"Thanks," I replied.
While carefully clipping Scyther's Poké Ball back onto my belt and making my way toward my side of the battlefield. My heart was still racing from the last fight, but a steady spark of excitement kept me moving.
Across the field, Brock picked up Golem's Poké Ball.
"Get some rest, Golem," he said, recalling the fallen Rock-type in a beam of red light.
He clipped the ball back onto his belt and looked across the battlefield at me, his calm smile never wavering.
"Ready for round two, Gil?"
I nodded, already reaching for the next Poké Ball on my belt.
"Ready."
My fingers closed around Charmeleon's ball as I took my position. The weight of it felt familiar and reassuring.
Brock reached for another Poké Ball. A hint of excitement slipped into his usually steady voice.
"Aerodactyl, let's go!"
He threw the ball high into the air. It burst open in a flash of white light.
"Aeroooo!"
A sharp, piercing cry echoed throughout the Gym.
Aerodactyl emerged with its leathery wings spread wide. It quickly climbed into the air and began circling above the battlefield, its powerful wings beating in a steady rhythm. Its shadow swept across the rocky terrain below.
My hand instantly froze around Charmeleon's Poké Ball.
Aerodactyl.
Rock and Flying.
And it was fast.
A lot faster than Charmeleon.
My original plan had been to save Charmeleon for Brock's second Pokémon. If he sent out Steelix, she would have the advantage.
But now Aerodactyl had appeared, and that plan was falling apart right in front of me.
A knot formed in my stomach.
Charmeleon would spend most of the battle trying to reach it while Aerodactyl attacked freely from above. And against a Rock-type, her Fire attacks wouldn't be nearly as effective as usual.
It was a bad matchup.
A really bad one.
My fingers tightened around the Poké Ball as my mind raced through every option I had.
Then my eyes drifted down to Eevee at my feet.
She was staring up at the circling Aerodactyl, ears raised high and tail flicking behind her. She clearly expected me to send out Charmeleon, just like I had planned at first.
But Eevee was different.
She had options.
A lot of them.
During our training over the past few years, she had slowly built a wide set of moves for almost every situation. Iron Tail could go head-on against Rock-types. Thunder Fang and Ice Fang could exploit Aerodactyl's Flying typing. Water Pulse and Energy Ball gave her reliable ranged options.
Though, they weren't as naturally powerful as a Pokémon that fully matched those types, and some required more effort and control to use properly…
But still, Eevee had flexibility.
Which Charmeleon simply didn't have…
And most importantly, she could adapt.
Brock glanced at the Poké Ball still in my hand, then down at Eevee.
For a brief moment, his eyes opened slightly. His smile widened as he studied the small Pokémon at my feet.
"You didn't expect Aerodactyl, did you?"
I looked over at him and nodded.
But, a slow grin tugged at my lips as I said, "Maybe not. But I'm still leaving with the Boulder Badge."
Brock's smile widened a little further.
"Confidence is important," he said calmly. "Let's see if you can back it up…"
I looked down at my partner.
Eevee met my gaze instantly, her bright brown eyes full of trust and excitement.
The moment our eyes met, she understood.
Her tail started wagging even faster, and something warm tightened in my chest. Looking at her eager expression and all that fluffy fur, I almost wanted to scoop her up and…
But that's for Later…
Right now, we had a battle to win.
A smile spread across my face as i said, "Eevee, I choose you!"
Her ears shot straight up.
"VEE!"
Without a moment's hesitation, she sprinted onto the battlefield, tail held high and excitement shining in every bounce of her steps.
The referee raised his flag high.
"The challenger has chosen Eevee! The Gym Leader has chosen Aerodactyl!"
His flag swung downward in one clean motion.
"Second battle... begin!"