AUTHOR'S NOTE: Greetings, readers! Here is chapter 94 of the continuing adventures of Tristan, Hillary, and Pikachu as they continue their journey through the Johto region. The eighth and final Johto League Gym match is here, and it'll be exciting to read about, so please do, and review responsibly at your leisure.
TEASER: The day of Tristan's final Johto League Gym match arrives with his eighth badge on the line, but it won't be easy dealing with Clair's Dragon-type Pokémon! Will Tristan find a way to beat them and earn the coveted badge he worked so hard for?
Chapter 94: DRAGON IT ON!
(Music Cue: Opening Title 1999-2001 (as heard in "Chikorita's Big Upset"))
Our heroes' adventures in Blackthorn City have really been exciting so far! On their first day, they met Clair and her niece and nephew, Emmy and Max. They didn't know at the time that Clair was the Blackthorn Gym Leader.
It was then that everyone experienced a huge tornado, but Tristan and Emmy sought shelter in a nearby cave; however, the big rocks fell, blocked the entrance, and trapped them inside. But thanks to Tristan's Feraligatr, they were able to escape, and everyone was reunited safe and sound.
The next day, Taz stole the Dragon Fang out of the Blackthorn Gym, so Clair assigned them, along with Emmy and Max, to help get it back as part of that day's adventure. And in the process, Tristan's Bayleef evolved into Meganium. And when Celebi came to visit, it and Meganium joined forces to restore the Dragon Holy Land back to its original beauty.
It was at the end of their second day that Tristan and Hillary learned that Clair was the Blackthorn Gym Leader.
Then on their third day, Clair sent our heroes into the Dragon Holy Land again, but this time to meet the Dragon Master for Tristan's test.
Of course, Taz was up to his old tricks and tried to steal a rare Dratini who knew how to use ExtremeSpeed.
However, Tristan was able to help it recover, and used it to defeat Taz and his Electabuzz.
And now, the day of Tristan's eighth Gym battle is finally here! It's his big chance to earn his eighth and final badge to qualify for the Johto League tournament. Can he win it? Stay tuned and find out!
(Music Cue: Route 29 (as heard at the beginning of "Forest Grumps"))
The next day, Emmy and Max led Tristan, Hillary, Pikachu, and Togepi to the Blackthorn Gym.
"I can't wait to see a great battle, Tristan," said Emmy excitedly. "After the way you and that Dratini taught that Taz a lesson, you should be tough to beat."
"But Clair's pretty strong, too," put in Max. "She's got..."
"Shh!" whispered Emmy. "Max, we're not allowed to give away Aunt Clair's strategy."
"That's okay," smiled Tristan. "Whatever that strategy is, I've got a plan to beat Clair's Pokémon. And we'll get that last badge. Right, Pikachu?"
Pikachu nodded in agreement. It was just as excited as Tristan was.
"What Pokémon will you use?" asked Hillary.
"Just wait and see," replied Tristan.
Presently, they came to the Gym.
"Well, here we are," said Emmy. "Aunt Clair's expecting us any minute."
"So, this is it, Tristan," said Hillary. "Are you nervous at all?"
Tristan considered. "I'm a little nervous. But at the same time, I'm also excited. I've waited for this chance for so many weeks and months, and with all the training we did together. I believe in my Pokémon, and I know we can do this."
"Yeah, that's the spirit!" smiled Hillary. "With that kind of determination, how can you lose?"
Suddenly, the doors opened, and out stepped a short elderly man. "Ah, hello! I've been expecting you."
"Wait! You're not Clair!" said Hillary, who was very surprised.
"Oh, this is our good friend, Kaburagi," explained Emmy. "He helps out around the Gym, and helps take care of us when Aunt Clair is away."
"He also specializes in Dragon Pokémon," added Max. "He's pretty funny, too."
"Fun's my middle name, Max," smiled Kaburagi. "And yes, I do specialize in Dragon-types. But I'm sure that we'd rather get to the Gym battle than 'dragon' this thing on!" He then laughed profusely.
Tristan and Hillary groaned at Kaburagi's bad pun.
"Just what we needed," grumbled Tristan. "A day filled with lame jokes."
"With more on the way," added Hillary.
Lugia and Silveena watched through some nearby bushes.
Silveena was none too happy with being hidden. Must we always stay hidden away from civilization?
Remember, Silveena, you're a very rare Pokémon just like I am, reminded Lugia. You having different colors can put you at even greater risk, so that's why I wanted us here where we wouldn't be seen.
Yes, but must we miss out on a great battle?
We can see fine, Lugia assured her. Remember, we have great eyesight, and can see through the window. And if we're lucky, we'll get to see some of Tristan's Flying Pokémon battle it out in the sky.
Well, all right, said Silveena. We'll watch from here.
Celebi then flew over and landed between them.
Hi, Celebi, smiled Lugia. Come on up.
Celebi hopped onto Lugia's head and got comfortable as it prepared to watch Tristan's Gym battle.
Inside, Clair saw everyone come in. "Welcome to the Blackthorn Gym, Tristan. Did you sleep okay?"
"Yes, I did, thank you," answered Tristan.
"I really appreciate you and Hillary going out of your way to take Emmy and Max with you on your adventures," said Clair. "They needed to learn and grow from you. After experiencing the tornado firsthand two days ago, I wasn't sure what to think until you stood up for them."
"Oh, it was no trouble at all, Clair," replied Hillary. "We were happy to take them along for the ride."
Presently, a white light shot out from one of Tristan's Poké Balls and Dratini emerged from it. It took one look at Clair and Kaburagi and jumped into Tristan's arms, curled up, and closed its eyes.
"Wow!" exclaimed Clair. "That's the same Dratini we saw yesterday!"
Tristan nodded. "It's still pretty shy, though. Taz was responsible for injuring it yesterday, so I helped it recover, and we've been friends ever since. It was part of my test with the Dragon Master."
"Now that's impressive," smiled Clair. "Are you going to use it in our battle?"
Tristan shook his head. "It'll need some training first, but I'm gonna let it watch to see what it's like." He then turned to Dratini who looked a little sad. "It's okay, Dratini. You can watch the battle with me."
Clair and Tristan stood on opposite sides of the battlefield a few moments later.
The battlefield had a pool on it with plenty of space for Pokémon to move outside of the pool.
"I can't wait to see a great battle," said Emmy excitedly. "I'll be happy no matter who wins."
"I'm rooting for Aunt Clair," replied Max. "But I can't help getting excited for what Tristan will do."
"I'm sure he'll do his best," agreed Hillary. "If there's anything I've learned from Tristan, it's that anything is possible."
Togepi trilled in agreement.
Kaburagi came to judge the match. "The Blackthorn Gym battle between Clair, the Blackthorn Gym Leader, and Tristan from New Bark Town will now begin. Each Trainer will use three Pokémon. The match will be over when all three of one side's Pokémon are unable to battle. In addition, only the challenger will be allowed to substitute one Pokémon for another."
"Gyarados, go!" shouted Clair as she threw her first Poké Ball.
(Music Cue: Johto Rival Theme (as heard in "The Grass Route"))
A long and towering serpentine Pokémon emerged from the white light that shot out of it and appeared in the water. It was mostly blue with a yellow underbelly, and had slightly overlapping scales, and it gave a big roar.
"Whoa!" gasped Hillary. "That's a big Gyarados!"
"Yeah," agreed Max. "Clair always uses it as a bodyguard whenever one of her weaker Pokémon needs a little extra protection."
"That would cause a thief to run in fear, that's for sure," remarked Emmy.
"I'm not scared," said Tristan. "Gyarados may be big and strong, but it's not unbeatable. Let's do this, Pikachu!"
Pikachu ran onto the battlefield and prepared to face off against Gyarados.
"Looks like Tristan made a wise choice," said Hillary. "Pikachu's Electric attacks should be more than a match for Gyarados with its Water and Fyling-type traits."
"And now begin!" declared Kaburagi as he raised his red and green flags in the air.
"Gyarados, Hydro Pump!" ordered Clair.
Gyarados unleashed a powerful jet of water from its mouth at Pikachu.
"Dodge, Pikachu!" commanded Tristan.
Pikachu jumped into the air and evaded Gyarados' attack.
"Now follow up with Quick Attack!" instructed Tristan.
Pikachu streaked toward Gyarados as a white line trailed behind it, and scored a direct hit on Gyarados.
"Pretty fast attack there, Tristan," smiled Clair. "I'm impressed."
"Thanks, Clair, but this battle's just getting started," replied Tristan. "And we're just getting warmed up."
Pikachu agreed; it was ready for more action.
"Yes, I know," agreed Clair. "Now it's time to pick up the pace. Gyarados, use DragonBreath!"
"What's DragonBreath?" wondered Tristan.
Gyarados unleashed a thick, green beam from its mouth and scored a hit on Pikachu, causing it to land hard on the ground.
"Pikachu! Are you okay, pal?" asked Tristan.
Pikachu struggled back to its feet, but soon found itself hardly able to move.
"Why isn't Pikachu moving fast?" wondered Hillary.
"DragonBreath can sometimes paralyze its opponents," explained Emmy. "We'll have to see how Pikachu gets out of this."
"All right, Gyarados, it's time to wrap this up!" said Clair. "Hyper Beam!"
Gyarados began to gather up energy as a golden yellow orb formed in its mouth.
"Look out, Tristan!" cried Hillary. "That Hyper Beam attack could do some serious damage to Pikachu!"
"Now, Gyarados, go!" commanded Clair.
Gyarados launched its attack with all its might as Pikachu stayed seemingly immobile from the damage it took from DragonBreath.
"All right, Pikachu, let's show them that we never give up!" shouted Tristan.
Pikachu struggled as Gyarados' Hyper Beam got within range. But then, much to everyone's surprise, Pikachu easily moved from its stalled position, and jumped high into the air, dodging Gyarados' attack in the process.
"Oh!" gasped Clair.
"Yes!" cheered Tristan.
"Whoa!" exclaimed Emmy. "Pikachu's able to move again! But how is that possible?"
"Now, Pikachu, grab on to Gyarados!" instructed Tristan.
(Music Cue: S.S. Aqua (as heard in "The Fire-ing Squad"))
Pikachu landed on Gyarados and grabbed on.
"That's it, Pikachu! Hold on tight, and don't let go!" said Tristan.
"Gyarados, try and shake Pikachu off!" ordered Clair.
Gyarados shook with all its might, but no matter how hard it tried, Pikachu's grip was too tight, and it wouldn't let go.
"All right, Pikachu! Give it a Thunderbolt attack!" shouted Tristan.
Pikachu unleashed a powerful bolt of electricity from its body onto Gyarados at close range, scoring a huge direct hit.
"Gyarados!" cried Clair.
The attack was so overwhelming for Gyarados that it collapsed into the water from the heavy damage from Pikachu's Thunderbolt, which had knocked it out instantly.
"Gyarados is unable to battle! Pikachu wins!" declared Kaburagi as he raised his green flag into the air.
"You did it, Pikachu!" cheered Tristan.
Pikachu gave a happy reply as it happily posed.
"That was cool!" said Max. "But how was Pikachu able to recover from that DragonBreath attack like that? It seemed like it didn't bother it at all."
"That's only partially true, Max," replied Hillary. "DragonBreath can cause paralysis to opponents, but it doesn't always do that. Tristan and Pikachu must've known that DragonBreath didn't do as much damage as initially thought. So when Clair had her guard down and prepared to attack with Gyarados' Hyper Beam, Pikachu was able to dodge and land a Thunderbolt attack at close range."
"That explains why Tristan and Pikachu got the first win," said Emmy. "He thinks quickly on his feet, even during battle."
Clair returned Gyarados to her Poké Ball and held it close. "Thanks, Gyarados. Great job." She turned to Tristan. "That was quite unexpected. I thought that Pikachu couldn't move after Gyarados' DragonBreath connected. You and Pikachu really make a great team. And it's obvious that you raised and trained it very well. Now it's time to move on. Kingdra, I choose you! Let's go!" She threw her second Poké Ball.
A large seahorse-like Pokémon with a curved tail emerged from the white light that shot out of it. It had blue scales and yellow compact belly scales.
(Music Cue: Johto Trainer Battle (as heard in "Hot Matches"))
"Whoa, a Kingdra this time," said Hillary nervously.
"Why would Aunt Clair use another Water-type?" asked Max.
"Remember, Max, this is a Dragon-type Gym," explained Emmy. "Kingdra has both Water-type and Dragon-type characteristics. Pikachu could be at a disadvantage in this battle."
"I remember facing a Kingdra before," said Tristan to himself as he scanned it with his Pokédex.
"Kingdra, the Dragon Pokémon. Kingdra normally rests on the ocean floor, but in periods of high activity, even a simple yawn has enough power to create whirlpools."
"You'd better be careful, Pikachu, because that Kingdra looks pretty tough," advised Tristan.
Pikachu nodded. It was ready to take Kingdra on head to head.
"Let the second round begin!" declared the referee as he raised both of his flags.
"Let's go, Pikachu! Thunderbolt!" commanded Tristan.
Pikachu unleashed another powerful bolt of electricity from its body directly at Kingdra, who didn't move as Thunderbolt scored a hit on it.
"Looks like Kingdra's taking some damage," said Max. "But it's just standing there. Why?"
"Well, that Kingdra isn't really feeling that Thunderbolt," answered Emmy. "And Aunt Clair doesn't seem nervous at all."
Sure enough, Clair kept perfectly still as Kingdra kept taking Pikachu's Thunderbolt head on.
Something's not right, thought Tristan. Kingdra should be feeling something. Wait! Kingdra must be part Dragon-type, which means it won't take as much damage from Pikachu's Thunderbolt!
And in a few seconds, Kingdra broke free from Pikachu's attack and shook off the damage.
"All right, Kingdra, Twister attack!" instructed Clair.
On Clair's command, Kingdra moved its back fins and instantly created a powerful tornado in the pool.
"Pikachu, dodge it now!" shouted Tristan.
Pikachu ran as fast as it could away from Kingdra's Twister. But unfortunately, Twister was going so fast that it was caught right in it. Pikachu was sent careening to the ground.
"Are you okay, Pikachu?" asked Tristan.
Pikachu struggled to its feet and awaited Tristan's next command.
"Well, I'm impressed, Tristan," smiled Clair. "Your Pikachu has taken on Kingdra's Twister head on, and is still ready to battle."
"All right, Pikachu, now give it a Thunder attack!" ordered Tristan.
Pikachu unleashed a much more powerful bolt of electricity from its body at Kingdra, but with the same result, as Kingdra simply shook it off.
"No way!" gasped Tristan.
"How could Kingdra absorb Thunder, too?" asked Hillary in alarm.
"Let's finish it off, Kingdra," instructed Clair. "Hyper Beam!"
A golden orb of energy formed inside Kingdra's snout, and it turned into a powerful gold beam of energy, which Kingdra launched directly at Pikachu.
"Quick, Pikachu! Dodge it!" shouted Tristan.
Pikachu ran as fast as it could, but Kingdra's Hyper Beam was too quick to dodge, and it scored a direct hit on it, sending it flying.
"No! Pikachu!" cried Tristan.
Pikachu fell to the ground in a daze. It had been knocked out.
"Pikachu is unable to battle! And Kingdra wins!" declared Kaburagi as he raised his red flag in the air.
"Oh, poor Pikachu," said Hillary sadly.
"That Hyper Beam was too much for it," put in Max.
"Definitely," agreed Emmy. "Aunt Clair's Kingdra not only absorbed Pikachu's Electric attacks, but has displayed an enormous show of strength, too. And Pikachu must've used up a lot of energy in its battle with Gyarados."
Tristan carefully picked up Pikachu. "Pikachu, are you okay, buddy?"
Pikachu opened its eyes, and gave a weak, but happy reply.
"You did a great job," commended Tristan. "You deserve a rest." He carried Pikachu to Hillary, who was waiting patiently. "Would you take care of Pikachu for me, sis?"
"Of course," replied Hillary.
Tristan came back onto the battlefield. "That Kingdra's tough," he said to himself. "But this battle is far from over." He took out his Lure Ball and threw it. "I choose you...Feraligatr!"
Feraligatr emerged from the white light that shot out of it.
This left Hillary puzzled. "Why Feraligatr? Tristan should know that Water attacks won't work very well against Kingdra."
Even Emmy and Max were confused.
"Go!" shouted Kaburagi as he raised his flags in the air.
(Music Cue: Raid! (full version as heard in "Extreme Pokémon"))
"Kingdra, Hydro Pump!" commanded Clair.
Kingdra shot a jet of water from its mouth at Feraligatr.
"Dive into the pool, Feraligatr!" instructed Tristan.
Quickly, Feraligatr dove below the surface and evaded Kingdra's Hydro Pump.
"Oh, yeah? Kingdra, use Twister now!" instructed Clair.
Kingdra dove below the surface and waved its back fins, and created a powerful tornado, but this one seemed to be more powerful, as it was underwater.
Seconds later, Feraligatr was caught in the vortex.
"Look at that!" gasped Max.
"Kingdra's Twister attack created a gigantic whirlpool!" added Emmy.
"Look out, Feraligatr!" shouted Hillary.
Pikachu and Togepi cried out and cheered for Feraligatr.
Sure enough, Feraligatr was struggling to resist Kingdra's Twister, even as the water reduced its visibility.
Feraligatr's in trouble, thought Tristan. There has to be some way of getting it out of there. But what? I know! Its claws could bust it out of there, and we'd be back in the game! That just might work.
"Now, Kingdra, Swift, let's go!" ordered Clair.
Kingdra shot a flurry of speeding stars from its mouth inside the Twister, and Feraligatr was buffered by them.
"Feraligatr, break free of the Twister with your Slash attack!" instructed Tristan.
Feraligatr used its sharp claws and furiously slashed at Kingdra's Twister, and sure enough, the slashing created a perfect defense against it, cancelling it out in the process.
Feraligatr and Kingdra both came to the surface at the same instant.
"Now that was a good defense," smiled Clair. "Using your Feraligatr's Slash attack to create a counter wind effect to cancel out Kingdra's Twister. I have to admit that that was impressive. But now it's time to move on, so get ready for this! Kingdra, use Hydro Pump!"
Kingdra began inhaling and prepared to launch its attack.
"Quick, Feraligatr! Use Bite attack to close its mouth!" ordered Tristan.
(Music Cue: Gym (version 1 (as heard in "An EGG-Sighting Adventure")))
Quickly, Feraligatr charged in and used its powerful jaws to seal Kingdra's snout closed, and Kingdra began growing exponentially at an incredible rate.
"Kingdra, no!" cried Clair.
Sure enough, Kingdra continued to grow bigger and bigger until it was like a balloon.
"That's the same technique that Tristan used in the Water Pokémon Tournament!" said Hillary excitedly.
Feraligatr continued to bite hard onto Kingdra's snout.
"Okay, you can let it go now, Feraligatr," said Tristan.
And Feraligatr did.
An instant later, all the water that Kingdra held in sent it flying all over the battlefield, and as it did, it grew smaller and smaller until finally, it was back to its regular size, and it fell back into the water with a tremendous...
SPLASH!
"Whoa!" gasped Emmy. "That Hydro Pump just backfired in a big way!"
Indeed, it did, for seconds went by without a response from the surface, but then, Kingdra emerged with a dazed expression in its eyes. It had been knocked out.
"Kingdra is unable to battle! Feraligatr wins!" declared Kaburagi as he raised his green flag in the air.
"Awesome, Feraligatr!" commended Tristan.
Feraligatr gave a happy reply.
Clair returned Kingdra to its Poké Ball and held it close to her. "Good work, Kingdra. You were excellent as always."
"Now that's what I call creative," remarked Max. "I didn't expect anything like that."
"Tristan's been learning from his experiences in all his battles, and is putting them to good use," explained Hillary. "He knew that Kingdra's attacks were powerful, so he must've figured out that he should use them to his own advantage. Now all Tristan has to do is beat Clair's last Pokémon and he'll win his badge."
"Dragonair, go!" shouted Clair as she threw her third Poké Ball.
(Music Cue: Johto Champion Battle (as heard in "The Psychic Sidekicks"))
A long serpentine Pokémon with blue scales emerged from the white light that shot out of it. It had small stylized wings, a white underbelly, two crystal orbs at the end of its tail, and another on its neck.
"Whoa, a Dragonair," said Hillary nervously. "This one will be tough for Tristan to beat."
"Aunt Clair told us that it evolved from her Dratini just a few days ago when she protected it from Team Rocket," explained Emmy. "It looks really strong."
"How will Tristan handle it?" wondered Max.
"It's hard to say for sure, Max," replied Hillary, "but if anyone can beat it, he can."
"Feraligatr, are you ready to battle this Dragonair?" asked Tristan.
Feraligatr showed its sharp fangs and flexed its muscles, indicating that it was ready.
"All right, then let's win this!" said Tristan, who was now full of determination. "Go, Feraligatr, Water Gun attack!"
Feraligatr unleashed a powerful blast of water from its mouth at Dragonair.
"Dragonair, dodge it!" instructed Clair.
Dragonair quickly dove below the surface and evaded Faraligatr's Water Gun.
"Now, use Hyper Beam!" ordered Clair.
Dragonair unleashed a powerful golden beam of energy from the horn on its head.
"Feraligatr, dive underwater!" commanded Tristan.
Quickly, Feraligatr jumped into the water and avoided Dragonair's Hyper Beam.
Dragonair, however, was momentarily immobile.
"Now, Feraligatr, use Slash attack!" ordered Tristan.
Feraligatr charged in and repeatedly slashed at Dragonair using its sharp claws, scoring clean hits with each one.
"Why isn't Dragonair moving?" wondered Max.
"After Hyper Beam is launched, it takes a while to build the energy back up," explained Hillary.
"That should buy Tristan some time to defeat it while it's recharging," added Emmy.
Sure enough, Dragonair was still lacking the energy it needed to attack again thanks to Hyper Beam, and Feraligatr was continuing to wear it down with its Slash attacks. But seconds later, it was ready for battle once again.
"Now, Feraligatr, use Water Gun!" ordered Tristan.
Feraligatr launched another powerful blast of water from its mouth at Dragonair.
"Dragonair, dodge it!" shouted Clair.
Once again, Dragonair quickly dove below the surface of the pool and evaded Feraligatr's Water Gun.
"Go after it, Feraligatr!" commanded Tristan.
Feraligatr quickly dove into the pool after Dragonair.
But that was the move Clair had been waiting for. "Okay, let's use Dragon Rage!"
Dragonair's orb began to glow, and as it did, it created a powerful cyclone underwater.
The cyclone quickly headed straight toward Feraligatr.
Tristan gasped and knew what that meant. "Quick, Feraligatr! You've gotta get out of that pool! Fast!"
Feraligatr started swimming for the surface as fast as it could, but Dragonair's cyclone quickly overtook it, and it was caught inside the vortex.
"All right, Dragonair! Hyper Beam!" shouted Clair.
Dragonair shot another powerful golden beam of energy from the horn on its head straight toward the vortex.
Unfortunately, Feraligatr couldn't escape from it, and so was forced to take a direct hit from Hyper Beam, causing an explosion of water to rise from the pool.
Everyone gasped as they watched the incredible spectacle.
A moment later, Feraligatr floated up to the surface with a dazed expression in its eyes. It had been knocked out.
"Feraligatr is unable to battle! Dragonair wins!" declared Kaburagi as he raised his red flag in the air.
"That's a shame," said Emmy sadly. "Feraligatr lost."
"And it was doing so well," added Max.
"Well, that Dragon Rage attack was powerful, and poor Feraligatr couldn't escape it," agreed Hillary. "Now Tristan has only one Pokémon left."
Tristan had returned Feraligatr to its Lure Ball and held it close to him. "Thank you, Feraligatr. You have a good rest."
Meanwhile, Lugia, Celebi, and Silveena were still watching from a distance.
But now, it was Lugia's turn to feel sad.
Hey, what's the matter, darling? asked Silveena.
We've been here to see Tristan and Hillary for three days, and I never got to shoot one bad guy with my Aeroblast attack, grumbled Lugia. If only I could test out my power again.
Well, maybe you can, replied Silveena. Look there.
(Music Cue: Team Rocket's Secret Strategy M26B 1997-1998 (as heard in "The Mystery is History"))
Sure enough, there, flying in the sky in his Electabuzz-shaped hot-air balloon high above them, was Taz, Tristan and Hillary's nemesis. Sure enough, he was wearing his Team Rocket uniform.
I didn't realize that Taz had joined Team Rocket, too, whispered Lugia. Well, I'm sure he's probably going to cause Tristan and Hillary some kind of trouble.
Nonsense, said Silveena. How could he cause trouble from way up in the sky? She didn't have to wait long to find out, for a mechanical arm slowly came out of the balloon and started digging for the Dragon Fang in the treasure room. You'd better hurry over and blast him, Lugia.
I've got a better idea: I'll attack from far away, so he won't notice. You can watch, too, Celebi. And Lugia flew into the air and prepared to attack Taz and his balloon a safe distance away as Celebi flew alongside.
Taz, of course, was unaware of his plight, for he was having a marvelous time seeing his mechanical arm do the dirty work. "Well, I may have lost the Dragon Fang to those kids, but no matter. I'll get it one way or another." And he snickered evilly. But not for long, for just then, he saw Lugia's Aeroblast come out of nowhere and streak at his balloon, striking it head on, causing an explosion that obliterated it and sent him skyward.
BOOM!
"Hey!" yelled Taz. "I didn't do anything bad yet! I won't forget this! No fair!" And he disappeared into the sky.
DING!
A moment later, Silveena saw Lugia come back to her. Did you get him?
Direct hit, smiled Lugia.
Good job, you funny trickster you, commended Silveena. I bet Tristan would be very proud. Come on. We may have just enough time to catch the end of his Gym battle.
And together, they flew into the air toward the Gym.
"Pidgeot, I choose you!" shouted Tristan as he threw his Poké Ball.
(Music Cue: Ash's Decision to Fight (Ash Appears (full version)))
Pidgeot emerged from the white light that shot out of it and let out a big squawk, indicating that it was ready for a good battle.
"I never knew that Tristan had a Pidgeot with him," said Emmy, who was rather surprised.
"Tristan must've switched Pokémon just the other day," said Hillary. "He must've realized that some of his regular team members wouldn't be able to cut it against a Dragon-type Gym."
Clair was a little surprised, too. "Gee, Tristan, I never knew you had a Pidgeot." Then she smiled. "This should be very exciting."
"Pidgeot and I have known each other since I caught it in the Viridian Forest a long time ago," explained Tristan. "It's a great flyer, and is tough to beat."
"Then I think it's time for a change of scenery!" smiled Kaburagi as he pulled a lever.
Instantly, the ceiling slowly opened, revealing the sky above.
Hillary, Emmy, and Max all gasped in wonder as the ceiling opened up.
Outside, Lugia, Celebi, and Silveena all watched the roof of the Gym slowly opening up.
Lugia, check it out! gasped Silveena.
Sure enough, they could see the final battle between Pidgeot and Dragonair about to begin.
Back in the Gym, Tristan and Clair prepared for the final faceoff as Pidgeot and Dragonair stared at one another.
Hillary, Emmy, Max, Pikachu, and Togepi watched anxiously. They all knew that this battle would decide the match.
"Go!" shouted Kaburagi as he raised his flags in the air.
"Go, Dragonair, Hyper Beam!" instructed Clair.
(Music Cue: Real and Copy! Which are the Strongest? (full version as heard in "Playing with Fire"))
Dragonair shot a golden-colored beam from the horn on its head at Pidgeot.
"Why'd she start off with Hyper Beam?" wondered Max.
"I guess Clair wants to finish this off quickly," replied Hillary. "But I'm not sure Hyper Beam is the best move to start out with. She must have something up her sleeve, or else she wouldn't use it right away."
"Doge it! Use Quick Attack!" ordered Tristan.
Pidgeot quickly evaded Dragonair's Hyper Beam and flew straight toward Dragonair as a white line streaked behind it.
"Dodge it!" commanded Clair.
Dragonair quickly dove below the surface of the pool and evaded Pidgeot's Quick Attack.
"Now use Gust attack!" shouted Tristan.
Pidgeot furiously flapped its wings, creating a huge gust of wind, causing the water to fly everywhere.
"Oh, yeah? Use Dragon Rage!" commanded Clair.
Underwater, Dragonair's crystal pearl on its neck began to glow, and seconds later, a huge cyclone formed and came out of the pool and enveloped Pidgeot in it.
Pidgeot fell to the ground, but easily got back up into the air again.
"Okay, Pidgeot, use Mirror Move!" instructed Tristan.
A mirrored portal formed in front of Pidgeot, and then it shot the same cyclone from it straight into the pool.
"Of course!" gasped Emmy. "Tristan must be using Mirror Move as a counterstrategy against Aunt Clair's Dragonair!"
Sure enough, the mirrored Dragon Rage attack struck the pool and enveloped Dragonair in the same way as Pidgeot was earlier.
"Very nice, Tristan," smiled Clair. "That Mirror Move caught me by surprise. But now it's time for something unexpected. Dragonair, use Rain Dance!"
Dragonair's crystal pearl on its neck glowed again as it flew up out of the pool and into the air, but this time, dark clouds began to form in the sky.
I don't like where this is going, thought Tristan.
Seconds later, rain began to fall heavily.
Everyone watching tried to cover their heads as the rain fell on them.
"I should've brought an umbrella!" groaned Hillary.
"Now it's time for part two of my strategy," smiled Clair. "Now, Dragonair, use Thunder!"
Dragonair's pearl glowed more brightly, and an instant later, a large yellow lightning bolt came out of the clouds.
"Dodge it, Pidgeot, now!" shouted Tristan.
Pidgeot flew and dodged the bolt, but another one, and still another one kept coming at it. And sure enough, one powerful lightning bolt shot out of the clouds and hit its target.
"Pidgeot!" cried Tristan.
"Whoa!" exclaimed Max.
"That was a direct hit!" gasped Emmy.
"How could that Thunder attack hit it after Pidgeot was flying so fast?" asked Hillary, who was also surprised.
"That's the beauty of the Rain Dance/Thunder combo," answered Clair. "When Rain Dance is normally used, it will increase the power of a Pokémon's Water attacks. But I also decided to put a little Thunder into the mix, and when Thunder is used when Rain Dance is in effect, it's an almost-guaranteed hit."
"So that's why she used it," said Emmy. "She must've known that Tristan would use Pidgeot against Aunt Clair, so she had Dragonair use Thunder to weaken it!"
"Hang in there, Pidgeot!" shouted Hillary.
Pikachu and Togepi cheered loudly in agreement as Pidgeot was still suffering from the immense damage from Dragonair's Thunder.
There has to be something I can do, thought Tristan. But what? Then he saw Dragonair was still in the water, and rain was still falling heavily all over it. That's it! Water conducts electricity! If Pidgeot can break free, we might just be able to turn this around. "Okay, Pidgeot, break free from Dragonair's attack, and give it all you've got!" he shouted aloud.
Pidgeot struggled, and with all its might, it broke free of Dragonair's Thunder.
"Quick, Pidgeot, use Mirror Move!" ordered Tristan.
Another portal formed in front of Pidgeot as a mirrored version of Thunder came out of it straight towards Dragonair.
"Dragonair, quick! Underwater!" commanded Clair.
Dragonair quickly dove underwater again to try and avoid Thunder.
But Tristan knew that would happen, for at that very moment, the lightning bolt crashed through the water and struck Dragonair full-force, scoring a huge direct hit on it in the process.
"Oh! Dragonair!" cried Clair.
"Now I've seen it all!" gasped Max. "That was a creative use of Thunder!"
"Tristan must've known that water conducts electricity better than air!" added Hillary. "Now that was awesome!"
"Definitely!" agreed Emmy.
Just then, the rain stopped, and the skies cleared.
Dragonair came out of the pool and rose into the air.
"Are you ready to take it to the sky for one final attack, Tristan?" asked Clair.
"You bet I am," replied Tristan.
"Okay, now, Dragonair, use Dragon Rage!" commanded Clair.
(Music Cue: Lugia Appears (as heard in the Japanese version of "Revelation Lugia"))
Dragonair's crystal pearl on its neck glowed again, and another powerful cyclone formed in front of it and headed straight toward Pidgeot.
"Battle back with Mirror Move, Pidgeot!" ordered Tristan.
Another portal formed in front of Pidgeot, and a mirrored tornado came out of it and headed straight for Dragonair's attack.
The two Dragon Rage attacks collided with one another, creating a huge gust of wind that nearly blew everything that was loose away.
Everyone held on to their faces as the wind blew harder and harder.
Then all of a sudden, the collision of the two Dragon Rage attacks created a massive explosion of energy that could be seen for miles.
A moment later, the smoke cleared, and Pidgeot and Dragonair, on the ground and in the water, respectively, stared intently at one another.
Everyone watched anxiously, especially Tristan and Clair, who had been battling hard right from the start.
Pidgeot started to waver, but kept its balance.
Dragonair, on the other hand, after taking a massive amount of damage, both from Thunder and the explosion, fell down into the water with a dazed expression in its eyes. It had finally been knocked out.
"Dragonair is unable to battle!" declared Kaburagi. "The winner is Tristan from New Bark Town!"
(Music Cue: I Got a Victory Badge! (full version)
"All right!" cheered Tristan as he ran to give Pidgeot a big hug. "You were amazing, Pidgeot."
Pidgeot nuzzled him to show its affection, giving Tristan a good chuckle.
"I don't believe it!" gasped Emmy. "Tristan beat Aunt Clair!"
"And Pidgeot was incredible, too," added Hillary.
Then she and Emmy saw Max's sad expression on his face.
"What's wrong, Max?" asked Emmy.
"Aunt Clair lost," replied Max.
"It's okay, Max," Emmy assured him. "Losing is a part of a Gym Leader's job. And with the determination that Tristan and Aunt Clair showed in today's battle, I doubt they both had any regrets."
Max looked out onto the battlefield. He saw Clair giving a smile as she returned Dragonair to its Poké Ball. He began to show a slight smile himself and turned back to Emmy. "Thanks, Emmy. I feel a little better now."
Clair, came to Tristan just as Hillary, Max, and Emmy joined him. "Well done, Tristan," she smiled. "It's quite clear that you and your Pokémon knew what you were doing out there. Using that Rain Dance/Thunder combo I created to your advantage was an excellent strategy."
"Thanks, Clair," replied Tristan. "That's nice of you to say."
"Here's your Rising Badge, Tristan," said Clair as she handed him a badge that looked like a dragon's face. "This is proof of your victory at the Blackthorn Gym."
Tristan happily accepted the badge and happily proclaimed, "All right! Yes! I got...a Rising Badge!"
"Pi-Pikachu!" agreed Pikachu as it stood in a victory pose with him.
"Amazing!" said Emmy as she and everyone else stood outside the Gym. "You have all eight badges now."
"They look pretty," added Max.
"Now I can finally compete in the Johto League!" said Tristan excitedly.
Pikachu excitedly agreed with him.
Congratulations, Tristan, smiled Lugia. I knew you could do it.
"Thanks, Lugia," replied Tristan. "I couldn't have done it without all my friends here."
Well, it's time for us to be heading out, said Silveena. I don't know where our adventures will take you, but I wish you good luck in the Johto League. And next time, I'll try to conquer my fear of humans riding on my back.
"I hope so, or I'll be in a lot of trouble," said Hillary.
"You take care, too, Celebi," said Tristan. "I hope to see you again soon."
Celebi nodded and flew all around him. Then it flew off with Lugia and Silveena as Tristan, Hillary, Pikachu, Togepi, Emmy, Max, and Clair all waved goodbye.
Having earned all eight of his badges, Tristan has finally earned the right of entry into the Johto League tournament. What adventures will await him and his friends next? Stay tuned!
► TO BE CONTINUED