The Geodude started by gathering rocks. He threw a massive boulder towards Carmen and Carlotta who easily managed to dodge it. The boulder was reduced to nothing but dust that scattered across the arena, causing Carlotta and Carmen to start coughing.

Suddenly Brock appeared in front of Carmen. If it wasn't for Carmen's quick reflexes, Brock would have gotten him. Carmen stepped back as Brock swiped and stabbed with his spear. Carlotta focused her powers and managed to stop Brock's spear to create an opening for Carmen. Carmen ran towards him, claws out whilst Carlotta struggled to keep Brock's spear in place.

The ground beneath Carlotta started grumbling and suddenly a jagged hand grabbed Carlotta's leg, pulling her down with a sudden yank that her psychic hold on Brock disappeared.

"They really upped their game," Sean said. "We didn't see them use this technique in Blue's battle."

Patricia meanwhile was shaking on her seat, anxious.

The Geodude emerged from the ground, still grabbing Carlotta's legs despite her best efforts to make him loosen his grip. The Geodude picked up Carlotta like she was a featherweight, spun around and tossed her across the arena.

Carmen who saw what was happened launched a fireball directly at Brock who deflected it with his spear and sprinted after Carlotta, leaping in the air and catching her before she fell.

"Thanks Shorty," Carlotta said when they landed. Carmen put her down while Carlotta dusted herself.

"I can't believe I let that perv grab me like that," Carlotta explained.

Both Brock and the Perv were walking straight towards them, on the defensive.

"You can fly right?" Carmen asked.

Carlotta nodded. "Yeah, why?"

"I have an idea," Carmen said

Carlotta picked up Carmen and started fluttering her wings. Brock and the Perv was surprised, both of them in the defensive.

"You're surprisingly heavy, Shorty," Carlotta said, grunting as she grabbed Carmen under the armpits.

Carlotta flew around Brock and the Perv, gaining momentum.

"Interesting," Sean said. "Though if they're in the air they're more vulnerable than before against rock moves."

Carlotta spun Carmen round and round and after gathering enough momentum she flung him towards the Geodude.

Carmen clawed at his face, his claws obviously doing nothing but the Geodude was so confused that he had no way of defending himself. Brock tried charging at Carmen with his spear but before he could get him a purple light enveloped his spear. Brock turned to see the Butterfree's eyes glowing.

Carmen launched a fireball straight at the Geodude's face before leaping back. The psychic hold on Brock's spear was loosened but before he could attack Carmen, Carlotta swooped in and carried him across the air.

The Geodude was out for the count, all that was left was Brock.

The Butterfree circled around Brock.

Both Carmen and Carlotta knew they couldn't toss Carmen recklessly into the battle because Brock's spear could skewer him before he even got close. But as long as they were in the air, they could formulate a plan.

Or so they thought.

Brock picked up a stone from the ground. Both Carmen and Carlotta thought that it wouldn't do anything. Both Carmen and Carlotta were wrong.

Brock threw the stone and it zipped through Carlotta's sides. She plummeted to the ground. Before she fell, Carmen turned and acted as a mattress lessening the impact of the fall for Carlotta.

Both Sean and Patricia were tense now, scared of what would happen to their friend.

Carmen turned Carlotta over and let out a sigh of relief. The stone had only scraped her side, but she was bleeding like hell.

"I'll live," Carlotta said weakly. "You handle Brock."

Carlotta rummaged through her satchel, pulling out a potion.

Carmen nodded and turned to face Brock. Brock still held his spear, his eyes hard like stone. Carmen was angry, really angry but his Master had always taught him to keep his rage in check, especially in an important battle such as this one. So, with a heavy breath Carmen took a deep breath and conjured up two fireballs.

He launched them at Brock who deflected them with ease. He knew Brock had a stone affinity like the Geobros on Mt Moon but his tribe had a special way of dealing with Geodude. Carmen didn't know if it would work seeing as Brock used a spear but he figured it was worth a shot.

Carmen charged at him. Brock charged back. Before they clashed Carmen leapt in the air and conjured up a fireball but before he could launch it, Brock swiped with his spear. Carmen rolled out of the way. He propelled himself forward with his legs, over Brock and behind. Before Brock turned, he launched an ember attack behind Brock's right knee causing him to stagger forwards.

The Geodude were fully made out of stone, making them completely invulnerable to the scratches and embers of the Charmander tribe but there was one weakness. Despite the stone covering their entire body, the stone was less concentrated in two spots: the armpits and below their knees.

Brock quickly got ahold of himself, spear ready. But Carmen rolled under him and fired a fireball at his left knee. Brock staggered forward again and Carmen used this opportunity to jump again, his legs wrapped around Brock's neck. Brock swiped his spear desperately, trying to hit Carmen but he failed. Carmen pulled him down with his legs, getting him to ground level and when he did, he lifted him in the air and knocked him against the ground.

Brock wasn't done yet. he pulled his spear but before he could do anything Carmen yanked it from his arms and tossed it aside. Brock tried summoning his spear to his side Carmen stepped on it, preventing him from grabbing ahold of it.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

"I won," said Carmen.

Brock smiled, conceding defeat.

"The battle has been decided!" exclaimed the referee. "Carmen of the Charmander tribe and Carlotta of the Butterfree tribe are now proud winners of the Boulder Badge!"

Patricia and Sean cheered. Carlotta walked toward Carmen, embracing him in a hug.

All the while Carmen thought, one down. Seven to go.

...

They met Brock at the inside of the gym. A small office with portraits of previous gym leaders and past victories. There was also a cabinet with trophies, probably of Gym Leader Tournaments, Sean thought. Carlotta had been sent to the Pokémon Center with Patricia accompanying her so it was just Sean and Carmen dealing with the business proceedings and seeing that Carmen was illiterate, it was up to Sean to help Carmen out.

"Is that Bruno of the Elite 4?" Sean asked, looking at one of the portraits of a muscular man with four arms.

Brock nodded. "Yup. This used to be a fighting gym until Bruno won one of the gym leader tournaments and chose to become an Elite 4 member."

Brock presented the badge to Carmen who grinned.

"So, you're Carmen and Carlotta," Brock asked. "Right?'

Carmen nodded. "Yeah, why?"

"Well when you enter the gym there's these statues at the entrance," Brock explained. "We write the name of the victors on those statues."

"Oh, I see," Carmen said.

"Oh, and will it be a cheque or cash?" Brock asked.

"Huh, what's that?" Carmen said.

Brock stared at him before Sean swooped in to the rescue. "Cash please."

Brock nodded. "I just have to get one of the managers to make a withdrawal."

Brock pulled up his phone and called somebody before turning to Carmen.

"I must say, our fight was very interesting," Brock said. "I haven't had a fight like that in a long time. Especially seeing as both of you had the disadvantage. I thought it was going to be an easy win."

"Thanks," Carmen said. "Our tribe trains with the Geodude at the mountains so we know how to handle mages with a rock affinity."

"Speaking of," Brock said. "I don't normally see your tribe participating in tournaments like this. I think it's been over a decade since the last Charmander mage participated in a tournament. What made you decide to join?"

And Carmen told him how he had been shunned by his tribe for not having parents and for being shorter than most. How he never learned to read or write because of the bullying and how his master Hitokage taught him how to fight.

"So, you have something to prove," Brock said. "Let me tell you something. People with something to prove always make it far."

Brock got up and shook Carmen's hand. "I look forward to seeing what you do next."

...

Carlotta was in one of the medical rooms. A bland white room with nothing to keep her company except a window to look out off, plastic flowers in a vase and Patricia sitting on a chair.

The nurses had worked fast, stopping her bleeding and patching up her wounds at lightning speed. If it weren't for Carmen, she would have had a bunch of broken bones keeping. She groaned, yet another thing she owed to Shorty and his crew (except Sean). She hated it when people did stuff for her.

Carmen and Sean came into the room, holding a wad of cash.

"You okay?" Carmen asked.

Carlotta smiled. "No thanks to you Shorty."

"Stop calling me that," Carmen mumbled.

Sean gave everybody their shares of 346.50 Pokedollars.

"How come you get the most money Dork?" Carlotta said to Sean. "You didn't do anything."

"Because Carmen doesn't have the faintest idea of what to do with money," Sean said. "So, he gave me the money and we agreed that'd we use his share to buy supplies."

Carlotta counted her bills. Satisfied, she put her share in her satchel.

"So, you're leaving?" Carmen asked, a look of sadness in his eyes that made Carlotta feel guilty. Carmen also felt a little hurt at her leaving. Training with her was fun and she did save his life.

Carlotta thought about it. For all her life she had wanted to leave Pewter and Viridian Forest to get away from the Kakuna tribe, to get away from the suffocating walls of the city. But she never could for the city meant food and safety. Now that she had the money, she could go wherever she wanted, do whatever she pleased.

But despite the promises of freedom, Carmen and Patricia (not Sean) gave her a place to belong. And after being alone for most of her life after her tribe died, after being ridiculed by the other homeless kid for her antennae and her magic powers she realized that all she ever wanted was to belong somewhere.

"I'm..." The air in the room got heavier, Carmen was already expecting a no. Patricia also looked anxious. "Not leaving."

Carmen's face suddenly brightened up, first in disbelief and suddenly in elation. He hugged Carlotta despite her protests.

"Get off me Shorty," Carlotta said. "I'm still healing."

"Why the sudden change of mind?" Sean asked.

"I don't want to answer to you Dork," Carlotta said.

Sean sighed.

"What made you change your mind?" Carmen asked.

"Well Shorty," Carlotta said, grinning and winking at Sean who rolled his eyes. "I still owe you for saving my life back in the forest and since you want to take on all the gyms..."

Carlotta shrugged. "Let's just say a little money didn't hurt anyone."

"Speaking of gyms," Carmen turned to Sean. "Where's the next one?"

"Cerulean City," Sean said. "We'd be going through Mt Moon but it's the closest gym other than Viridian City which still remains closed."

"And I don't want to see those racist bastards again," Carlotta mumbled to herself.

"Wait did you just say Mount Moon?" Carmen asked.

Sean nodded. "You live there, right?"

Carmen grinned. "Yeah."

He pulled out the grey gym badge from underneath his cape, grinning. "I can't wait to show Master Hitokage and the rest of the tribe what I just won."

...

"Master Hitokage," said Rune, his advisor. "Giovanni is here to see you."

"Did you not tell him I will not be having him?" Hitokage asked, anger creeping into his voice.

"I'm afraid he insisted," Rune said.

Rune left his tent and in came Giovanni. A well-dressed man wearing a shiny black tuxedo with an R logo on the left breast pocket.

"Hitokage," Giovanni said with a foxy smile. "Or should I say Master Hitokage."

"Giovanni," Hitokage said. "Or would snake better suit your tastes?"

Giovanni smirked. "You flatter me, Hitokage."

"Get to the point," Hitokage said. "I have no time for your sweet words."

Giovanni chuckled. "You know me well. I'm looking for..."

"The meteorite, yes?" Hitokage said. "I'm afraid I can't tell you."

"As stubborn as ever, old man," Giovanni said. "I'm afraid not even a little force will change your mind."

The look in Giovanni's brown eyes changed from that of pleasantries to something much colder, much much more dangerous.

"What have you done?" Hitokage asked, his orange eyes burning with anger. The flame on his tail brightening and his orange wings spreading.

Giovanni got up, staring Hitokage right in the eyes. The grin on his face getting wider, more dangerous.

"Remember all those years ago," Giovanni said. "When people found those mushrooms down in Mt Moon that gave them magic powers."

Realizing where Giovanni was going, Hitokage's face paled.

"And pretty soon, wave after wave of people without magic rushed in, buying those mushrooms like the greedy little gizzards they were," Giovanni said. "For who could resist the promise of power?"

"No... you didn't..."

"Turns out those mushrooms weren't really all that magical, no," Giovanni said. "Those mushrooms wanted to live, wanted to spread and to do so they took over their hosts."

Hitokage felt his knees weaken, his throat constrict.

Seeing Hitokage lose face all the courage and temper he had made Giovanni's grin even wider.

"Only later did scientists find out that those mushrooms were the very same mushrooms that ate away at the Pokémon Paras back in the ancient times," Giovanni said. "But now it was a massacre. Humans were reduced to nothing but slow, mindless zombies eating away at each other. It took a very very long time before all of them were rounded up and buried deep in this here mountain, thanks to the help of a certain Chief."

At that Giovanni stared at Hitokage.

"Those monsters, t-those things," Hitokage said, his voice shaking. "They'll eat everybody. They'll kill everyone."

He stared at Giovanni. "YOU MONSTER!" he roared, the flame on his tail burning a hot crimson. "HOW MANY DID YOU RELEASE?" He conjured two fireballs in his hand, his eyes now a forest fire of rage

At that Giovanni smirked.

"Oh, all of them."

To be continued...