Pokemon: CommonBorn

Author's Note: Appreciate the support guys , I know I cant upload daily nowadays but will try to keep longer chapters from now if possible, like this one , do comment if the length is fine , as I dont want the chapter to have too much words as well .

Third POV

It was Monday morning, and Grey headed towards the Pewter Gym. His first Challenge Mode trainer battle had been scheduled, and the gym had contacted him to report in during the morning.

After entering the gym, Grey walked up to the receptionist and asked to be directed to the arena assigned for his match.

"Battle Arena 10," the receptionist informed him with a smile.

Grey thanked her and made his way through the large gym corridors until he finally reached the designated battlefield.

The arena was already prepared. It was a standard rock battlefield with large stone pillars scattered across the edges, giving Rock-type Pokémon plenty of terrain to work with. A few spectators had already gathered in the stands since Challenge Mode battles always attracted more attention than normal trainer battles even for the challenge rounds.

Grey took his position on the right side of the arena.

His opponent, Trainer Liam, stood on the opposite end.

The referee stepped between the two trainers before raising his flags.

"This will be a one-on-one Pokémon battle. The battle ends when one Pokémon is unable to continue. Trainers, prepare yourselves!"

Both trainers nodded.

In the sidelines, Forest quietly watched everything unfold.

His father, Flint, had specifically told him to observe Grey's battles carefully. Regardless of whether Grey won or lost, there was a lot Forest could learn before beginning his own journey next year.

Forest leaned forward slightly, paying close attention.

On the battlefield, Liam released his Pokémon.

"Go, Graveller!"

A sturdy Graveller landed on the rocky field with a heavy thud.

Grey responded calmly.

"Heracross, you're up."

The Bug and Fighting-type emerged with a confident cry, cracking its knuckles as it stared directly at its opponent.

"Begin!"

Liam wasted no time.

"Graveller, Defense Curl!"

Graveller tucked itself into a defensive stance, hardening its rocky body while preparing for its signature combination.

Grey had already expected it.

"Heracross, Bulk Up!"

Heracross flexed its muscles as Fighting-type energy surged through its body. Its physique became noticeably more imposing as its offensive power increased.

Grey had deliberately chosen Bulk Up.

Items were prohibited during the trainer battles before the gym leader fight, meaning he couldn't rely on the Flame Orb to activate Guts. Since he couldn't boost Heracross that way, increasing its Attack through Bulk Up was the next best option.

Liam pointed forward.

"Now, Rollout!"

Graveller immediately curled into a ball and began spinning across the battlefield. Thanks to the earlier Defense Curl, the Rollout carried even greater force as the boulder rapidly accelerated towards Heracross.

Grey remained calm.

"Meet it head-on! Brick Break!"

Instead of dodging, Heracross burst forward.

It accelerated with surprising speed, closing the distance in seconds before swinging its glowing arm downward.

Boom!

Brick Break collided directly against the spinning Graveller.

A loud impact echoed throughout the arena as dust and small rocks exploded outward from the collision.

Both Pokémon slid backwards several feet.

Heracross dug its feet into the ground before stopping itself, looking almost completely unharmed.

Graveller, however, rolled awkwardly before managing to regain its footing. Visible cracks had appeared across parts of its rocky body from the direct collision.

Forest's eyes widened slightly from the sidelines.

"He actually stopped a Defense Curl-boosted Rollout head-on..."

Liam gritted his teeth but quickly continued the assault.

"Rock Throw!"

Graveller rapidly hurled several large boulders towards Heracross.

"Keep moving!"

Heracross dashed forward in a zigzag pattern. Some rocks missed entirely, while others were smashed apart with quick Rock Smash strikes without slowing its advance. Broken stone fragments scattered across the battlefield as Heracross steadily closed the distance.

Liam refused to panic.

"Mud Shot!"

Graveller slammed both hands into the ground, launching a stream of muddy projectiles straight at the charging Bug-type.

Grey's response came instantly.

"Don't stop! Finish it with Brick Break!"

Heracross burst through the barrage, enduring a few glancing hits as it closed the final gap.

Its arm glowed once more.

Crash!

The second Brick Break landed cleanly across Graveller's body.

The Rock-type was launched backwards before crashing heavily onto the battlefield.

Silence filled the arena for a brief moment.

Graveller struggled to rise, its arms trembling, but after only a few seconds it collapsed back onto the ground, unable to continue.

The referee immediately raised his flag.

"Graveller is unable to battle! Heracross wins! Victory goes to Grey!"

A few spectators clapped from the stands.

Forest quietly nodded to himself.

"No unnecessary movements... every command had a purpose. Dad was right. Watching him really is educational."

Grey recalled Heracross with a satisfied smile.

It had been a clean victory, and the week of training was already beginning to show its results.

——————————————

Liam walked over to him after the referee declared the match over and offered him a handshake.

"That was a good battle. Congratulations."

Grey shook his hand.

"Thanks. Your Graveler was pretty tough. That Rollout after Defense Curl could have become a problem if Heracross hadn't managed to break through it quickly."

Liam nodded at that.

"I figured I could build up the power with Defense Curl first, but your Heracross was just too fast. I didn't expect it to charge straight into the Rollout like that."

Grey glanced toward Heracross.

The Bug-type was standing proudly, clearly pleased with itself after the battle.

"Heracross isn't exactly the type to wait around for an opponent to become stronger."

Heracross nodded aggressively at that.

It was clearly proud of its battle.

Grey recalled it after giving it a quick pat, and the gym staff soon arrived to escort him away from the arena.

Forest was standing on the sidelines, watching the entire thing.

He had known Heracross had the type advantage over Graveler.

He had also known that his father's gym trainer had a strong team.

But he hadn't expected the battle to end that quickly.

Forest had been told by Flint to carefully observe Grey's matches.

His father had made it clear that there was a lot he could learn from watching a trainer like Grey.

And Forest was beginning to understand why.

Grey hadn't simply relied on Heracross having the type advantage.

He had immediately used Bulk Up to increase Heracross's power before the actual exchange began. Then, when Liam tried to use Rollout, Grey hadn't panicked or attempted to dodge.

He had chosen to meet the attack head-on.

The timing had been perfect.

Heracross had smashed through the Rollout with Brick Break before Graveler could build up enough momentum to become a serious threat, the main thing Forest admired was the discipline , Grey to some extent reminded him of Brock at least Grey seems to have talent in training pokemon.

Forest rubbed his chin.

"That was fast."

He looked toward the direction Grey had left.

"I wonder how the next battle will go."

He had a feeling his father had been right.

Watching Grey's matches was probably going to be a lot more interesting than Forest had originally expected.

Grey was escorted out of the gym shortly afterward.

The receptionist was waiting for him near the entrance and gave him the information about his next battle.

"Your second match will be held later today. You should receive a call once your opponent has been finalized and the arena has been prepared."

"Alright."

Grey nodded.

"Do I need to stay in the gym until then?"

"No. You are free to leave the gym. Just make sure you return when you are contacted."

"Got it."

Grey left the gym.

His first thought was to head directly toward the Pokémon Center.

Heracross hadn't taken much damage during the battle, but Grey still wanted it to be completely healthy before the next match.

There was no reason to take unnecessary chances during a challenge run.

The entire purpose of the challenge mode was to test himself against stronger opponents. That meant every Pokémon needed to be in the best possible condition before entering the arena.

After handing Heracross over to Nurse Joy, Grey decided to think about his next opponent.

He had no idea who he would be facing.

The gym had multiple trainers who could potentially participate in the challenge run, and there was always a chance that the next opponent would use a completely different type of Pokémon.

Grey briefly considered training.

Then he rejected the idea.

There was no point.

His Pokémon had spent the entire previous week training intensely.

He had also just completed one battle.

The last thing he wanted was to push them further and accidentally fatigue them before their next match.

The best thing he could do right now was allow them to rest.

Grey had learned a long time ago that training wasn't simply about constantly pushing harder.

Recovery was part of training too.

A Pokémon that was exhausted before entering a battle was already fighting at a disadvantage.

So, for once, Grey decided to take things easy.

After Nurse Joy had finished treating Heracross, Grey collected his Pokémon and spent the rest of the day relaxing.

He wandered around Pewter City for a while, enjoying the relatively peaceful atmosphere.

It felt strange.

He had spent the last week constantly training.

Wake up.

Exercise.

Eat.

Train.

Battle.

Analyze.

Train again.

The gym challenge had finally started, but instead of immediately throwing himself into another training session, Grey decided to actually enjoy the city for once.

He visited a few places around Pewter and eventually ended up buying some cookies.

Grey sat down somewhere quiet and ate while watching people go about their daily lives.

Pewter City was still recovering from the events of the previous days, but things seemed to be slowly returning to normal.

There were still plenty of trainers around.

Some were heading toward the gym.

Others were preparing to leave the city and continue their journeys.

Grey couldn't help but wonder how many of them would eventually make it far enough to participate in a Pokémon League.

He had met plenty of talented trainers during his journey.

Some had potential.

Some had discipline.

Some had both.

But potential alone didn't mean much.

Grey had seen enough trainers by now to know that the biggest difference between a strong trainer and an average one wasn't always talent.

Sometimes it was simply the willingness to keep improving.

He finished his cookies and continued walking around Pewter.

Eventually, he returned to the Pokémon Center and waited.

The call finally came in the evening.

Grey looked at his Pokenet.

The gym was informing him that his second challenge mode match had been finalized.

Grey glanced at the information.

"Rocky."

That was the name of his next opponent.

Grey stood up.

"Well, let's see what you've got."

He recalled his thoughts about the day.

His Pokémon were rested.

Heracross was fully healed.

The others were also ready.

There was no reason to delay.

Grey made his way back toward the Pewter Gym.

By now, the sun had begun to sink lower in the sky, casting an orange glow over the city.

The atmosphere around the gym was noticeably different compared to the morning.

There were more people around.

Some trainers had apparently heard about the challenge mode matches taking place and had decided to watch the battles.

Grey wasn't particularly surprised.

Challenge mode battles were meant to be public spectacles to some extent.

They were a way for the gym to show the city that its challengers weren't being given easy victories.

And for Grey, it was another opportunity to test himself.

He entered the gym and approached the receptionist.

"Grey. I'm here for my second match."

The receptionist checked something on the computer before nodding.

"Your match has been assigned to Arena Three."

"Alright."

The receptionist pointed him toward one of the corridors.

"Just follow that path. The staff will direct you from there."

Grey thanked her and began walking.

As he moved through the gym, Grey noticed that there were more trainers around than there had been in the morning.

Some were talking about the earlier battles.

Grey ignored most of it.

Eventually, he reached Arena Three.

The doors opened.

Grey stepped inside.

The arena was larger than the one he had used in the morning, with several rows of seating surrounding the battlefield.

A few spectators were already present.

Grey looked across the battlefield.

His opponent was already there.

A young man stood on the other side of the arena.

Rocky.

Grey studied him for a moment.

The trainer looked calm.

More importantly, he didn't have the same nervous expression that Liam had shown earlier.

Grey narrowed his eyes slightly.

Interesting.

This one might be better.

Rocky noticed Grey entering the arena and turned toward him.

"So you're Grey."

Grey nodded.

"That's me."

Rocky smiled.

"I've heard about your first match."

Grey raised an eyebrow.

"Already?"

"Word travels quickly in this gym."

Rocky glanced toward the Poké Balls attached to Grey's belt.

"Especially when someone is running through the challenge mode."

Grey didn't respond immediately.

He had a feeling that Rocky wasn't here simply to participate.

The man's expression was far too focused.

That was usually a good sign for a tough battle.

Grey stepped toward his side of the battlefield.

"Well, I suppose we'll see if the rumors are true."

Rocky chuckled.

"That's what I'm hoping for."

The referee soon entered the battlefield.

The spectators began to quiet down.

Grey's eyes narrowed as he focused on his opponent.

One battle was over.

Now it was time for the second.

And judging by Rocky's attitude...

Grey had a feeling this match wasn't going to end as quickly as the first one.

————————————

Both sides took their positions on opposite ends of the battlefield. The referee stepped forward and explained the rules of the match before announcing that this would be a two-on-two battle.

Once both trainers confirmed their readiness, the referee raised his hand.

"Begin!"

Rocky immediately sent out his first Pokémon.

"Sandslash, let's go!"

The Ground-type Pokémon emerged onto the battlefield, its claws digging slightly into the ground as it prepared itself for battle.

Grey reached for one of his Poké Balls.

"Charmeleon, you're up."

Charmeleon emerged onto the field and immediately focused on its opponent.

Grey knew this was going to be a battle where he had to make use of the training Charmeleon had gone through during the past week. Sandslash was a Ground-type, meaning Charmeleon's Fire-type attacks were not going to be as effective as they normally would be. He would have to rely on his other moves and, more importantly, the battlefield itself.

"Sandslash, Spikes!"

Rocky made the first move.

Sandslash quickly slammed its claws into the ground, scattering several sharp spikes across Grey's side of the battlefield.

Grey didn't seem too concerned.

"Dragon Dance."

Charmeleon immediately began moving.

Its body shifted rhythmically as it danced across the battlefield, its movements becoming faster and more powerful with every passing second. Grey was using the opportunity created by Sandslash's Spikes to increase Charmeleon's offensive power and speed.

Rocky didn't let the opportunity last.

"Sandstorm!"

Sandslash raised its claws, causing the ground around it to erupt into a swirling mass of sand.

The battlefield was quickly consumed by a Sandstorm.

Grey narrowed his eyes.

The swirling sand made it difficult to see Charmeleon clearly.

"Smokescreen!"

Charmeleon opened its mouth and released a thick cloud of smoke across the battlefield.

The smoke mixed with the Sandstorm, creating an even more chaotic environment.

Within moments, the battlefield had become almost impossible to see through.

Neither trainer could properly see the other's Pokémon.

Grey, however, wasn't too worried.

Charmeleon had spent the past week training specifically to fight in situations where its vision was obstructed. Fraxure had also helped it learn how to rely on its other senses and instincts instead of depending entirely on its eyes.

The smoke and sand were now working against both sides.

Grey suddenly shouted.

"SD!"

Charmeleon's eyes narrowed.

It knew exactly what that command meant.

Sunny Day.

Charmeleon immediately began setting up the attack.

Rocky also wasnt sure what SD meant .

Grey couldn't see Sandslash.

Rocky couldn't see Charmeleon.

But both trainers knew the other Pokémon was somewhere inside the battlefield.

"Charmeleon, stay alert!"

Grey's voice echoed through the smoke.

Rocky smiled.

"Now! Dig!"

Sandslash immediately disappeared underground.

The battlefield became silent.

Grey couldn't see where it had gone.

But he knew exactly what Rocky was trying to do.

Sandslash was going to use the ground to locate Charmeleon before suddenly emerging from underneath it.

And that was exactly what happened.

Sandslash moved beneath the battlefield, using its connection to the ground to sense where Charmeleon was positioned.

Then it emerged.

"Now!"

Sandslash suddenly burst out of the ground and attacked Charmeleon.

The attack caught Charmeleon off guard.

The Fire-type was struck hard and sent stumbling backward.

But Grey had been waiting for this opportunity.

"Dragon Claw!"

Charmeleon immediately reacted.

Its claws glowed with Dragon-type energy as it swung at the exposed Sandslash.

The attack connected.

Sandslash was knocked back, taking considerable damage from the sudden counterattack.

Rocky was about to give another command.

But Grey was faster.

"Flamethrower!"

Charmeleon opened its mouth.

A powerful stream of flames erupted forward.

Sandslash had barely recovered from the Dragon Claw.

The Flamethrower struck it directly in the face.

The Ground-type Pokémon was engulfed in flames and thrown backward.

"Rapid Spin!"

Rocky quickly reacted.

Sandslash began spinning rapidly, using its body to create a powerful vortex.

The spinning motion began to push away the smoke surrounding the battlefield.

Grey watched carefully.

The smoke began to disappear.

The Sandstorm was also gone.

Rocky suddenly noticed something.

The sand was no longer swirling around the battlefield.

He frowned.

Then he felt it.

Heat.

A considerable amount of heat.

Rocky's eyes widened.

He looked upward.

The sun was shining brightly above the battlefield.

Sunny Day had been successfully activated.

Grey had used the chaos created by the Sandstorm and Smokescreen to quietly set up the weather of his choice.

"Charmeleon, Flamethrower!"

Charmeleon immediately launched another attack.

Sandslash was still spinning rapidly with Rapid Spin.

The flames collided with the spinning Pokémon.

The Rapid Spin did help reduce the impact of the Flamethrower to some degree, with Sandslash's spinning motion disrupting the flames as they struck.

But unlike a Counter Shield, it wasn't completely negating the attack.

Sandslash was still being hit.

And with Sunny Day active, Charmeleon's Flamethrower was stronger than before.

Rocky realised he couldn't allow this to continue.

"Rollout!"

Sandslash immediately changed its movement.

Still spinning, it redirected its momentum and transformed the Rapid Spin into a Rollout.

The Pokémon began rolling rapidly across the battlefield.

Its speed increased as it moved directly toward Charmeleon.

Grey didn't move.

"Charmeleon!"

The Fire-type stood its ground.

"Metal Claw!"

Charmeleon's claws began glowing with metallic energy.

Thanks to the earlier Dragon Dance, Charmeleon was faster and stronger than it had been at the start of the battle.

Sandslash was rapidly approaching.

The two Pokémon collided.

"BOOM!"

The impact echoed throughout the arena.

Sandslash's Rollout met Charmeleon's Metal Claw head-on.

For a moment, the two Pokémon struggled against each other.

Sandslash's spinning body pushed forward with all its momentum.

Charmeleon refused to give ground.

Then the difference in power became clear.

Charmeleon's boosted Metal Claw overpowered Sandslash.

The Ground-type Pokémon was sent flying backward.

It crashed onto the battlefield and rolled several times before finally coming to a stop.

The arena became silent.

The referee looked toward Sandslash.

The Pokémon struggled to stand.

But after taking multiple Flamethrowers, a Dragon Claw, and finally losing the clash against a boosted Metal Claw, it had reached its limit.

The referee raised his flag.

"Sandslash is unable to battle!"

Grey had won the first match.

Rocky looked at his defeated Pokémon before recalling it.

"You did well, Sandslash."

He returned the Poké Ball to his belt and looked toward Grey.

"Looks like I underestimated you."

Grey simply watched as Rocky reached for his next Poké Ball.

The first battle was over.

But the challenge was far from finished.

Rocky raised his hand.

"Alright. Let's see how you handle my next Pokémon."

He prepared to release his second Pokémon.

———————————————-

Author's Note : So the weather wars officially begins with this chapter , will try to do that at teams wherever it is possible at least.