AUTHOR'S NOTE: Greetings, readers! Here is chapter 92 of the continuing adventures of Tristan, Hillary, and Pikachu as they continue their journey through the Johto region. You may recall that Team Rocket stole the Blackthorn Dragon Fang in the Pokémon: Master Quest episode: "Fangs for Nothing." This time, Taz will be the one to steal it. And remember, he recently joined Team Rocket. Still, I hope you enjoy this chapter with plenty of guest stars, including a couple of legendary Pokémon.
TEASER: Taz steals the Blackthorn Dragon Fang, and Bayleef tries to save Tristan from falling into the river, but fails. Now they must get the Dragon Fang back safe and sound. Will Bayleef overcome its self-doubt and help save Squirtle and Feraligatr from Taz's Electabuzz?
Chapter 92: FANGS A LOT
(Music Cue: Kanto Route 1 (as heard in the Japanese version of the first Pokémon Movie)
Tristan's Gym battle is taking a backseat for the moment, for today, our heroes, along with their new friends, Emmy and Max, are being treated to a hearty breakfast on Clair's balcony before they embark on the first of many adventures that Clair has in store for them.
"Boy, this is great, Clair," remarked Tristan as he chowed down on some of the pancakes that she made for him. "Even my cooking isn't this good."
"Of course it's great, since Clair made it," replied Hillary.
"Thank you, Aunt Clair," smiled Emmy and Max.
Pikachu and Togepi were happily feasting on a good breakfast of their own.
"Oh, you're welcome, everyone," replied Clair. "There's plenty more where that came from if you're still hungry. You'll need your strength for today's adventure."
"What adventure are you going to send us on today, Aunt Clair?" asked Emmy.
"Wait and see," answered Clair. "I guarantee you that you and Max will have fun traveling with Tristan and Hillary."
"I could have fun going for seconds!" said Tristan excitedly.
Hillary chuckled. "I thought you'd say that, Tristan."
Meanwhile, just out of sight, Taz, Tristan and Hillary's old nemesis, was sneaking toward a building with secure locks on it. Taz had recently joined Team Rocket. He then opened his toolbox and took out some lock picking tools, which he used to easily unlock all the padlocks on the door. He then quietly opened it and slipped inside. "Child's play," he chuckled to himself. Then he saw a small box in the back of the room. "Once I take that box, I'll make millions." Little did he know that the box was protected by an infared security system. "I'll just go and get this beauty out of here." But as he was running to his so-called prize, he went across one of the infared lines, causing the alarm to start blaring.
(Music Cue: Team Rocket Appears (as heard in "All that Glitters"))
Tristan, Hillary, and the others were just finishing up their breakfast when they heard the alarm in the distance.
"What's that?" asked Tristan.
"The alarm in the treasure room!" exclaimed Clair. "Someone's trying to steal the Blackthorn Dragon Fang!" And she and the others ran to the building just as Taz emerged.
"Whee!" said Taz as he made a run for it.
"It's Taz!" exclaimed Tristan and Hillary.
Taz turned around to see Tristan and Hillary. "Hi, nice to see you kids again, with two more added. I already got what I wanted, so if you'll excuse me, I'll be taking my leave. Bye!" He made a mad dash toward a nearby pier where a boat was waiting, and he quickly jumped in.
"Stop!" everyone shouted as they chased after the boat.
But Taz, with plenty of fuel, kept on going.
"Bayleef, stop that boat with your Vine Whip!" commanded Tristan as he threw his Friend Ball.
Bayleef emerged from the white light that shot out of it, and unleashed two green vines from the leaves around its neck. It managed to stop the boat in its tracks.
"Hey, let go, you green leafy thing!" barked Taz. "Let me go!"
"Now, Bayleef, pull that boat back here!" ordered Tristan.
Bayleef pulled and tugged as hard as it could, but Taz continued to resist the pull.
"I'll help you, Bayleef!" said Tristan as he and Pikachu held on to Bayleef's vines.
"You can do it, Bayleef!" encouraged Emmy and Max together.
"Don't let go!" added Hillary.
"I will get away with my prize, one way or another," retorted Taz as he threw a Poké Ball. "Go, Poliwrath!"
Poliwrath emerged from the white light that shot out of the ball right behind Tristan.
"Tristan, watch out!" cried Emmy.
But unfortunately, Emmy's warning to Tristan came too late, for Poliwrath delivered a well-placed punch, sending him flying in the direction of the water, much to everyone's horror.
Bayleef was so shocked at this that it was forced to let go of the boat and used its vines to grab on to Tristan as far as it could stretch them in a desperate attempt to save him.
"Hurry, everyone, grab onto the vines!" shouted Clair.
Everyone grabbed the vines, but Bayleef's grip on Tristan slipped, and he slipped, too, into the water.
"Tristan!" shouted Hillary as she and the others awaited Tristan's return to the surface.
"Ha!" laughed Taz. "I guess your friend's all wet. Later, losers!" And he sped into a nearby cave.
"Oh, no, he's going straight into the Dragon's Den!" gasped Clair.
"Is that a problem, Clair?" asked Hillary.
"We'll see," replied Clair.
Presently, Tristan came to the surface riding on his Feraligatr and gasped for air.
"Tristan, are you okay?" asked Hillary anxiously.
"Don't worry, I'm fine!" called Tristan. "I'll go after Taz!"
"Okay!" replied Hillary. "We'll be right behind you!"
And Tristan and Feraligatr swam straight into the Dragon's Den after Taz.
"Now what do we do?" wondered Max. "He's getting away with the Dragon Fang."
"He won't have it for long," replied Clair. "But I have so many commitments today that I can't do a thing about it."
"We'll help you get the Dragon Fang back, Aunt Clair," said Emmy.
"Please, may we?" asked Max politely.
"Actually, that's a great way to have your first adventure with Tristan and Hillary," smiled Clair. "Yes, I'll let you three go after Taz and get the Blackthorn Dragon Fang back. After all, we managed to get the Dragon Fang back from Team Rocket just days ago."
"And we'll get it back to where it belongs again," agreed Hillary, who was full of determination.
"Great," said Clair. "Thank you all. I have to go get ready for the day myself, so good luck." And she hurried away.
"All right, everyone, let's go follow Tristan and help him out!" said Hillary.
Pikachu, Togepi, Emmy, and Max were just about to agree when they saw Bayleef looking very sad.
"Hey, Bayleef, what's the matter?" asked Hillary.
But Bayleef didn't answer. It just kept looking on in despair after losing its grip on Tristan.
"I know what," sighed Emmy sadly. "Bayleef must be angry with itself for failing to save Tristan from falling into the river."
"Poor Bayleef," said Max. "No wonder it's feeling so bad."
Hillary put her hand on Bayleef's forehead. "Don't worry, Bayleef, Tristan will be fine. Now we just need to find a way to get into the Dragon's Den so we can follow him."
(Music Cue: Flying Dragonite (Kairu (full version as heard in "Enter the Dragonite")))
Presently, Hillary looked up and saw two familiar silhouettes approaching them from the sky. "Something's coming this way, and they're coming fast."
"What are they, Emmy?" asked Max.
"I'm not sure," replied Emmy.
Then, the silhouettes came into view. They were both pale silvery white with blue and pink fins and underbellies.
Hi, Hillary! Sorry we're late!
Hillary knew that voice and smiled. She recognized who was speaking. "It's Lugia! And Silveena's with it!"
"Whoa, a pair of Lugia?!" exclaimed Max.
"Incredible!" gasped Emmy.
Lugia and Silveena landed next to Hillary.
Long time, no see! smiled Lugia.
"Same here," agreed Hillary.
Who are these little ones? asked Silveena.
"Silveena, these are my friends, Emmy and Max," answered Hillary. Then she introduced her and Lugia to Emmy and Max. "This is Lugia and Silveena. Silveena is the Lugia with different colored features, plus she's a girl Lugia.
They aren't so bad...for humans, said Silveena to herself.
How do you do? said Lugia to Emmy and Max, who were shocked at hearing Lugia and Silveena's telepathy.
"Whoa, you talk!" exclaimed Emmy.
Hillary nodded. "Lugia's been really good friends with Tristan ever since it hatched."
Lugia looked all around, but couldn't see him. So where is Tristan, anyway?
"He fell in the water and went straight after Taz into the Dragon's Den," explained Hillary.
Is he okay?
"Don't worry, he's fine."
Lugia sighed with relief.
Bayleef was still sad, however.
What's the matter with Bayleef? asked Lugia. It doesn't look very happy. In fact, I think it's sad.
"Bayleef tried to save Tristan, but failed because of Taz," answered Hillary. "And now it feels completely at fault."
Lugia gently wrapped its wing around Bayleef. It's okay, Bayleef. I promise you that we'll find Tristan.
Bayleef felt better after that.
What do you say we go find him? suggested Lugia. Emmy and Max, you can ride with me. I always love carrying people.
Silveena turned away scornfully. You can carry passengers if you want to, but I refuse to do it.
(Music Cue: Goofball Alert (as heard in "The Fortune Hunters"))
The she saw Hillary wanting to get on her back.
"Come on, Silveena, let me ride with you, please?"
Oh, no, replied Silveena sternly. Nobody's riding on me as long as I'm here. And she closed her eyes and stood as tall as she could.
Hillary tried to climb up Silveena's tall back, but she wouldn't let her. "Oh, come on, Silveena, please?" begged Hillary. But no matter how hard she tried, Silveena always prevented her from getting on.
"What's going on with Silveena?" asked Emmy.
Silveena hates carrying humans, and she doesn't care what kind, answered Lugia.
Then on one attempt, Hillary had almost succeeded in getting on, but Silveena shook so fiercely that she shook her right off, and Hillary fell to the ground with a hard thud.
Everyone quickly ran to Hillary.
Hillary, are you okay? asked Lugia worriedly.
Hillary winced with pain as she struggled to her feet. "I'll be fine."
Lugia turned to Silveena. That wasn't very nice, it scolded.
I'm sorry, replied Silveena. I wish I could take humans like you can, but I've always been told to never carry humans on my back for any transportation. And besides, I have a bad back, you know.
I don't think you have a bad back, Silveena, retorted Lugia. I think you're just afraid to carry humans after your experience with Team Rocket.
Silveena cringed. She could see that Lugia was right. She had never carried a human on her back before, and seemed to be too afraid to do it.
We'll worry about that later, said Lugia as it lowered itself to the ground. Okay, kids, climb on. Hillary, you can ride with us, too.
"Awesome! We get to fly on a Lugia!" said Emmy excitedly.
"Yeah!" agreed Max as he and Emmy climbed on Lugia's back.
Silveena, could you please help carry Bayleef? asked Lugia.
I can at least do that, answered Silveena as her eyes glowed pink.
Bayleef was surrounded by a pink aura, and soon, it was lifted up into the air.
Then, everyone took off into the sky.
"We'll take a shortcut by flying over the cave so we can get to Tristan faster," suggested Hillary.
Everyone else agreed.
(Music Cue: Team Rocket's Secret Strategy 1997-1998 M26B (as heard in "The Mystery is History"))
Meanwhile, back inside the Dragon's Den, Tristan and Feraligatr were trying to figure out which way Taz went.
"It's sure getting dark in here," said Tristan. "I think I'd better take out my flashlight." So saying, he reached into his backpack and took out his flashlight. He turned it on and looked ahead. Then he saw a fork of tunnels. "Great. Now which way did he go?"
Feraligatr looked to the right and alerted Tristan.
"What's up, Feraligatr?" he asked.
Sure enough, the current going to the right seemed to be much faster than the currents going left and straight ahead.
"Taz must've gone to the right," said Tristan at last. "Let's go then."
And they swam in that direction. A moment later, they came to another fork.
"Now which way?" wondered Tristan. He looked in every direction, but he couldn't see the change in current.
Fortunately, Feraligatr could, and it swam in the direction of the changing current.
"This must be where Taz is going," said Tristan to himself.
Presently, they saw a light at the end of the tunnel followed by the sound of rushing water.
(Music Cue: The Rockets Unveiled)
"Uh-oh!" gasped Tristan. "A waterfall!" And he quickly put his flashlight back in his backpack and held on tight to Feraligatr just as they went over the edge.
Feraligatr managed to hold its position as it dove down the falls.
Seconds later, they landed with a splash at the bottom of a large lake.
In a little while, Tristan and Feraligatr came to the surface.
"That was kind of fun, wasn't it?" smiled Tristan.
Feraligatr smiled back, for it didn't expect to have as much fun as it did. It hadn't felt such joy since it was just a little Totodile.
Tristan hopped off of Feraligatr. "Thanks, Feraligatr. Why don't you take a break?" And he recalled Faraligatr back into its Lure Ball. Then he set off to find Taz.
(Music Cue: Depart to the Pokémon Castle (full version as heard in "Get Along, Little Pokémon"))
As Hillary and the others flew over the Dragon's Den, Emmy explained where they were going.
"We're flying towards the Dragon Holy Land," she said. "It's a peaceful place where many Pokémon live to become stronger."
"We even have a friend who just loves to play with us," added Max.
"Who is this friend of yours?" asked Hillary.
"You'll find out," smiled Emmy.
As they flew on, they could see a large flowery field with scores of Pokémon.
"Is that the Dragon Holy Land?" asked Hillary.
"The one and only," answered Emmy.
Presently, they could see a draconic bipedal Pokémon with orange skin, snoozing away below.
"Look, there it is!" cried Max as he pointed to it.
"Hey, Dragonite!" called Emmy. "It's us!"
The Pokémon opened its eyes and looked up. Sure enough, it saw Emmy and Max with Hillary descend toward the ground as Lugia, Silveena, and Bayleef flew alongside. It immediately stood up and waited for them to land. When they touched down, Emmy and Max ran to embrace Dragonite, who hugged them in return.
Hillary was surprised. "You know this Pokémon?"
"Definitely," smiled Emmy. "We come and play with Dragonite here all the time when we come and visit Aunt Clair."
"That's amazing!" said Hillary.
Emmy came to Dragonite. "Excuse me, Dragonite. We've come to ask a favor. Could you please help us find the Dragon Fang? Taz stole it from the treasure room from the Blackthorn Gym."
Dragonite gave a nod. Then it used is nose to sniff for the Dragon Fang.
"How can a Dragonite smell a Dragon Fang from far away?" asked Hillary.
"This Dragonite was trained by the first Gym Leader of the Blackthorn Gym," explained Emmy. "It has a keen sense of smell, and it can smell Dragon Fangs from miles away."
Presently, Dragonite alerted them.
"Did you find the Dragon Fang?" asked Max.
Dragonite nodded and lowered itself so Emmy and Max could climb on.
"Okay, everybody, follow us!" advised Emmy.
Dragonite stood up to its full height, and it took off into the sky like a rocket.
"Whoa, that Dragonite's fast!" exclaimed Hillary.
Come on, we've gotta try and keep up with them! said Lugia as it lowered itself to the ground.
Hillary scrambled on Lugia as Silveena used Psychic to lift Bayleef into the air once again, and together, everyone flew after Dragonite as fast as they could.
Meanwhile, Taz was having a tough time exploring the Dragon Holy Land because it was so big. "What is this place, anyway?" he said to himself. "Whatever it is, it sure looks peaceful. But I sure won't find anyone who'll take this Dragon Fang here." Then he saw acres and acres of charred trees in the distance. "Looks like somebody did a number here." And he quickly ran to take a closer look. Then he took a whiff of the land, which had recently been burned by a big fire. "Smells like somebody burned this place big time. Well, we checked the damage, and we'll cause some more!" And he threw his Poké Ball.
(Music Cue: Johto Champion Battle (as heard in "Doin' What Comes Natu-rally."))
Magmar emerged from the white light that shot out of it and awaited Taz's orders.
"Okay, Magmar, use your Flamethrower and let's create a hot time in the old land tonight!" commanded Taz.
Magmar unleashed a hot stream of fire at the trees and the grass, causing a score of nearby Sentret and Furret to flee.
"Now that was good," smirked Taz evilly. "Now I can capture every single one of the Pokémon living here. Now, Magmar, let's REALLY turn up the heat!"
And as Magmar continued to fire Flamethrower at the grass and trees, groups of Sentret, Furret, Rattata, Pidgey, Aipom, and Murkrow fled the scene in terror.
The result was instant panic.
"That's right, run scared," smirked Taz. "Then I can capture you all and give you to the Boss along with this Dragon Fang!"
Meanwhile, Tristan was walking along the Dragon Holy Land when all of a sudden, he saw dozens of Pokémon scurrying by. He quickly jumped out of the way and waited for them to pass. "Something's gone wrong," he said with concern. And he rushed off in the opposite direction toward the source of the danger.
Meanwhile, Hillary, Emmy, and Max saw smoke in the distance.
"What's that?" asked Hillary with worry.
"Look over there!" exclaimed Max.
Sure enough, they saw that the smoke was continuing to build at an alarming rate as scores of Pokémon down below were seen running from the danger as fast as they could.
"We've gotta hurry and help the Pokémon living there!" cried Emmy.
Lugia, Silveena, Bayleef, and Dragonite all sped up to the source of the smoke.
Hillary quickly took out her Poké Gear and called Tristan. "Tristan, something's going on down there."
"I know. I just saw several Pokémon running in the opposite direction."
"We're seeing smoke from the sky."
"Smoke?! Well, that explains it all. Okay, I'm on my way to the source. You help the Pokémon get to safety."
"Got it, Tristan. We'll meet up soon." She put her Poké Gear away. "Lugia, we've gotta get down there and help out those Pokémon!"
Okay! And as Lugia motioned everyone to follow it, it quickly dove toward the ground.
Back with Taz, he was having the time of his life as he and Magmar continued to burn everything around them. "Soon, all the Pokémon will belong to me," he said. "And then, nothing will stop me from selling this thing!"
Just then, a powerful blast of water came out of nowhere and scored a direct hit on Magmar, causing it to hit the ground.
"Magmar!" cried Taz. Then he angrily turned to Tristan and his Feraligatr.
"Give back the Dragon Fang!" demanded Tristan.
"Never!" retorted Taz. "Besides, you should've seen all the Pokémon running scared from this huge fire that I caused."
"I should've known it was you who caused all the Pokémon to run away from here!" fumed Tristan.
"Shoulda, woulda, coulda," replied Taz. "Now, I'll teach you a lesson. Go, Electabuzz!" He threw his second Poké Ball.
(Music Cue: Johto Rival Theme (full version))
Electabuzz emerged from the white light that shot out of it.
"Go, Pupitar, take care of it!" ordered Tristan as he threw his Poké Ball.
Pupitar emerged from the white light that shot out of it and charged toward Electabuzz.
"Electabuzz, get it out of the way," commanded Taz.
Electabuzz made a fist and punched Pupitar to the ground with it.
"Pupitar, are you okay?" asked Tristan.
Pupitar easily got back up.
"Now, Magmar, surround them!" shouted Taz.
Magmar got back up and used its Flamethrower attack to surround Tristan, Feraligatr, and Pupitar, thus trapping them in the ring of fire.
"That should shut you up," smirked Taz.
But just at that moment up above, Hillary, riding on Lugia, noticed the ring of fire. "Look down there!"
I'm on it! Hold on, everyone! And Lugia let out a peculiar call as it surrounded itself in a crimson aura.
Hillary was surprised; she had never seen that aura come from Lugia before.
Tristan and Pupitar looked up after hearing the call and saw that Lugia had once again come to their rescue.
"Hi, Lugia, perfect timing!" said Tristan excitedly.
Hang on, Tristan! We'll get you out of there! Lugia then flew in circles in the sky, as it summoned dark clouds.
Seconds later, heavy rain began to fall from the sky and extinguished the ring of fire.
"That's no fair," moaned Taz. "I was just getting warmed up."
Emmy, Max, and Dragonite were surprised, too. They had never seen a Lugia create rain before.
"I guess this proves that weathermen aren't always right," remarked Max.
"Definitely not," agreed Emmy as she, Max, and Dragonite landed on the ground.
Hillary, Pikachu, and Lugia landed next to them and ran to Tristan and his Pokémon.
Silveena and Bayleef landed close by, allowing Bayleef to reunite with Tristan.
"Hey, Bayleef," smiled Tristan. "I'm glad you're okay."
Bayleef gave its biggest smile and embraced him.
"You okay, big bro?" asked Hillary. "It's obvious Bayleef's happy to see you unhurt."
"Yes, I'm fine, thank you," replied Tristan. "Now we've gotta put out the other fires that Taz and Magmar made."
My Rain Dance should help assist your Water Pokémon put out the fire, added Lugia. It'll increase the power of your Water attacks.
"So that's what this rain is," said Tristan. "Let's go, Ferliagatr!"
Feraligatr and Tristan quickly charged toward the fire.
"Squirtle, help Feraligatr!" commanded Hillary as she threw her Poké Ball.
Squirtle emerged from the white light that shot out.
"Put out that fire!" ordered Tristan and Hillary together.
Feraligatr and Squirtle, working together, shot blasts of water at the huge fires and managed to put the flames out.
"Pupitar, help out with Rock Slide!" ordered Tristan.
Pupitar shot some big rocks at the remaining fires and managed to stop them in their tracks.
Sure enough, all the fires that Taz had made were put out thanks to everyone's teamwork.
Lugia and Silveena, along with Dragonite, helped the Pokémon get to a safe place.
"You're not putting out my fire without a real fight, kiddies!" growled Taz. "Magmar, go get them!"
Magmar charged toward Feraligatr and Squirtle.
"Water Gun now!" shouted Tristan and Hillary together.
Feraligatr and Squirtle shot powerful blasts of water, scoring clean hits on Magmar.
"Magmar!" exclaimed Taz.
But Magmar had taken so much damage that it was in no condition to answer; it had been knocked out by Feraligatr and Squirtle's Water Gun blasts.
Taz was getting more and more angry. He recalled Magmar back into its Poké Ball. "Well, if I can't have my prize, I can at least take care of youse guys instead! Go get them, Electabuzz! Thunder Punch now!"
And Electabuzz charged toward Squirtle and Feraligatr as it made an electrified fist and prepared to strike them with it.
(Music Cue: Lugia Appears! (as heard in the Japanese version of "Revelation Lugia"))
But Bayleef, seeing the Pokémon in danger, quickly ran to the defense and struggled to keep Electabuzz from getting any closer.
"Wait, Bayleef, what are you doing?" asked Tristan with concern.
"I guess Bayleef wants to redeem itself for what happened earlier!" replied Max.
"Yeah, but that Electabuzz looks pretty strong!" added Emmy.
Tristan couldn't believe his eyes. Bayleef was willing to do everything it could to protect him from harm after failing to save him from falling in the river before. "Bayleef," he whispered to himself. "You're doing this just for me, aren't you?"
It was at that moment that Bayleef started to tire out and Electabuz was starting to break through.
"Bayleef's in trouble!" cried Emmy and Max together.
"Don't give up, Bayleef!" shouted Tristan. "Hang in there!"
Bayleef yelled out as loudly as it could, then it started to glow in a white light that was so strong that it sent Electabuzz flying backward.
(Music Cue: The Day is Conquered (full version as heard in "The Fire-ing Squad"))
Everyone gasped in surprise.
"Whoa, what's going on?!" exclaimed Tristan.
"Bayleef's starting to evolve!" replied Hillary.
Sure enough, Bayleef was growing in size and height as the leaf transformed into a pair of antennae, and its necklace leaves bloomed into petals. Seconds later, the light dissipated and Bayleef was much greener than it was before.
"Wow!" said Emmy. "Tristan, your Bayleef just evolved into a Meganium!"
"Awesome!" agreed Tristan. "All right, Meganium, let's show Taz what you can do."
Meganium nodded in agreement.
"Oh, yeah? We'll show you!" retorted Taz. "Give that geranium a taste of your Thunder Punch, Electabuzz!"
Electabuzz charged toward Meganium as it made another electrified fist.
"Meganium, Razor Leaf attack!" commanded Tristan.
Meganium shot a flurry of razor-sharp leaves, which were much faster and sharper than they were in its previous stage, and they scored a direct hit on Electabuzz.
"Follow up with Body Slam!" ordered Tristan.
Meganium leaped high into the air, and with its full weight, landed on top of Electabuzz and knocked it out instantly.
"Electabuzz!" wailed Taz.
"What power!" remarked Hillary. "It gained a ton of it since evolving."
I'll say, agreed Lugia and Silveena together.
Pikachu and Togepi also agreed.
"Now, Meganium, send it flying!" shouted Tristan.
Meganium charged forward and rammed into Electabuzz, sending it careening into Taz, causing him to lose the case with the Dragon Fang still inside.
The case was sent flying, but Max managed to catch it safely in his hands.
He opened the case and saw the Dragon Fang inside. "It's safe! I got it!"
"Hey, nice catch, Max!" commended Hillary.
"Good job," added Emmy.
Then suddenly, Meganium's petals began to glow as they absorbed sunlight.
"What's that?" wondered Tristan.
"I think Meganium's using its SolarBeam," replied Hillary.
Hillary was right, for Meganium absorbed enough sunlight and unleashed a powerful beam of energy at Taz and Electabuzz, scoring a direct hit on them and created an explosion that sent them skyward.
BOOM!
"SolarBeam always turns my forecast from sunny to stormy!" fumed Taz. "We won't forget this! YOU HEAR MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE?!" His voice echoed as he and Electabuzz disappeared into the sky.
DING!
"Meganium, great job!" commended Tristan as he stroked it. "You really showed Taz what you could do."
"Yeah," agreed Hillary. "You were just a tiny Chikorita when we first met, but now, you've really grown strong! Isn't that great?"
Meganium felt happy that it had gotten much stronger since it was a little Chikorita. But then it hung its head low and nudged against Tristan, as it still felt sad.
"Aw, Meganium, don't worry about it," Tristan assured it. "I understand why you're sad, and I'm not at all angry with you. I only got wet, but I didn't get hurt. And you did something for all of us that you deserve a big reward for."
Meganium instantly cheered up after hearing Tristan's kind words. Then it gently put its weight on him as a sign of affection.
"Oh, boy!" grunted Tristan. "If there's one thing you did right, it's that you've grown!"
Everybody else laughed.
"I guess Meganium wanted to do some weight lifting," remarked Hillary.
"Definitely," agreed Emmy and Max together.
Everyone continued to laugh as they watched Tristan and Meganium celebrate their victory together.
(Music Cue: Mystical Story (full version))
"So what happened here?" wondered Tristan as he saw the burned trees and flowers some time later.
Now it was Dragonite's turn to feel sad, as it shed tears from its eyes.
"Dragonite went berserk after an incident here at the Dragon Holy Land just a few days ago," explained Emmy. "Apparently, somebody tried to steal the Prayer Flame from the Dragon Shrine, and caused a huge fire. It used a really scary attack called Outrage, and fired multiple attacks, one after the other, especially Hyper Beam, creating more and more destruction."
"Aunt Clair told us that some friends of hers helped Dragonite calm down after a big battle, and saved the Dragon Holy Land at the same time," added Max.
"There's gotta be something we can do to help make Dragonite not feel so bad," said Tristan.
I guess all the water in the world couldn't make this place the way it used to be, sighed Lugia sadly.
You're right, agreed Silveena. I'm afraid it's gonna take a lot of time before the majesty of this place returns to its former glory.
Presently, Meganium started walking toward some burnt flowers.
"Where are you going, Meganium?" asked Tristan.
It was then that Meganium gently breathed on the burnt flowers, and suddenly, like magic, the flower came back to life, and the burnt spots cleared away.
"Unbelievable!" gasped Max. "Meganium brought those flowers back to life in a breath! Just like that!"
Tristan quickly looked up Meganium's entry in the Pokédex.
"Meganium, the Herb Pokémon. Meganium has the ability to fully restore dried-up plants, and can bring them back to life with its breath."
"That's it!" said Hillary excitedly. "Meganium can help restore the Dragon Holy Land back to the way it was before all this happened!"
"Definitely!" agreed Emmy.
"Let's try it!" agreed Tristan.
In no time at all, all the burnt grass and flowers had come back to life thanks to Meganium.
"Well, that takes care of the flowers," smiled Emmy. "Now they're blooming just like they used to be."
(Music Cue: Ash and Sam's Friendship (as heard in "Celebi: The Voice of the Forest"))
"True, but I'm afraid the trees will be a much different story," replied Tristan. "Those trees have already lost their leaves thanks to the fire that occurred just days ago."
"Tristan's right," agreed Hillary. "Meganium can restore flowers and plants, but how can we help restore the trees?"
"Hold on, maybe we can get another friend of ours to come and help us out." And Tristan gently touched the Silver Wing around his neck, and it began to glow.
Seconds later, a small green fairly-like Pokémon flew down from the sky.
"Look, it's our friend, Celebi!" said Hillary excitedly.
Everyone was pleasantly surprised.
"I figured we'd need Celebi's help," explained Tristan. "So I used my Silver Wing and asked it to come here."
"Wow!" remarked Emmy. "That Silver Wing is beautiful! And you can call legendary Pokémon to your location with it? That's really amazing!"
"We can call any and all legendary Pokémon we've befriended with it," replied Hillary.
Celebi flew next to Tristan and whispered in his ear.
"You'd wanted to come here and restore the Dragon Holy Land in the first place, didn't you? I guess all I had to do was ask."
Celebi smiled and nodded as it flew to the trees and closed its eyes. Then waves of blue-green energy came off of its body, and as they hit the trees, they made a gentle resonating bell-like sound.
Everyone took in the beautiful sounds that were taking place.
"That's a beautiful sound," said Emmy.
"Yeah," agreed Max.
Hillary looked up the technique in her Pokédex.
"Heal Bell. This technique grants the user the ability to heal the Pokémon in the user's party. In most instances, Celebi's Heal Bell can bring trees and plants back to life."
Sure enough, as Celebi's Heal Bell resonated through the Dragon Holy Land, the trees were cured of their burns, and the leaves began to flourish once again.
"Awesome," remarked Tristan. "Celebi must've learned how to use Heal Bell not too long ago."
Pikachu and Togepi were most impressed.
Even Lugia, Silveena, and Dragonite couldn't help but smile at the wonderful sounds of Celebi's Heal Bell.
At the Gym, Clair looked out of the balcony and saw the trees glowing in the distance. "Now that's the most mysterious, yet wonderful thing I've ever seen. The Dragon Holy Land should be fully restored to its former glory in no time."
An elderly man came up and agreed with her. "Yes, Miss Clair. Those kids you sent remind me of a few others we met just a few days ago."
Clair nodded. She remembered Ash and his friends helping her out in the Dragon Holy Land during that time.
Back with Tristan and Hillary a few minutes later, they, along with their friends, prepared to leave the Dragon Holy Land.
"Well, I suppose we'd better go back to Clair now," suggested Tristan, "now that we got the Dragon Fang back."
Dragonite was sorry to see them go.
"Don't worry, Dragonite," Emmy assured it. "We're staying with Aunt Clair in Blackthorn City for a few days. And besides, we'll be back."
(Music Cue: Ecruteak City"))
Dragonite instantly cheered up and gave Emmy and Max a gigantic hug. Then it gently set them back down on the ground.
Then Tristan and his friends climbed on Lugia, and together, they took off into the sky as Silveena and Celebi followed them.
"Bye, Dragonite!" called Tristan and Hillary.
"See you tomorrow!" called Emmy and Max together.
Pikachu and Togepi waved to Dragonite as it waved back.
That evening, Tristan and his friends had dinner inside Clair's house.
"Thank you all for your help today," she said. "I was busy with other commitments, and I couldn't help you get the Dragon Fang back, but I'm happy to see that you helped return the Dragon Fang back to its home."
"You're welcome, Clair, but we didn't do it alone," replied Tristan. "Meganium and Celebi deserve most of the credit. Isn't that right, guys?"
Meganium, standing next to Tristan, happily nodded while Celebi flew into his lap with glee.
Clair was surprised to see Celebi. "Wow! Where'd you find a Celebi?"
"We made friends with it back in Azalea Town," answered Hillary. "It's not technically ours, but we always do our best to make friends with legendary Pokémon."
"You should've seen those two in action, Aunt Clair," said Max excitedly. "They helped restore the Dragon Holy Land back to life."
"And the power of Meganium's SolarBeam was super awesome!" added Emmy. "It blasted Taz away in one shot!"
Clair agreed. "Yes, I saw the whole thing from the balcony. And thanks to all of you, the Dragon Holy Land has returned to the way it was. And I'll plan to send you all on one more adventure tomorrow."
Everyone wondered what the adventure was.
Then Tristan said, "I'm super excited for my Gym Battle coming up. I have seven badges now. Just one more, and I'll finally be able to compete in the Johto League." And he showed Clair his badges.
Emmy and Max were awestruck.
"Whoa!" said Emmy. "How cool!"
"They're really shiny," added Max. "I wish I could earn that many badges."
"Tristan's been working hard ever since his journey began," explained Hillary. "We help each other on our journey together, right, Tristan?"
"Right, sis," agreed Tristan.
"I'm impressed," smiled Clair. "So now you're looking for a Gym battle, huh? Well, you've come to the right place."
"What do you mean, 'the right place?'" wondered Tristan.
"I mean, I'll be happy to battle you. Because I'm the Blackthorn Gym Leader."
(Music Cut)
Tristan and Hillary gasped in shock. "You're the Gym Leader?!"
Emmy and Max gave good laughs.
(Music Cue: To Be Continued/To Be Continued Sample (as heard in "Will the Real Oak Please Stand Up?"))
"Well, Emmy, I guess the secret's out on that one," chuckled Max.
"Definitely," agreed Emmy.
Outside, Lugia and Silveena were surprised, too.
Who would've guessed that that she of all people would be the Gym Leader? remarked Silveena.
Well, it sure took our friends by surprise, didn't it? replied Lugia.
And they continued to watch the fun inside.
Surprise is right, for now, our heroes have learned that Clair is the Blackthorn City Gym Leader, which makes Tristan twice as excited as before. Now he has two things to look forward to: his next adventure from Clair and his Gym Battle. What adventure will Clair send him and his friends on next? The excitement is building to a fever pitch, so stay tuned!
► TO BE CONTINUED