Glory's Long Road: Episode #06 "Iron Will"

Once more, Erik found himself back at the Oxide gym. Two days and two nights 
had passed since his first arrival at the gym. A loss resulted from the 
initial match. Yet this would be different. For he had a trump card, in 
which he planned on using right away.

Niko stood on the far side of the open pit. "I presume you are back for a 
rematch Erik. I commend your persistence. This will be a two-on-two, no time 
limits. Agreed?" Erik nodded in response. "Then begin." The steel gym leader 
started the match going with a Koiru. 'This should be nothing at all.' Erik 
lead off with the silver dragon. As the pokemon emerged, Erik to commenced 
the attack. "Shoot it down." The dragon merely glanced back. "Why the hell 
should I? Just because you tell me to?!"

"That's how it's supposed to go. Now attack it." The silver continued to 
ignore Erik. "I'm not some beast that you can order around, doing your 
biding."

"Do you forfeit this match Erik?" Niko stated. "You are at a disadvantage 
already." Cursing to himself, Erik recalled the arrogant silver. "Giving up 
isn't an option to me. Sandopan, do this." Unlike the dragon before him, 
Sandopan went into battle without hesitation.

As Sandopan slid down the sloped walls of the pit, Koiru directed one of its 
horseshoe magnets at the descending pokemon. Recoiling back a bit in the 
air, the magnet discharged a sonic pulse. Noticing the attack, Sandopan 
rolled to the right, avoiding the destructive SonicBoom. Shattered granite 
rained down as Sandopan reaches the floor of the pit.

Before the Koiru could attack again, Sandopan charged forward. Jumping into 
the air, claws grasped a hold of the steel orb, and hurled it against the 
stony slopes. He landed, still running toward the Koiru. The small orb 
emerged from the rumble, only to be struck down by two hard jabs to the eye 
panel. Niko recalled the fainted Koiru, leaving Sandopan to resume a battle 
stance in the middle of the pit. Erik's pokemon showed no signs of tiring 
out, having just warmed up against the Koiru.

Niko selected a familiar rival for his second pokemon, his Hassamu. The 
armoured pokemon fluttered its wiry wings as it stared down Sandopan. "Vice 
Grip." A great open pincer jutted forth, intent on crushing harm. Sandopan 
dropped back, followed by an advancing Hassamu. The hedgehog was forced back 
to the steep slope of the old mine pit. With a claw rapidly approaching, 
Sandopan maked a split second action.

Grabbing a stone from the slope, Sandopan jammed it into Hassamu's claw, 
rendering it useless until the rock was either crushed or removed. Now 
having a open opportunity, Sandopan pushed off the near vertical slope of 
the pit, and jump kicked into the chest of the armoured insect. A distinct 
metallic crunching sounded through the gym. Dropping back on to the ground, 
Sandopan drove his left claw into the earth, sending a great fracture 
through the stone. Using thin wings, the Hassamu dashed out of the path of 
the cleaving earth.

Holding out a claw, Sandopan generated a single star shot. The Swift, like a 
pinpoint of light, quickly and accurately found its target, the hairline 
crack in Hassamu's armour. Impacting, the star increased the size of the 
crack, stopping the insect dead in his tracks. With victory in hand, 
Sandopan moved in for another jump kick, the final blow. Just as victory 
seemed so near, Hassamu knocked the hedgehog away with a broad strike of a 
claw. Finally destroying the offending stone, Hassamu held both pincers open 
in front of him, gathering yellow energy. Erik's pokemon rose to his feet as 
Niko gives his final order. "Hyper Beam."

Pointing his sharp claws to the ground, Sandopan shot a point-blank pair of 
swift stars to the ground. The shockwaves sent the hedgehog into the air, 
but most importantly, away from the impact zone of the hyper beams. Sandopan 
rolled in the air, crouching as he landed. He held out his left arm, braced 
by his right. A small pinpoint of energy forms on his claw. Hassamu looked 
up as Sandopan fired a thin Hyper Beam of his own. Lancing through the air, 
the energy beam struck the crack, blasting apart the metal armour. Suffering 
an intense shock, the Hassamu fell backwards, fainted.

Niko recalled his damaged Hassamu, before throwing Erik a hexagonal silver 
badge, the Oxide Badge. "Your persistence has paid off Erik. I see good 
things for you in the Blue League. Not many can say that they caused such 
damage upon my Hassamu."

"Thank you for your encouragement Niko." Sandopan climbed up out of the 
abandoned mine pit. "Let's continue on Sandopan, we still have much to do." 
Erik looked up to Niko. "Til we see each other again." With that, trainer 
and pokemon leave the gym.

'Erik, I will see you once more in the future.'


End Episode #06

Pokemon Report
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No new pokemon/ attacks.