteract the damage from the Sandstorm.

Meanwhile, Roxanne began preparing her Pokémon. "Golem, use Rock Polish!" At her command, Golem's rocky exterior gleamed as it polished itself, significantly increasing its speed.

With both Pokémon done setting up their stat boosts, the battle finally began. "Bulbasaur, Leech Seed!" Ash called out, and Bulbasaur shot out seeds from its bulb, launching them toward Golem at high speed.

Roxanne remained unfazed. "Golem, dodge, and then Fire Punch!" Thanks to its speed boost, Golem evaded the seeds and charged at Bulbasaur, its fist crackling with flames. Moving surprisingly fast for its size, it landed a fiery punch on Bulbasaur, sending him staggering back with a pained expression. The fire attack left a burn mark on Bulbasaur's side, inflicting considerable damage due to his Grass-type weakness, even with the benefits of Grassy Terrain.

"Hang in there, Bulbasaur!" Ash shouted, clenching his fist as he gave his next command. "Use Razor Leaf!" Bulbasaur conjured a flurry of sharp leaves that flew toward Golem, striking it head-on and causing decent damage despite Golem's enhanced physical defense.

Before Roxanne could react, Ash commanded again, "Bulbasaur, let's hit him with Sleep Powder! We need to put him out of commission!" Bulbasaur steadied itself and released a cloud of blue powder from its bulb that drifted toward Golem.

"That would have been a good move if every other trainer hadn't tried the same strategy in my Gym," Roxanne smiled. "Golem, use Wild Charge!" she commanded, and Golem's body was enveloped in yellow electricity as it charged at Bulbasaur, completely avoiding its sleep powder. It closed the gap between them in an instant, connecting with Bulbasaur and sending a surge of electricity through its body, sending it sprawling back across the battlefield.

Ash winced at the sight of Bulbasaur taking a painful hit. "Can you keep going, Bulbasaur?" he asked, and Bulbasaur managed a shaky nod, though he looked clearly exhausted. Realizing he needed to end this quickly, Ash focused on his final strategy. "Bulbasaur! Let's use the strategy we trained for!" he shouted, receiving a determined nod from Bulbasaur and a raised eyebrow from Roxanne. "Bulbasaur! Use Razor Leaf!"

"Golem, counter with Stone Edge!" Roxanne commanded, and Golem stomped the ground, summoning jagged stones that shot toward Bulbasaur, interrupting his attack. As the two moves collided, smoke filled the arena, but when it cleared, Roxanne's eyes widened as she saw Bulbasaur gathering light in its bulb, glowing yellow—she immediately recognized the impending attack.

"Golem! Quickly use Rock Polish! And rush towards Bulbasaur with Fire Punch! before it could charge that Solar Beam!" Sensing the urgency in its trainer's voice, Golem quickly used the speed-boosting move and rushed at the small Pokémon with its fist crackling with fire. However, just as it appeared in front of Bulbasaur, the little Pokémon launched the Solar Beam, point-blank in Golem's face.

A wide grin appeared on Ash's face seeing Golem getting hit, but it quickly faded when he saw Golem's fiery fist breaking through the beam of energy and striking Bulbasaur squarely in the face, resulting in a massive explosion.

When the smoke cleared, both Pokémon lay on the ground with spirals in their eyes as the effects of Grassy Terrain faded. "Both Bulbasaur and Golem are unable to battle! It's a draw!" the referee announced.

*******

Ash sighed, returning Bulbasaur to its Pokéball. "You did great, Bulbasaur," he said softly, while Roxanne did the same with her Golem.

"Well done again, Ash," Roxanne said with a smile. "You've certainly justified all of your sister's boasting about you."

"Sorry you had to hear all that," Ash replied, rubbing the back of his head with a sheepish smile.

"Anyway, it's time for your next exam," Roxanne said and tossed another Pokéball, releasing her third Pokémon. When the light died down, it revealed a large Pokémon with a coal-black body, with two legs and a pair of stubby arms, alongside two massive spikes atop its shoulders and carrying a large amount of heated coal on its back. 

"My Coalossal will be your next opponent," Roxanne declared.

To be continued...

*******

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