AUTHOR'S NOTE: Greetings, readers! Here is Chapter 55 of the continuing adventures of Tristan, Hillary, and Pikachu as they continue their journey through Kanto. Trinity, from the anime, makes an appearance in this chapter. You know her as one of Misty's opponents in the Whirl Cup on Pokémon: Master Quest. As always, please feel free to read and review. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

TEASER: Tristan faces Trinity on the water battlefield, but she has an arsenal of tough Water Pokémon that Tristan must defeat in order for him to advance to the fourth round!

Chapter 55: A SHOCKINGLY WET RESULT

(Music Cue: Opening and Title Screen 1997-1998)

Last time, Tristan battled on the grass field in the first round of the Pokémon League Competition. His opponent was a trainer named George. Both trainers were allowed to use three Pokémon; however, George proved to be a formidable opponent. Both trainers started out using Fire-type Pokémon: Tristan with Charizard, and George with Arcanine. The battle was intense right from the start; however, Tristan cleverly found a way to attack using Charizard's tail, and sure enough, he defeated Arcanine.

Next, George sent out his powerful Exeggutor. Despite the type advantage, Charizard fell victim to its Hypnosis attack, and ended up snoozing and losing. Tristan tried using his Pidgeot to counterattack, but it, too, was put to sleep by Exeggutor's Hypnosis.

With one Pokémon left to use, Tristan decided to take a chance and go with Venusaur. Exeggutor tried to finish it off with another Hypnosis, but Venusaur's Vine Whip proved to be too quick for it, causing it to be defeated by a powerful Tackle attack.

Both trainers were down to their last Pokémon, and George sent out his Tauros, which proved that it could shake things up at a rodeo. Venusaur jumped high into the air using its Vine Whip, then, using that same attack, tangled up Tauros's legs. Finally, it finished Tauros off with its Sleep Powder, using the same tricks that George's Pokémon used on him, giving Tristan the win, much to the delight of his friends and family. Now, we wait to see who his next opponent will be, and which battlefield he will be fighting on next!


The next day, Tristan was battling on the rock battlefield. He was facing a young trainer named Victor, and they were both down to one Pokémon apiece. Tristan's sister, Hillary, and his grandparents, Veronica and Eric, were cheering him on.

"Tristan's Venusaur and Charizard were powerful competitors in this battle, as have Victor's Golem and Nidoqueen," said the announcer. "What Pokémon will both trainers choose?"

Victor had sent out a Rhydon for the final battle. Tristan knew who he wanted to choose for this battle.

"Okay, Blastoise, let's show them what we've got. I choose you!" shouted Tristan as he threw Blastoise's Pokéball.

Blastoise shot out of the ball and readied itself for a battle against Victor's Rhydon.

"Yeah, good choice!" said Hillary excitedly. "Tristan should have a lock on this one."

"He should, but it's not like you can always count on it," reminded Veronica.

"Both Pokémon look powerful," added Eric. "But keep in mind, Blastoise has an overwhelming type advantage."

"Rhydon, charge in and use Fury Attack!" yelled Victor.

Rhydon charged at Blastoise with its sharp horn as the driving force.

"Blastoise, Withdraw!" commanded Tristan.

Blastoise's head and limbs disappeared into its shell, nullifying the damage Rhydon's sharp horn would have done to it.

"Hiding in your shell like that is a loser's way to battle, you know!" fumed Victor. "If you were really that tough, fight me head on!"

"I'm not battling like a loser," said Tristan. "I always battle by instinct."

"Who cares about that?" shouted Victor. "Battle me head on! Come on!"

"Okay, but just remember, you're the one who asked for it!" replied Tristan. "Blastoise, Hydro Pump!"

Blastoise's head and limbs shot out of the shell, as did its two cannons. The cannons were quickly aimed at Rhydon, and two powerful blasts of water shot out of them at Rhydon, giving it heavy damage.

"No! Rhydon!" cried Victor.

Rhydon collapsed on the ground, having taken so much damage from the Hydro Pump blasts. Its Rock-type and Ground-type characteristics made it faint instantly from Blastoise's attack.

The referee raised his green flag and declared, "This battle goes to Tristan!"

The crowd went wild over the announcement.

"You heard it here, fans!" boomed the announcer. "Tristan has taken the second round of the preliminaries. He will now move on to round three!"

Tristan stood proudly with Pikachu standing proudly next to him while Victor sank to his knees, crying like a baby.

"No fair!" sobbed Victor.

"That means Tristan has two more fields to go before he battles in the Indigo Stadium, right, Grandma?" asked Hillary.

"Precisely," answered Veronica. "He seems to be doing very well in his first major competition. And I know that even if he loses, he's still a winner in my book."

Hillary and Eric agreed.


"Eat up, grand-sonny," said Veronica later that evening as she and the others sat down to macaroni and cheese for dinner. "You need lots of food to keep your strength up during this competition."

"You can count on that," replied Tristan as he and Pikachu happily dug in.

"Well, there's definitely nothing wrong with Tristan's appetite, that's for sure," remarked Hillary. "Grandma's cooking is first-rate."

"I wouldn't go that far," smiled Veronica sheepishly.

"So, have you decided which Pokémon you're going to use in tomorrow's battle, Tristan?" asked Eric.

"Well, since I'm going to be battling on either the water field or the ice field next, I'm thinking that Lapras might be a good choice," explained Tristan. "Lapras has both Water-type and Ice-type characteristics, plus it can use both Water and Ice attacks. Furthermore, I haven't forgotten about Blastoise. It may not have Ice-type traits, but it can certainly use a very cold Ice Beam attack."

"These two certainly would be great on a water field," remarked Hillary.

"Now, you just need to decide on the last Pokémon," said Veronica.

Hmmm, thought Tristan. Which Pokémon would give me an edge on a water field? He thought about it for a minute. Then, at last, he got an idea.


The next day found Tristan battling on the water field against a trainer named Trinity. Pikachu stood right beside him, ready for action.

"Welcome back to the Pokémon League Competition!" boomed the announcer. "Both trainers are ready to go, and we await their choices!"

"Let's go, Golduck!" yelled Trinity as she threw her first Pokéball.

Golduck emerged from the white light that shot out of the ball. It looked like a light-blue duck with webbed feet and hands, plus a small red gem on its forehead.

"So, that's a Golduck," said Tristan as he scanned it with his Pokédex, Dexter.

"Golduck: The Duck Pokémon: The evolved form of Psyduck," identified Dexter. "Golduck is very adept at using its hands and feet, making it the fastest swimmer of all Pokémon."

Tristan put his Pokédex and threw his first Pokéball. "Blastoise, I choose you!" he shouted.

Blastoise emerged from the white light that shot out of the ball.

The referee raised his flags in the air and shouted, "Trainers, go!"

(Music Cue: Raid!)

"Golduck, Water Gun!" commanded Trinity.

Golduck fired a powerful blast of water from its beak.

"Go, Blastoise, push it back with Hydro Pump!" instructed Tristan.

Blastoise's cannons quickly appeared and they shot out two destructive blasts of water at Golduck's Water Gun. For awhile, they looked evenly matched, but eventually, Blastoise's Hydro Pump pushed it back.

Trinity had no choice but to get out of the way. "Dodge it!" she ordered.

Golduck quickly dove underwater.

"Tristan's making good use of Blastoise's attacks," remarked Hillary. "He's really thinking today."

"Believe me, Hillary, when Tristan battles, he does so with gusto," replied Veronica as she raised her right fist into the air.

"I don't think I could ever remember the last time I've seen you so fired up, dear," smiled Eric.

"I guess the battle skills run in the family, don't they?" said Veronica.

"Now, Golduck, Confusion!" commanded Trinity.

Golduck resurfaced and its eyes began to glow in a blue aura. As it did, so did Blastoise, as it was lifted into the air.

"Blastoise has been lifted by Confusion!" boomed the announcer. "Can it get out of this?"

"Quick, Blastoise, aim your Hydro Pump at the water!" instructed Tristan.

Blastoise's cannons shot out two more powerful blasts of water at the water, causing it to rise higher in the air, breaking free from Golduck's Confusion attack.

"Now, Blastoise, dive underwater, just like Golduck did!" commanded Tristan.

Blastoise stopped using its Hydro Pump, and in no time at all, it fell from the air, but it used the speed of the fall to dive quickly toward the water.

"Hurry, Golduck, stop it with Confusion!" shouted Trinity.

But it was too late, for Blastoise made a big splash in the water, and was now safe from Golduck's attack.

"Blastoise dives straight underwater and to a safe hiding place! What will Blastoise's next move be?" asked the announcer.

"Blastoise has to come up for air sometime, Golduck, so when it does, be ready," advised Trinity.

Blastoise may not have to come up for air, but I can't just leave it hidden in the water, thought Tristan. I have to think of a way to stop that Golduck. "All right, Blastoise, jump out of the water!" commanded Tristan.

Blastoise rocketed above the water's surface and jumped into the air.

"Now's our chance, Golduck, Fury Swipes!" ordered Trinity.

(Music Cue: Opening 1997-1998 (M01B))

Golduck charged forward with its sharp claws as the driving force.

"Skull Bash now!" ordered Tristan.

Blastoise dove down from the air as its head began to glow in a silver aura, then using all it had, it rammed into Golduck with such force that it was sent flying.

"Golduck!" cried Trinity.

Golduck landed in the water with a big splash. When the water cleared, Golduck was floating on its back in the water, knocked out.

"Golduck is out of the match!" declared the referee as he raised his green flag.

The crowd roared in excitement as Hillary, Veronica, and Eric proudly looked on.

"Now that's what I call using your head," remarked Hillary.

Perhaps it was Hillary's bad joke, but regardless, Veronica and Eric smiled.

"Blastoise used its Skull Bash to deliver the finishing blow to Golduck!" boomed the announcer. "Now, we wait for Trinity's second Pokémon!"

"Go, Chinchou!" shouted Trinity as she threw her second Pokéball.

(Music Cue: Rocket-Powered Disaster)

A small, round blue, fish-like Pokémon emerged from the white light that shot out of the ball. It had two antennae on its rear; both antennae had yellow teardrop shapes at the end of them.

"Trinity's second Pokémon will be a Chinchou!" said the announcer. "Talk about a real treat!"

"I've never seen a Chinchou before," said Tristan. He knew his Pokédex would do him no good if he tried to look up Chinchou's entry like he did with Feraligatr and Wobbuffet, but nevertheless, he knew he had to keep his guard up. "Be careful, Blastoise. There's no telling what that Chinchou can do."

Blastoise nodded.

Hillary was surprised. "A Chinchou?" she asked.

Veronica nodded. "Chinchou is a Pokémon that normally lives in the Johto region," she explained. "But my guess that Trinity brought her Chinchou to this competition so she could take her opponents by surprise."

"I've encountered Chinchou on my travels with your grandmother," Eric said to Hillary. "Chinchou have both Water and Electric-type characteristics, and that alone puts Blastoise at a huge disadvantage."

"All right, Chinchou, Thunder Wave!" commanded Trinity.

Electrick sparks sizzled from Chinchou's antennae. Then it unleashed a powerful stream of electricity at Blastoise.

"Quick, Blastoise, dive underwater!" ordered Tristan.

Blastoise quickly dove underwater to avoid Chinchou's Thunder Wave.

"If you think we're falling for that trick again, you've got another thing coming!" said Trinity. "Chinchou, Confuse Ray!"

Chinchou's antennae immediately glowed in a purple light. Then, it dipped them underwater and unleashed a beam of purple energy all over the water. There was no way Blastoise could avoid a maneuver like that one.

"Trinity cleverly uses Chinchou's Confuse Ray underwater to ensure a perfect result!" boomed the announcer.

"Blastoise!" shouted Tristan.

Blastoise emerged from the water, dazed and confused.

"All right, Chinchou, Thunder Wave!" commanded Trinity.

Electric sparks sizzled on Chinchou's antenna, then it quickly shot another stream of electricity at Blastoise, paralyzing it on the spot.

"Blastoise seems to be completely helpless against Chinchou's Thunder Wave!" boomed the announcer.

"Blastoise, try as hard as you can to move!" shouted Tristan.

Blastoise tried, but it couldn't move a muscle.

"Now use your Spark attack!" ordered Trinity.

"What's a Spark attack?" asked Tristan.

Before Tristan could figure out what Spark was, a powerful bolt of electricity was released at Blastoise, scoring a direct hit.

"Blastoise, no!" cried Tristan.

Blastoise fell on its back from taking too much damage. It had been knocked out.

"Blastoise is out of the match!" declared the referee as he raised his red flag and the crowd roared in excitement.

Hillary, Veronica, and Eric gasped. They never knew that Trinity's Chinchou was that strong.

"Great job, Blastoise," said Tristan as he returned Blastoise to its Pokéball. "Take a long rest."

"As tough as Blastoise was, Chinchou's Electric attacks have overwhelmed it in a heartbeat!" boomed the announcer. "Now we eagerly await the appearance of Tristan's next Pokémon."

I can't use Pikachu against Chinchou, thought Tristan. It'll just absorb any Electric attacks. And as much as I want to choose Venusaur, it can't maneuver very well on this field. There's only one clear choice. He took out his second Pokéball and threw it. "Lapras, go!"

(Music Cue: A Fight! Real vs. Copy Pokémon (as heard in "Pokémon Double Trouble"))

Lapras emerged from the white light that shot out of the ball.

"Tristan's second Pokémon is Lapras!" said the announcer. "Will it avenge the honor of its fallen comrade?"

"I'm counting on you, Lapras," said Tristan. "Let's show this Chinchou what we're made of."

Lapras eagerly replied.

"Why did Tristan choose Lapras now?" asked Hillary nervously. "He should know that Lapras is vulnerable to Chinchou's Electric attacks."

"He must know that Pikachu's Electric attacks won't do much good against it," replied Veronica.

"And even if he chose Venusaur," added Eric, "it wouldn't be able to keep its balance on those pillars. But we'll see what he has up his sleeve this time."

"Let's do it, Chinchou, Thunder Wave!" commanded Trinity.

Chinchou, once again, shot a powerful stream of electricity at Lapras.

"Lapras, Ice Beam!" ordered Tristan.

Lapras shot an icy cold beam of energy at Chinchou's Thunder Wave.

The collision of the attacks created a big explosion.

"Lapras used its Ice Beam attack to defend against Chinchou's Thunder Wave!" said the announcer.

"Now, Lapras, time to show Chinchou your Body Slam!" instructed Tristan.

Lapras jumped into the air and proceeded to land hard on Chinchou.

"Push it away with Water Gun!" shouted Trinity.

Chinchou shot a powerful blast of water from its mouth at the descending Lapras.

"Chinchou is trying to use Water Gun to limit the damage from Lapras's Body Slam!" said the announcer. "But will it be enough to stop it altogether?"

"Keep blasting, Chinchou, you've gotta knock it off balance!" implored Trinity.

"Don't give up, Lapras, you can do it, buddy!" encouraged Tristan.

Lapras continued to come at Chinchou while Chinchou kept it at bay with its Water Gun.

As long as Chinchou keeps up with its Water Gun, Lapras won't be able to beat it, thought Tristan. But what happens if I freeze it in its tracks? "Lapras, use your Ice Beam attack to stop Chinchou's Water Gun!" commanded Tristan.

Still in midair, Lapras shot an icy cold beam of energy at Chinchou's Water Gun attack. Sure enough, it froze solid, allowing Lapras to slide down and ram hard into Chinchou.

"Lapras's Ice Beam allows it to connect with Body Slam!" boomed the announcer. "Lapras is certainly putting the squeeze on its opponent!"

"Chinchou, Spark!" shouted Trinity.

Despite being squeezed by Lapras's Body Slam, Chinchou was able to muster up all it had, and it unleashed a powerful jolt of electricity to score a direct hit on it at close range; however, the force of the attack was so strong that it created a huge explosion, causing both Pokémon to be sent flying.

Tristan and Trinity both covered their faces from the explosion.

The crowd was anxious to see which Pokémon triumphed over the other.

When the smoke cleared on Tristan's side, he saw that Lapras had been knocked out.

"Lapras!" gasped Tristan.

Then, as the smoke cleared on the other side, Chinchou was also knocked out.

"Chinchou!" cried Trinity.

"Lapras and Chinchou are both out of the match!" declared the referee as he raised both flags in the air.

The crowd roared in cheers, but Veronica, Eric, and Hillary were shocked.

"Unbelievable!" boomed the announcer. "A double knockout! That close-range Spark attack caused a huge explosion, and now it has knocked both Pokémon out of this match!"

Tristan returned Lapras to its Pokéball and said, "Lapras, you were awesome. You deserve a rest."

Trinity returned Chinchou to its Pokéball and said, "Thank you, Chinchou. That was excellent work." Then she turned to Tristan. "I have to say, Tristan, you are extremely good."

Tristan smiled. "You, too, Trinity. That Chinchou of yours took me by surprise."

"Well, shall we move on?" said Trinity as she threw her third Pokéball. "Gyarados, go!"

A serpentine Chine dragon-like Pokémon emerged from the white light that shot out of the ball. It was mostly blue with a yellow underbelly. It had a large, gaping mouth, but the Pokémon itself was gigantic. It roared as it prepared to battle.

"Trinity's last Pokémon is a Gyarados!" boomed the announcer.

"Whoa, now that's a big one," said Tristan nervously as he scanned Gyarados with his Pokédex.

"Gyarados: The Atrocious Pokémon: The evolved form of Magikarp," identified Dexter. "Gyarados is known for its vicious temperament, and is capable of destroying entire cities in a fit of rage. Trainers beware: this Pokémon's fangs can easily crush stone and its scales are harder than steel."

Hillary was shocked. "That Pokémon is tremendous!" exclaimed Hillary.

"I've encountered a Gyarados many times in my travels," said Veronica. "Most of the time, in the wild, Gyarados are known to have no mercy attacking passersby, especially in their territory."

"True, but this Gyarados seems to be well-trained," added Eric. "This will be a tough battle for Tristan to win."

"All right, Pikachu, are you ready to win this?" asked Tristan.

Pikachu nodded and leaped onto one of the pillars, ready to battle Gyarados.

"Tristan's last Pokémon will be Pikachu!" said the announcer. "This is it!"

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" commanded Tristan.

"Pikachuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!" shouted Pikachu as it shot a powerful stream of electricity at Gyarados.

"Gyarados, Hydro Pump!" ordered Trinity.

Gyarados shot a powerful blast of water from its gaping mouth to defend against Pikachu's Thunderbolt. Sure enough, the two attacks collided, creating a huge explosion.

"Those two attacks are perfectly matched!" boomed the announcer.

"Gyarados, Hyper Beam!" yelled Trinity.

Gyarados opened up its mouth even wider and charged up a yellow-orange beam. Then it shot it straight at Pikachu.

"Dodge it, quick!" shouted Tristan.

Pikachu jumped into the air and easily avoided Gyarados's Hyper Beam.

"Gyarados shoots a destructive Hyper Beam at Pikachu, but Pikachu proves to be too quick!" boomed the announcer.

"All right, Pikachu, try another Thunderbolt attack!" ordered Tristan.

Just as Pikachu was about to shoot off another powerful Thunderbolt, Trinity shouted, "Hydro Pump!"

Gyarados launched a surprise blast of water from its mouth and knocked Pikachu out of the sky, causing it to fall on one of the platforms on the water battlefield.

"Are you okay, Pikachu?" asked Tristan.

Pikachu stood up and easily shook it off.

"We've got 'em on the run, Gyarados, so use Hyper Beam now!" commanded Trinity.

Gyarados opened its gaping mouth wider and began to charge up another powerful yellow-orange beam and shoot it at Pikachu.

"Quick, Pikachu, get out of the way!" ordered Tristan.

Pikachu jumped onto another platform to avoid Gyarados's Hyper Beam, but Trinity seemed unfazed by it.

"Keep going with Hyper Beam, Gyarados, and Pikachu will eventually tire out!" instructed Trinity.

Gyarados kept charging up and blasting with its Hyper Beam attack, leaving Pikachu no time to stand still long enough to shoot a Thunderbolt at it.

"Gyarados unleashes a powerful barrage of Hyper Beams while Pikachu can't seem to find any way of returning fire!" boomed the announcer.

"This is bad," said Hillary. "If Pikachu spends all of its time dodging Gyarados's Hyper Beam, it'll be all worn out!"

Then, she, Veronica, and Eric all gasped in shock as they saw Pikachu on the edge of the battlefield in no position to dodge any more of Gyarados's attacks. Gyarados slowly closed in as Pikachu desperately tried to find a way out of its predicament.

"Gyarados's Hyper Beams have caused Pikachu to be left in a defensive corner!" said the announcer. "Pikachu seems to have no place left to run!"

"All right, Gyarados, finish it off with Hydro Pump!" commanded Trinity.

Gyarados unleashed a powerful blast of water from its mouth at a defenseless Pikachu.

"Pikachu, Agility!" yelled Tristan as loud as he could.

Somehow, Pikachu managed to jump up, and it briefly disappeared, but it reappeared on top of Gyarados's Hydro Pump, and was now running straight at Gyarados.

"That's the way, Pikachu, now, Thunder attack!" shouted Tristan.

Pikachu kept running with sparks sizzling from its cheeks. Then, using all the energy it had, it rammed into Gyarados with a Thunder attack so powerful that it threw Gyarados for a loop.

"Gyarados!" cried Trinity. She was clearly in shock of what just happened.

"Bam! That worked perfectly!" boomed the announcer. "Pikachu's Thunder attack hits Gyarados at close range!"

"Talk about in your face!" said Hillary to Veronica and Eric.

"I'll say," replied Veronica and Eric together.

Gyarados collapsed in the water with a big splash as Pikachu landed neatly on top of it. Gyarados had been knocked out.

"Gyarados is unable to battle!" declared the referee. He then raised his green flag in Tristan's direction as he declared. "Victory goes to the team of Tristan and Pikachu!"

(Music Cue: End of an Adventure)

The crowd roared in excitement.

"Yeah, Pikachu, we did it!" cried Tristan excitedly.

Pikachu happily ran off the field and into Tristan's arms. They both gave each other big hugs.

"You were awesome, pal," said Tristan. "Thanks so much."

Pikachu happily replied.

"Tristan won!" cheered Hillary excitedly. "Now he goes on to round four!"

"That's our grandson," smiled Eric.

Trinity returned Gyarados to its Pokéball, held it close, and said, "I'm proud of you, Gyarados. Great work." Then, she approached Tristan and Pikachu and said, "You were a super tough opponent. Your Pokémon have been raised very well."

"Thanks a lot, Trinity," replied Tristan. "Your Pokémon were very strong."

"I'm thinking of taking a trip to the Whirl Islands in Johto," said Trinity. "I'm going to try my luck at the Whirl Cup."

"I'll be rooting for you, Trinity," replied Tristan. "I wish you nothing but success."

"Well," smiled Trinity. "We'll battle hard. And I hope you have good luck in your upcoming matches in this competition."

"Thanks. We'll do our best," replied Tristan as he and Trinity shook hands.


And so, Tristan emerges victorious against Trinity, and moves on to round four of the Pokémon League competition. What opponent will he be facing next? And will he be able to keep winning? Stay tuned as the competition continues on!


(Music Cue: A Devious Plot)

Late that night, Blue quietly sneaked into the Pokémon Center's storage room and took more Pokéballs. He spoke into a small radio and said, "Giovanni, sir, I just managed to get several more Pokémon from the storage room. They're all powerful Pokémon that all the losing trainers own."

"Excellent, boy," replied Giovanni on the radio. "Send them to me immediately."

TO BE CONTINUED...