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The road to the gym is Northeast out of Rustboro, between the highway east to Mauville and the road north to Meteor Falls. The parking lot is locally dug gravel with islands of trees and undergrowth. An attempt at creating parking for a high school sports game worth of spectators while not disrupting the wildlife.
Set into the cliff side of the mountain are double doors large enough to fit a double decker bus through, open wide for all to visit the gym. The Hoenn League crest in the center with reliefs of Rock type Pokémon set around the outer edge.
Excitement boils in my veins just walking in. I can tell most of the team feels the same. Lacy pats Citro on the back as the lad was nervously still gawking at the doorway. Jane actually grins and moves behind the boy, grabbing him by the shoulders and driving him right up to the reception counter before his nerves can catch up.
Naomi skips to the counter herself, “Team Red Rebels are here for our challenge!”
While the paperwork is sorted I get a better look around us. The lobby is a dimly lit cave, there’s an ambiance of history and strength. Even starting with the reception desk, cut from stone, petrified wood countertop, framed in brick pillars before a looming dark wall.
The lobby curves in two wings away from the center desk. To our right is a large cafeteria and waiting lounge, complete with a kitchen carved from the cave itself and a space for pokemon center healing equipment.
Opposite to the left, a wing right out of a museum. Unlike the massive reconstructed fossil displays of the lab, these bones remained locked in stone. The outer wall of the wing has a space for each specimen on display with touch screen glass displays that can bring up modern revival efforts or interesting discoveries about each pokemon. Lacy admires the complete Archeops fossil on display.
My teammates however are more interested in the inner side of the wing. Dozens of obelisks just over my height line the floor. On each face of an obelisk is a screen and a profile of a famous trainer known for using Rock, Ground, or Steel type pokemon. While a fair few are instead local Rustboro trainers who went on to great accomplishments.
I hear Naomi explaining to Citro, “Most of the larger gyms have something similar to this. Mauville Gym’s is more of just a big touch screen wall in fun colors. These are called the Heroic Spires. Look, here’s Brendan!”
Neat, “Where did Jane disappear to?”
Citro points, “She was headed over there pretty quickly.”
A few familiar trainers are among the spires I pass, including Lucy, Brock and Olivia.
Around a few black monoliths I find our red head, her back to me. Just in front of her is a ten foot spire, etched in stone is the face of a grinning young woman with long hair in a high ponytail.
Jane is gripping her arm with one hand as if to steady herself as she scrolls a list of pokemon. Mega-Steelix, Aggron, Duralodon, Bastiodon, Bronzong, Empoleon, some of these I’m seeing for the first time. She scrolls back to the Steelix and clicks something.
The screen changes to a video of the woman, deep blue hair flowing in the wind as she gives a feral laugh, “Flash Cannon!”
Each crystal on Steelix glows before the monster releases a vibrant beam at a Salamance commanded by the then champion, Zinnia.
I can hear Jane let out a tear filled whisper, “Why didn’t anyone tell me this was here?”
Roxanne’s voice startles both of us, “The Pike probably never thought about it, she doesn’t visit gyms. I suspect Steven thought you knew already.”
Jane glances at me before tapping the screen again, pulling up the tower bell pokemon, the penguin, and the wannabe mecha godzilla, “No one told me she went to Sinnoh and Galar."
“Your mother was on her way to making a bang at the world's competition. She loved battling like it was the most exciting thing in the world to her, and so did her pokemon.” Roxane takes out a black and white ball with a dinosaur skull etched into it. “Follow me, you’ll be first Jane.”
As we step away from the spire I notice Jane’s reluctance, “You never did tell me her name.”
“Lina, she was named after one of our ancestors, that's what Aunty says.”
Roxanne speaks up, “The warrior princess Inahime. She certainly lived up to her name.”
Jane never mentioned it, but Lucy told me over drinks that Jane’s mother passed away just as many powerful trainers have, holding back a Rampage event.
As we descend further into the mountain, the rest of the team and Lacy catching up, I notice the ceiling stretching in the opposite direction. Soon we’re walking through a mind breakingly expansive cavern. Dozens of other people and trainers wave to Roxanne from the line of people here to spectate the day's matches.
Looking at the darkness that remains when the roof simply disappears, “This a natural cave system right? I can see the walls still look natural.'' Indeed there are occasional stalagmites jutting up from the ground along the walkway.
Roxanne nods, “Ofcourse, no gym that would blast so much rock from a mountain would get approval. That being said, it took very nicely, asking a Regirock to grant us the location.”
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
Another legend, “How’d that work out?”
As we walk under an overpass sized arch Naomi gasps and points, “The battle casts never show that side of the field!”
Stopping dead in my tracks, my mind grinds to a stop, pleading for words to define this cathedral of natural wonder. The ceiling is long lost in the darkness beyond the arena lights. Small mossy pools, boulders, stalagmites the size of telephone poles and stunning crystals of all sizes.
Most importantly, in the direction Naomi is pointing, a Regirock. Carved from obsidian marble veined with silver. Small white glows bloom where it’s eyes should be. It rests motionless on a throne of black crystal. A silent witness to everything that happens below.
Along the opposite edge of the arena are a few dozen spectators cheering for the arrival of us and the Gym Leader. An overhang prevents anyone from looking high enough to see the Regi. I’d wager this is the first place many trainers witness a legendary pokemon, although I’ve met enough now to be confident half wouldn’t even notice the thing.
A young man calls out over the arena sound system, “Welcome everyone to another exciting day of league action here in Rustboro. Today’s challengers are the team Red Rebels. First up to the field is a young lass with plenty of red in her hair and fiery spirit, Jane from Larousse City!”
Our audience cheers and claps while Roxanne opens the pokeball she’s been carrying. A Lairon takes the field, “Jane, this Lairon was sired by your Mother’s Aggron. One day he may join your team, but today, and the rest of this season, he’ll be stopping any trainer who doesn’t take this challenge seriously.”
Her next ball reveals her required fossil pokemon, Lileep, the Rock/Plant that looks like a sea anemone that got lost. Jane visibly hesitates, hand just above her belt of pokeballs.
With a grim shout, “Marble, Crooky, let’s show ‘em all!”
Two flashes reveal the twenty foot rock snake and a wiley, waist tall crocodile.
“Battle Start!”
“Crooky, Scary Face the Lairon. Marble Flash Polish!”
“Lileep, Ancient Power and Stealth Rocks. Hone Claws, Lairon.”
While both trainers call prep moves, Jane’s Onix shines with signature brilliance, Roxanne’s comes with a nasty surprise.
All across the cave floor, shards of crystal and fist sized rocks begin to float in the air before beginning to cyclone inside of the arena.
Naomi bites her thumbnail, “While all four pokemon are resistant to rock moves, the chip damage will add up.”
Jane isn’t about to let the rock storm get in her way, “Crooky, Dig. Marble, Smack Down everything, mix in some Rock Throw.”
The sand croc dives at a pile of mud and disappears into the ground while Onix begins shredding the field, sending sprays of dirt and a few boulders flying towards the stationary Lileep.
Roxanne smirks, “Grass Knot, Magnet Rise.”
Citro grimaces, “Not good.”
Miraculously sparks of dull colored energy begin arcing off of Lairon, the storm of smaller rocks begins to part around him as the damn thing actually lifts off the ground. Just in time as the Krokorok erupts from the earth like one of those shark documentaries.
“Crooky, use Taunt, Torment, and Pursuit! Marble, Rock Polish again to break free then Bulldoze that plant!”
At some point I missed a mass of oozy cave moss coating over half of Onix’s mid section, trapping her in place and making life difficult.
Roxanne calls out, “Heavy Slam and Stone Edge. Lileep, Sludge Bomb.”
Like some kind of space monster, Lairon begins to float around attempting to slam into Crooky who continues to hiss and claw whenever he gets the chance. Meanwhile Onix coils against herself fast enough to scrape off the moss muk and is now charging full tilt at Lileep.
While watching more rocks smack into the side of Marble and patches of moss cling to her sides, Jane waits for just the right moment when Lairon is charging Crooky again.
“Marble, Smack Down Lairon, Crooky follow up with Brick Break then Foul Play! Then Marble, Bind the plant.”
Lairon has no chance to dodge, still enraged by the Krokorok’s endless hissing. A boulder sails through the air and clips him. The would-be wrecking ball crashes into the arena floor just before a waiting Crooky lands a vicious tail slap against Lairon’s face. The angry croc starts to claw and bite like the most vicious thing on two legs.
Marble unfortunately never made it to Lileep, she’s trapped in a glue of mossy, glowing, cave slime and purple gunk that occasionally gets shot from Lileeps… mouth?
Naomi frowns, “The Lairon still isn't out and Marble is stuck.”
Roxanne just stoically watches as the match reaches a sort of stalemate, “Mind the rocks Jane, the clock is ticking.”
Naomi gasps, “The Stealth Rock storm, Mega Drain, the Sludge poison, she’s literally just waiting for Jane’s pokemon to collapse!”
Jane folds her arms and grins even as another rock pelts Crooky just below the eye, eliciting an enraged growl. His Anger Point triggered for sure.
“Crooky, Stomping Tantrum. Marble, Flash Cannon!” She points forward like a commander. Her mother’s blood racing in her heart, that same blood that traces back to warlords of old.
Roxanne's brows raise in surprise as the veins of gold along Marble's body begin to glimmer, the light actually burning away most of the slime holding her down.
Meanwhile Crooky enters a wildly brutal combo of tail slaps and punches, each one flinging more dirt into the overwhelmed Lairon.
Lileep tries to interrupt Marble by shooting more poisonous gunk. It never arrives.
A bone shaking Roar fills the cave as a golden beam of light bursts from Onix, incinerates the incoming sludge, and engulfs the practically immobile Lileep.
Two flashes of light come from the Gym Leader’s side of the field.
“Leader Roxanne has withdrawn her pokemon, Jane wins the battle!”
Jane shouts out alongside the victorious roars of her two pokemon.
I sit back in my seat and whistle, “Holy shit, that was cool.”
Naomi is practically hopping in her seat when she freezes in place and reads a new message on her phone telling her to come down to the field, “How am I supposed to follow that!?”
Citro snorts before giving a genuine smile, “Good Luck Naomi.”
Lacy is holding up an empty popcorn bag and giving me puppy dog eyes.
Geez, “Ya ya, I got it.”
From down below I hear Jane shouting, “Marble stop flirting!”
The Onix seemed to finally notice the Regi seated above and is doing her best to wipe off any left over gunk and preen before the crystal throne.
Lacy giggles, “Let's convince Jane she needs to give her Onix the Talk.”
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