POKEMON : THE WAY OF PERCEPTION

"Hello, are you Mr. Ash?" A staff member stood at the entrance of the battle hall, waiting for Ash and Misty to approach. As they neared, he addressed Ash directly.

"Yes," Ash replied with a slight nod.

"Please come in, the Gym Leader is ready," the staff member said. He swiped his employee card on the electronic lock by the door, and the massive five-meter-high door slowly opened.

Ash stepped inside, his eyes widening at the sight before him. The hall was vast—at least 200 to 300 square meters—and the battle arena itself was impressive. The field stretched 100 meters long and 50 meters wide. High platforms on both sides served as seating for the audience, and Ash could see several people already in the stands.

He spotted a few familiar faces among the audience. Doni and the others, fellow Trainers he had met before, waved to him from the stands.

"You're the next challenger, Ash," came the voice of a young man standing at the opposite end of the arena. Ash's attention shifted to him. The young man had short, dry hair and a tan complexion. His orange short-sleeved shirt and green vest made his strong, muscular arms stand out, a testament to his physical strength. What caught Ash's attention most, however, were his eyes—small but intense, giving off an air of calm but powerful authority.

"This must be Brock, the Gym Leader of Pewter City," Ash thought. In the anime, Brock wasn't depicted as particularly strong, but Ash could feel the weight of his presence now. His aura was strong enough to make Ash take notice, a stark contrast to the typical Trainers he had faced.

"I am," Brock said with a slight smile. He studied Ash for a moment before continuing. "I read your profile. It says you've already reached the Poké Ball level in just a week... that's impressive."

Ash puffed out his chest a little. "I've been working hard," he said, trying to sound more confident than he felt.

Brock raised an eyebrow. He glanced down at Pikachu, who was at Ash's feet. With his trained eyes, Brock could tell Pikachu was only at the Normal level. Given that Ash was a Poké Ball level Trainer, it didn't quite add up. Brock wasn't sure how Ash managed to reach this level with such a Pokémon. But regardless, he wasn't about to hold back.

"I don't know how to hold back..." Brock muttered under his breath, then snapped his fingers. Ash watched as the walls on either side of the arena began to shift. Slowly, large rock formations emerged from beneath the floor and moved toward the center of the field. The massive rocks came together, creating a terrain that was shaped like a boulder-ridden battlefield.

The audience let out a hushed gasp at the sight of it. They had seen many Gym battles, but this was something new.

"You're worthy of a field like this!" Brock said, his small eyes narrowing as his intensity grew. "Now, let me see your true ability!"

Ash felt a surge of excitement. He had never battled on a terrain like this before. It would be an experience he wouldn't forget, and the Gym challenge added even more thrill to it.

The referee, standing at the side of the field, spoke up. "This is a Gym challenge between the challenger, Ash, and the Gym Leader, Brock. Both sides may use two Pokémon in battle. The challenger may switch Pokémon during the match. As the challenger, Ash will have the first move."

Misty cheered from the sidelines, "Come on, Ash! You've got this!" Even though she was confident in Ash's abilities, there was still a bit of nervousness in her voice. After all, Ash was facing a Elite-level Pokémon.

"Don't worry!" Ash said, not turning around. He raised his right hand behind his back, giving Misty a thumbs-up. His smile was full of confidence. "I'll win!"

Brock grinned. "I like your confidence. It makes things more interesting." He threw his first Poké Ball. As the ball opened, white light spilled out and materialized into a small Pokémon—a Geodude, a Rock and Ground-type. It was sturdy and muscular, its bumpy body resembling a rock with arms.

Geodude

Type: Rock, Ground

Category: Rock Pokémon

Ability: Hard Head (prevents recoil damage)

Strength: Elite

"Geodude, use your strength to crush him!" Brock commanded. Geodude stood firm, ready to take on the challenge.

Ash took a deep breath. He knew that the type advantage didn't favor him—Geodude's Rock-type moves would be highly effective against Pikachu, and his Ground-type moves were immune to Electric-type attacks. Pikachu would be at a disadvantage in this battle.

Ash quickly reached for his Poké Ball. "I'm not going to use Pikachu for this battle," he said aloud. He released another Pokémon—Beedrill—a Normal-level Pokémon with speed and precision. Although Beedrill had a disadvantage in terms of types, Ash believed its agility and move variety would make up for that.

Brock raised an eyebrow. "A Normal-level Pokémon? You're a Poké Ball-level Trainer, yet you send out a Normal-level Pokémon to fight me?" He seemed curious but didn't let it distract him.

"Let the battle begin!" the referee announced.

"Beedrill, use String Shot!" Ash called. Beedrill quickly shot strands of sticky silk towards Geodude. The string wrapped around Geodude's limbs, slowing its movements. While String Shot wasn't a typical offensive move, it served to buy Beedrill some time and limit Geodude's mobility.

Brock frowned. "Geodude, shake it off! Use Tackle!"

Geodude struggled for a moment, but it powered through the String Shot and charged at Beedrill with a powerful Tackle. The impact sent Beedrill reeling, but it managed to maintain its stance.

Ash gritted his teeth. "Beedrill, use Poison Sting!"

Beedrill retaliated quickly, aiming a sharp stinger at Geodude. The attack hit its mark, but given Geodude's strong defense, the damage was minimal.

Brock's expression grew more serious. "Nice moves, Ash, but you'll need more than that to defeat me." He gave a sharp nod. "Geodude, use Rock Throw!"

Massive rocks lifted from the arena floor, and Geodude hurled them toward Beedrill. Ash's eyes widened. The strength behind this attack was immense. Beedrill barely managed to dodge one rock, but another one struck it, knocking Beedrill back.

"Beedrill, hold on!" Ash shouted. He knew Beedrill was struggling, but he refused to give up. He had faith in his Pokémon.

Misty watched from the sidelines, biting her lip nervously. "Come on, Ash, you can do it…"

Ash took a deep breath and focused. "Beedrill, we can do this! String Shot again, but this time, aim for Geodude's arms. We need to restrict its movements completely!"

Beedrill nodded and shot more sticky threads toward Geodude. This time, the string wrapped tightly around Geodude's muscular arms, making it harder for it to throw rocks or attack effectively.

"Geodude, use Defense Curl to break free!" Brock barked. The Rock-type Pokémon curled into a ball to strengthen its defenses.

Ash's strategy was working, but he knew he had to act fast. He couldn't afford to waste any more time.

"Beedrill, now's our chance! Poison Sting again!"

The stinger aimed at Geodude's unprotected side, piercing through its rocky exterior. Geodude staggered from the attack, and Brock's expression shifted slightly. He had underestimated Ash's strategy.

The battle raged on, with Ash using every tactic at his disposal to overcome Brock's powerful Geodude. Would Ash's determination be enough to overcome the elite-level Geodude, or would Brock's experience and strength be too much for him?

The answer lay in the next move...

----------------------------------------

Visit our Patreon for more:

patreon.com/Johnwick007

Extra Content Already Available