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The battle between Yuki and Azura for the Blackthorn City Ribbon was a mix of power and beauty. It was close, but Yuki defeated her rival and earned the remaining two Ribbons to be eligible for the Johto Grand Festival. Afterwards, Rocky was able to master the common usage of Stone Edge with Jasmine's help. Now it is time for Summer to face her greatest challenge against the last Johto Gym Leader, Clair. Will she be able to handle Dragon types this time?

Chapter 46- A True Dragon

Yuki and I entered the Blackthorn City Gym, only to find the lobby unusually hot. Steam even appeared to be rising from the cyan floor, and there were no display cases or plants to be found.

"Why is it so hot in there?" Yuki complained as she removed her jacket.

"Oh, sorry about that!" A woman wearing a red sports jacket and black shorts ran over to a thermostat behind the reception desk. Once she adjusted the knob, the room instantly became cooler, and the steam clouds turned into water droplets. As she wiped the floor with fluffy white towels, the receptionist explained, "We do a sauna session in the Gym every morning. I forgot it was my turn to adjust the temperature today. So, who's here for the Gym battle?"

I raised my hand. "My name's Summer Scorcher."

"Ah, yes! Right on time. I'll let Clair know you're here. The doors will automatically open when she's ready. Your friend can watch from the bleachers."

"Thank you."

The receptionist bowed and left.

I let out Blaze, Lighting, and Errol. "Can you guys cheer us on today?"

The Raichu grinned. "Of course, Summer! Blaze and I will get pointers from Errol."

The Noctowl smugly replied, "Very well. I shall instruct you and Mr. Blaze in the art of emotional support!"

Blaze raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that usually when someone experiences something bad?"

"Mr. Blaze! A battle can have multiple outcomes; you must be prepared for all of them!"

"And...how long will it take for me and Lightning to learn all of this?"

Errol stroked his chest. "Approximately, a few hours?"

"Errol!" Lightning shouted. "We don't have that amount of time!"

"Very well... I shall give you two an abbreviated lesson. To the bleachers!"

Lightning and Errol dashed up the metal staircase.

Blaze looked at me and smiled. "Good luck, Summer. I know you can do it."

"Thanks, Blaze."

Then, he followed his teammates to the viewing area.

Yuki put her jacket back on. 'So, Summer. How do you feel?"

"Nervous, as usual. But I think we're ready this time."

A man's voice said, "As I hoped you will."

The Dragon Elder and Santos entered the Gym. We bowed to the elder.

"Elder," I asked. "what are you doing here?"

He smiled. "To watch your match, of course. I would like to see how much you have improved since you have been here."

"I am honored. What about you, Santos?"

The Week Sibling shrugged. "I have nothing else to do and heard about your Gym match from the Elder."

Yuki and I sweatdropped.

"Well then," the Sinnoh native said. "I should find a good place to sit. Want to help, Santos?"

"If I have to."

The two left, but the Dragon Elder didn't follow them.

"Summer," he cautioned. "Be careful of what Clair will do. She will find ways to exploit your strategies and ensure total victory."

"I figured she would do that. But, Elder, is me being the Guardian of the Legendary Beasts the reason why she hates me?"

He sighed. "It is...more complicated than that."

The steel doors swung towards us.

"Well, I must not keep you. Good luck, Summer."

I nodded and walked into the next room. The battlefield was quite large, surrounded by purple pillars and stained glass murals of different Dragon type Pokémon. To the east were three sets stone bleachers where everyone else was sitting. At the west side was the television, where underneath it stood a small shrine with a silver Dragonite statue and incense sticks.

Clair was standing in front of me, her arms crossed. She looked moodier than usual.

Wonder what's wrong with her?

Once I approached the challenger's box, she said, "So, you finally made it after all. Let's see if your training made any difference."

To my surprise, Lance walked to the referee's box.

I asked, "Lance? What are you doing here?"

He smirked. "To referee your match of course. And to ensure someone doesn't go overboard." Then he shouted, "This match will be a three on three singles battle between Summer from Littleroot Town and Clair, the Blackthorn City Gym Leader. The challenger is allowed to switch her Pokémon and will have the first move. The winner will be decided when the opponent's Pokémon are unable to battle. Are you okay with these rules, Summer?"

I nodded.

"Very well." I expected Lance to say something about choosing our first Pokémon, but he didn't.

Clair smirked. "Before we start, I allow my challengers to choose the battlefield at the beginning of the match and when one of my Pokémon faints. So...which one do you want? Sky, ground, or water?"

That's an unusual requirement; I didn't read about this in her bio. I need to choose carefully. "I pick water first."

"Very well." She clapped her hands, and the ground parted to reveal a deep pool of clear water. The only platforms were the center circle and four circles that created a square pattern.

Lance nodded. "Trainers, choose your first Pokémon!"

Clair took out an Ultra Ball. "Come, Charylla."

A Kingdra appeared and dove into the pool.

So she's starting with her Kingdra. Aurora won't be able to do much. So I'll start with…

"Let's go, Flower!"

The Ivysaur chose the center platform as her landing spot, and the two Pokémon sized each other.

Clair smirked. "Really? You must be joking-"

A glare from Lance stopped her taunt. "Battle begin!"

"Flower, Razor Leaf!"

She shook her bud and released the flurry of leaves.

Clair rolled her eyes. "Dragonbreath."

The Dragon Pokémon snorted a stream of green flames, which disintegrated the leaves.

The Gym Leader laughed. "Is that really the best you got? Ice Beam!"

Charylla inhaled deeply and shot a frozen beam at Flower.

I smirked. "Dodge, then use Razor Leaf!"

Flower extended her vines and propelled herself to the closest platform to my left, evading the super effective attack. Then she threw another flurry of leaves, striking the Kingdra in the chest.

Clair raised an eyebrow. "I haven't seen that before. But it doesn't matter. Charylla, keep using Ice Beam."

I gritted my teeth. "Flower, keep dodging!"

The Grass type launched herself onto the various platforms, avoiding the beams of ice. But after five hops, her movements began slower. She tried to dodge an Ice Beam, but it hit her face. Flower was forced to stop at the center platform.

It was a trap to lower Flower's endurance... I should've expected something like that from Clair...

"Are you okay, Flower?"

She nodded, though I could see she was panting.

We need to slow the battle down. "Flower, use Sleep Powder!"

She threw the white powder over the battlefield, but Clair wasn't fazed.

"Charylla, dive under the water and use Yawn."

The Dragon type submerged, avoiding the sleeping powder, and emerged behind Flower. Charylla snorted a thick white cloud. Flower tried to move, but she was too exhausted. The cloud hit the Ivysaur's face, and she began to sway back and forth.

She looks...sleepy. I have to act fast. "Quick, Flower! Use Leech Seed!"

Flower was close to falling asleep, but was able to hurl a seed at the Kingdra just in time. The seed immediately latched onto the Dragon type, who writhed at the vines sapping her energy. Clair gritted her teeth.

Flower can't battle for a while. I should play it safe. "Flower, return!"

I put the sleeping Ivysaur back into her ball and selected my next Pokémon. "Let's go, Aurora!"

The Dewgong eagerly dove into the water, ready for her first Gym battle.

Lance shouted, "Battle begin!"

"Aurora, Aqua Ring!"

She formed two blue rings around her body, creating a healing sphere.

Clair refused to back down. "Charylla, Dragonbreath!"

"Aurora, dodge and use Ice Beam!"

The Ice type dove underwater and escaped the green flames. She then leapt out of the water and shot a beam of icy blue hue. Another direct hit made Charylla wince, and the Leech Seed absorbed more of her energy.

Clair frowned. "Charylla, Hydro Pump!"

"Aurora, Aqua Tail!"

The Kingdra sprayed a powerful burst of water as water swirled around the Dewgong's tail. The two Water type attacks collided, and erupted into a geyser of water. Both Pokémon were knocked into the water and eventually rose to the surface. Charylla was about to move when the Leech Seed absorbed whatever energy she had left, causing her to fall backward. Aurora smiled as she received two healing dosages.

"Charylla is unable to battle! Aurora wins! Clair, choose your next Pokémon!"

Clair returned her Kingdra and scoffed, "You got lucky." She then threw another Ultra Ball into the air. "Come, Drogon."

A Charizard soared over the battlefield.

Lance looked at me. "So, Summer. Will you keep the water battlefield or change it?"

"I'll keep the water battlefield." That way, I can get some protection from Drogon's aerial attacks.

"Very well. Battle begin!"

"Aurora, Water Pulse!"

She opened her mouth and shot the orb of swirling water at the airborne Pokémon.

Clair laughed. "Is that the best opening strategy?! Dragon Claw!"

Drogon's right claws extended and turned blue. He slashed the Water type attack, forcing the water around him. Then, he awaited his Trainer's next command.

"Flamethrower!"

The Fire type sprayed the stream of fire, which traveled much faster than Blaze's.

"Quick, Aurora! Dive underwater!"

The Dewgong submerged into the clear water, which hissed and emitted steam when hit by the flames.

Clair, surprisingly, chuckled. "Drogon, keep using Flamethrower!"

The Charizard obeyed, and soon, I couldn't make out anyone through the thick clouds of steam.

What is Clair doing?!

But once the steam disappeared and the room returned to its normal temperature, I was stunned. The water was gone, and Aurora was stuck at the bottom of the pool.

Clair smirked and pushed back her cape with her right arm. "Drogon, Air Slash!"

He flapped his wings, releasing crescents of air that slammed into Aurora. She slid back and slammed into the south wall, but she shook off the pain as the Aqua Ring healed her.

I have to get her out of there! "Aurora, use Aqua Tail on the floor!"

Water concentrated around her white tail, causing the pool to slowly fill with a few inches of water. Then, she thrust it downward and leapt into the air, landing onto the center platform.

"What good will that do?!" Clair taunted. "You can't escape Drogon's fire! Flamethrower!"

"Aurora, Ice Beam!"

The fire and ice collided and shattered around the battlefield. Both were struck by embers and ice shards. Aurora didn't take much damage due to her Thick Fat ability while Drogon grunted in pain. I noticed the shards struck his right wing, and he was struggling to stay in the air. Clair clenched her hands and allowed her Pokémon to land onto the northwest platform.

That's a lucky break. I need to save Aurora for Saphira, just in case. "Aurora, return!"

She nodded, and once she entered her Pokéball, I exchanged it with another. "Go, Flower!"

The Ivysaur was unfortunately still asleep, but I needed her help.

Clair put her hand on her waist. "You're going to go with not only the type disadvantage, but also the status condition? You really must be desperate."

"Clair…" Lance cautioned. "Don't underestimate your opponent."

"Whatever…"

Lance groaned, then waved his arms. "Battle begin!"

"Flower! Please wake up!" I shouted. But she was still fast asleep.

The female Dragon user smirked. "Your loss, Summer. Drogon, Flamethrower!"

I braced for the powerful super effective attack, but to our surprise, no flames came out of his mouth.

"Wh-What's wrong, Drogon?"

He kept trying, but all he coughed out was dark smoke.

Did...Did she use up all of the Flamethrower to remove the water from the pool? She really must want to beat me if she was willing to use all of Drogon's fire power like that.

Clair gritted her teeth. "Air Slash!"

Drogon flapped his wings but roared in pain due to the damage he sustained.

His Trainer was stunned. "No! This can't be!"

The yells caused Flower to stir and ready herself for battle.

"You okay, Flower?" I asked.

"Of course, Summer. I'm ready to go if you are."

"Then let's go! Use Sludge Bomb!"

She hurled the poisonous orb at the Charizard, and he roared in pain once more. He growled and wanted to lunge at Flower, but his wings wouldn't let him.

Lance stared at Clair, as if he was trying to tell her something, but she ignored him. "Drogon, Shadow Claw!"

This time, his claws glowed black and he leapt into the air.

"Flower, use Razor Leaf!"

She stood her ground and launched the spinning leaves. Drogon was unable to block them and was slashed by its sharp edges and fell back onto the platform, unable to move.

Lance shook his head, but continued his job. "Drogon is unable to battle! Flower wins! Clair, choose your final Pokémon!"

The Gym Leader bitterly returned her Pokémon. "So you do have some skill after all. But I will destroy you with my final Pokémon. Come, Saphira!"

The Dragonair floated over the battlefield in a swirl of sparkles.

"Summer, do you want to change the battlefield type?" Lance asked.

I need to focus on long term this time. "Yes, I'll choose the ground battlefield."

Clair snapped her fingers, and the somewhat empty pool was once again covered with first battlefield. Flower moved back to our side of the battlefield, ready to battle against our greatest test.

"Battle begin!"

"Flower, Razor Leaf!"

"Saphira, Dragon Dance then Flamethrower!"

In a glowing red light, the Dragon type spun around the flurry of leaves and sprayed Flower with a stream of flames. The Grass type winced in pain and began to pant heavily.

It looks like Flower can only do one more move left. I have to make it count!

Clair thrust out her arm. "Finish Flower with Dragon Rush!"

Saphira roared and became shrouded in a crystal blue light that morphed into a dragon. Then she dove straight at her opponent.

"Flower, Leech Seed!"

She prepared the seed in her bud, but before she could release it, Saphira slammed into her face. Flower tumbled backwards and collapsed on the battlefield, unable to move.

"Flower is unable to battle! Saphira wins! Summer, choose your next Pokémon!"

So much for the Leech Seed... I returned her and smiled. "Thanks, Flower. You did great. Let's go, Aurora!"

The Dewgong eyed her opponent carefully, and Saphira did the same. Clair, on the other hand, scoffed.

"Battle begin!"

"Aurora, Ice Beam!"

Clair shouted, "Your type advantage won't faze me, Summer! Dragon Dance then Thunderbolt!"

Saphira dodged once more in a spiral of red, then shot a lightning bolt from the orb on her neck.

I smirked. "Aurora, stop the Thunderbolt with Water Pulse!"

The swirling orb of water collided with the Thunderbolt and absorbed its energy, much to Clair's shock.

I continued, "Ice Beam!"

The frozen beam hit the glowing yellow orb and thrust it at the Dragon Pokémon. Saphira evaded the combined attack due to her increased speed, but was thrust forward when it hit the wall behind her. She was able to stop before she hit the wall behind me and returned to her Trainer's side of the battlefield.

Clair was stunned to see the damage the triple combination made but regained her composure. "Saphira, Thunderbolt!"

"Aurora, Ice Beam!"

Electricity and ice collided in mid-air. However, the Thunderbolt prevailed and Aurora shrieked in pain as the electricity coursed through her. The Dewgong fell forward onto the ground, unable to move.

"Aurora is unable to battle! Saphira wins! Summer, choose your final Pokémon!"

"Thanks, Aurora. You did really well." I returned her and looked at my final Pokéball. It's finally time. "Let's go, Rocky!"

The Steelix towered over us and glared at the person who insulted him.

Clair laughed. "So he is your final Pokémon after all. Well then; show me how much he improved."

I nodded, and Lance waved his arms. "Battle begin!"

"Rocky, Dragonbreath!"

Clair raised an eyebrow. "No Rock Throw, huh? It won't matter. Saphira, Dragon Dance, then Flamethrower!"

The Dragonair sped around the green flames in a red aura, then proceeded to exhale the orange flames.

I smiled and shouted, "Stone Edge!"

Rocky grinned and slammed his tail onto the dirt. Sharp pillars of stone sprung up and not only blocked the Flamethrower, but also pierced Saphira's body. She winced in pain and retreated.

Clair clenched her fists. "So that's what Jasmine taught you. But her efforts will be in vain." She smirked, which made me worry. "I'm the strongest Gym Leader in the Johto Region, and I'll prove it here! Saphira, Dragon Rush!"

The Dragon type soared and dove at Rocky in the draconic blue light.

"Rocky, block with Iron Tail!"

He quickly lifted his silver tail and braced himself for the powerful attack. The Dragon Rush slammed into the Iron Tail. Rocky was able to hold back, but he started to struggle. Saphira saw this and increased the pressure, knocking his tail aside and slamming into his body. Rocky winced in pain, but I could tell that move did a lot of damage.

Ecstatic that the battle was in her control, Clair taunted, "What are you going to do now, Summer?"

I gritted my teeth. That Dragon Rush is a huge problem, especially with the boost from Dragon Dance! How can I counter this?

Rocky's voice echoed a reply, Don't give in, Summer. We can beat her. We trained for this moment.

I chuckled. You're right. Let's show Clair how much you've grown.

Suddenly, a powerful energy pulsated within me. Wh-What's happening? I felt something different around my neck, but there was no time to check. "Rocky, Dragonbreath!"

"Will you ever learn?! Dragon Rush!"

Saphira cut through the green flames and aimed at Rocky's head.

"Crunch!"

The Steel type opened his mouth and chomped on the blue dragon-shaped energy. It disappeared, trapping Saphira in Rocky's fangs. He then tossed her onto the battlefield, and she tumbled backwards. She levitated back in the air, but lower than earlier.

"Don't hesitate now!" Clair roared. "Flamethrower!"

"Dragonbreath!"

It was a repeat of our first battle with them, but Rocky refused to concede and increased its intensity. Then, the orange and green flames flared up and exploded, pushing both Pokémon back. Both serpent-like Pokémon panted and acknowledged each other's power.

Clair, however, was still unconvinced. "Finish Rocky once and for all with Dragon Rush!"

I clenched my right hand and felt the pulsating energy return. Brimming with confidence, and I shouted, "Rocky, Stone Edge!"

Rocky closed his eyes then quickly opened them and roared. Instead of the pillars, shards of stone spun around the Steelix's body. As Saphira approached, the shards hurtled forward and pierced through the dragon. She screamed in pain but pressed on and slammed into Rocky's body once more. He yelled as well and both Pokémon collapsed.

Lance analyzed both of them and was about to pronounce his verdict when the two struggled to stand.

After a few seconds, Rocky rose up and Saphira fell back down, unable to move.

The Champion waved his arms for the final time. "Saphira is unable to battle! Rocky wins, and the winner is Summer Scorcher from Littleroot Town!"

Rocky then slammed onto the battlefield, exhausted. I ran over and immediately fed him some Sitrus Berries.

I stroked his head. "Great job, Rocky.

He whispered, "Thanks, Summer."

"NOOO!" Clair screamed. I looked up and saw she fell to her knees. "H-How is this possible? How could I lose...to the likes of you!"

She got up and stormed over, but Lance and Saphira stood in her way. "It's over, Clair. Just accept your loss."

"I refuse! She never achieved anything on her own!"

The Dragon Elder motioned Saphira to come as the two Dragon Masters struggled with each other. Once she did, he got on her back, and they landed next to Clair and Lance.

The Elder scolded, "Clair, I have never seen such reckless and arrogant behavior from you before! I do have a right to strip you of your Dragon Master rank."

Clair clenched her teeth and stopped fighting her cousin. I felt a strong, almost piercing, sadness coming from the Gym Leader.

I took a deep breath and asked, "Clair. I think I know why you hate me; it's because of my Legend Guardianship, isn't it?"

"Yeah, so what?"

"To be frank, I feel there's another reason behind it. Can you tell me about it?"

She retorted, "What gives you the right to pry into my personal affairs?"

"She is merely doing her duty as the Guardian of the Legendary Beasts," the Dragon Elder replied. "You can tell her, Clair."

The Gym Leader looked away, then replied. "Fine. My parents abandoned me when I was a mere toddler. Happy now?"

I gasped. "I...I'm sorry, Clair. I didn't know."

She crossed her arms. "Why would you care? You have parents."

"I do... But...my younger sister has been missing since I was four. I've blamed myself for her disappearance, but I know she's still alive, and I will find her someday."

Clair gave a weak smile. "Your optimism won't work on me. I know they're never coming back."

Lance and the Elder looked at each other. The former asked, "Should I tell her, Elder?"

Clair was confused. "Tell me what?"

The older man nodded. "Yes. I believe she has the right to know now."

"Know what?"

Lance cleared his throat. "Clair. Your parents...they never abandoned you."

She stepped back. "What are you talking about? Of course they did!"

"No, they didn't. They left you in the care of my family because they wanted to find better paying jobs to finance your Dragon Master training."

Fighting back tears, she yelled, "Y-You're lying, Lance! This is another one of your tricks, isn't it?"

The Dragon Elder shook his head. "Lance is correct. Your parents told me themselves before they left and have sent me the money needed for you, Clair. In fact, they are almost done with paying off your training and will be coming back here later this year. You don't need to lie to yourself anymore."

Lance hugged his cousin. "I told you from the beginning, Clair. My aunt and uncle love you so much."

Unable to fight back any longer, she sobbed onto his shoulder. Relief and happiness washed away her anger and grief.

When she calmed down, Lance handed her a tissue and Clair wiped away her tears. Then she bowed to me and Rocky. "Summer, I apologize for my actions the times I met you before. It was wrong of me to judge you solely based on your heritage. To be honest, I need to apologize to Jasmine as well."

I grinned. "Thanks, Clair. It's nice to hear that from you."

The Gym Leader then took something out from her pocket. It was a black dragon head pin with red eyes. "Summer, take this as proof of your victory and a sign of our new friendship: the Rising Badge."

I nodded. "Thank you."

After putting it in my badge case, Yuki, Ichigo, and the rest of my team ran towards me. The Dragon Elder praised, "You and your Pokémon have battled well, Summer. I am proud of you."

Rocky and I bowed. "I really appreciated your help, Elder."

Clair inquired, "Elder, can you tell me how Summer was able to enter Dragon's Den without a Dragon-like Pokémon?"

"I've been wondering that as well," Yuki added.

He eyed me inquisitively. "Perhaps you should take a look at her necklace."

My necklace? I looked at it and was surprised to see the citrine stone had a tiny orb inside. It was hard to see, but I could make out a rainbow double helix when I moved it towards the light of the room.

"Is that what I think it is?" Lance pondered aloud.

"Yes." The Elder revealed a scroll hidden in his cane and unfurled it. He showed us the contents: a Charizard transforming into a black Charizard with blue flames in a rainbow light. "It is Mega Evolution, a special temporary evolution certain species of Pokémon can unlock if they form a powerful bond with their Trainers."

I stroked my chin. "I remember this! I've been seeing this transformation lately."

The old man was astonished. "Really? Mega Evolution is extremely rare in the Kanto and Johto Regions. The last place it was documented was in the Hoenn Region, but that was almost 3,000 years ago."

"So...the Dragonite statues recognized Rocky as a Pokémon who can Mega Evolve?" Clair surmised.

"Not only Rocky, but Blaze as well."

"Really?" I stared at my starter. Then how come I didn't feel the same pulse of energy with Blaze?

Lance crossed his arms. "Anyway. You should be celebrating, Summer."

My traveling companion shouted, "Yes, that's right! Come on, let's have a special dinner!"

"How about I treat us to the best restaurant in Blackthorn City?" the Dragon Elder offered. "This will also be a celebration of Clair becoming a better person."

I grinned. "Of course!"

We all laughed and enjoyed a fabulous lunch. With this final victory, my journey in Johto was starting to come to an end.

Summer's Pokémon:

Blaze (Blaziken, male): Brave Nature, moves: Fire Punch, Flamethrower, Blaze Kick, Sky Uppercut

Errol (Noctowl, male): Rash Nature, moves: Psychic, Confusion, Hypnosis, Air Slash

Aurora (Dewgong, female): Calm Nature, moves: Water Pulse, Ice Beam, Aqua Tail, Aqua Ring

Lightning (Raichu, female): Adamant Nature, moves: Thunderbolt, Quick Attack, Iron Tail, Thunder Punch

Flower (Ivysaur, female): Gentle Nature, moves: Sludge Bomb, Leech Seed, Razor Leaf, Sleep Powder

Rocky (Steelix, male): Lonely Nature, moves: Stone Edge, Crunch, Dragonbreath, Iron Tail

Yuki's Pokémon:

Momo (Wartortle, male): Quiet Nature, moves: Water Gun, Rapid Spin, Blizzard, Aqua Tail

Ume (Swellow, female): Adamant Nature, moves: Roost, Wing Attack, Quick Attack, Swift

Ichigo (Minun, male): Sassy Nature, moves: Discharge, Hidden Power, Helping Hand, Spark

Kiui (Skiploom, female): Jolly Nature, moves: Bullet Seed, Mega Drain, Tackle, Sleep Powder

Mikan (Cyndaquil, male): Bold Nature, moves: Tackle, Flame Wheel, Flamethrower, Smokescreen

Questions for the Chapter:

What did you think of the battle?

What do you think of Clair's reason for hating Summer?