AUTHOR'S NOTE: Greetings, readers! Here is chapter 93 of the continuing adventures of Tristan, Hillary, and Pikachu as they continue their journey through the Johto region. I decided to base this chapter off of the Dragon Master's quiz in the Crystal version games. In those games, Clair doesn't recognize the player's abilities after he/she beats her in a Gym battle, and she doesn't act nicely at all. But in the anime, Clair isn't that kind of person. She's a very understanding one, and respects other Trainers. Despite this chapter being longer than most, it should help balance it out with the shorter chapters I wrote in the past. I hope you enjoy this chapter, and please review responsibly at your leisure.
TEASER: After sending Lapras to Professor Oak to help Blastoise get better, Tristan and his friends embark on another adventure in the Dragon Holy Land to meet the Dragon Master for his test. But a shy Dratini that can use ExtremeSpeed is being chased by Taz, and Tristan must earn its trust in order to help it.
Chapter 93: THE DRAGON MASTER'S TEST
(Music Cue: Golden Silver (as heard in "The Little Big Horn"))
After recovering the Dragon Fang from their nemesis, Taz, our heroes are treated to another nice breakfast from Clair, who was revealed to be the Gym Leader of the Blackthorn City Gym. Now, they're waiting to learn what adventure she'll be sending them on next.
"Thanks for another great breakfast, Clair," smiled Tristan the next morning. "These waffles are better than I could've ever made them."
"Well, you deserve most of the credit, since you helped give me the recipe," replied Clair.
Emmy and Max were happily enjoying their meal, too. They felt like getting second helpings.
Even Tristan and Hillary's Pokémon seemed to be enjoying themselves as they chowed down.
"Pikachu, Togepi, and all of our Pokémon love the meals we have together," added Hillary.
Seeing Tristan and Hillary with all of their Pokémon made Emmy and Max think of their own journey when they became old enough to do so.
Just as the Pokémon finished eating their food, Tristan's Poké Gear rang from his backpack.
"Who'd be calling this early in the morning?" wondered Tristan.
"I don't know, but I have a feeling that this one is urgent," replied Hillary.
Tristan opened his backpack and answered his Poké Gear. "Hello, this is Tristan."
"Hello, Tristan, it's Professor Oak. Sorry to bother you this early in the day, but I have a bit of an emergency at the lab, and I need your help."
"Sure, what's up, Professor?"
"Would it trouble you to come to the Pokémon Center as quickly as possible? I'll give you the details then."
(Music Cue: Messenger)
"No, Professor, that won't be a problem. I'll be there as soon as I can." He quickly hung up and told everyone the news. "I'll need to get to the Pokémon Center as soon as possible. Professor Oak needs me to take care of something."
"I'll come with you, Tristan," replied Hillary.
"And us, too," put in Emmy and Max together.
"I'll go, too," added Clair. "I've got a little time before my first errand of the day."
"All right, then let's clean up and get to the Pokémon Center," said Tristan. "Professor Oak needs us."
Lugia and Silveena heard everything and looked at each other.
I sure hope it's nothing trivial, whispered Lugia to Silveena.
Me, too, agreed Silveena. Maybe we should see if we can help them out.
I'm sure Tristan can handle it, Lugia assured her.
Little did everyone know that not too far away, a little serpentine Pokémon with a blue body was watching through the bushes.
(Music Cue: Calm After the Storm)
A few minutes later, Tristan and his friends arrived at the Pokémon Center, and he quickly got to the video phone.
"Hi, Professor Oak," said Tristan. "What's the emergency?"
"Ah, hello, Tristan," replied Professor Oak. "I'm afraid that your Blastoise isn't feeling quite its best today."
"Is Blastoise okay?"
"As far as I know, it's nothing serious," answered Professor Oak. "Now here's the problem. The Pokémon Center in Viridian City has a truckload of Pokémon and Trainers to take care of. We ran out of ice packs just the other day, and Blastoise doesn't have enough strength to use its own Ice Beam to cool itself down. I was wondering: Could I borrow your Lapras for a little while? Its Ice Beam could really come in handy, and could help make ice packs for Blastoise, and if needed, more ice packs for your Pidgeot to deliver to the Pokémon Center in Viridian City."
"Sure, Professor, I'd be happy to lend it to you," said Tristan. He took out Lapras' Poké Ball and put it on the transporter. "See you soon, Lapras." Then he pushed the button, and Lapras' Poké Ball was instantly transported through the machine to Professor Oak's Laboratory.
Professor Oak took the Poké Ball off the transporter on his end, and it opened.
Lapras emerged from the white light that shot out of it.
"Your Lapras has arrived here safe and sound," said Professor Oak.
"Great," replied Tristan. He turned to Lapras, who was confused at first. "Don't worry, Lapras. You're going to help out a lot of people and Pokémon, including Blastoise. Now do your best, and know we'll be thinking about you."
Lapras nodded and replied in agreement as the video transmission ended.
Clair came to Tristan. She had heard everything. "Oh, Tristan, I'm sorry about your Blastoise."
"Thanks, Clair," replied Tristan. "Lapras is one of my best friends, and I really hated to see it go, but I knew that Blastoise needed to get better, and so did the Pokémon at the Pokémon Center in Viridian City."
"You could've just said no, Tristan," said Emmy innocently. "I'm sure Professor Oak would understand."
"It's always okay to say no," added Max. "I get that answer a lot."
"Actually, there are times when you can't say 'no,'" interrupted Clair. "You see, this was an emergency, and in emergencies, saying 'no' to them isn't an option."
"And besides, Tristan," added Hillary, "you can always see Lapras at Professor Oak's laboratory anytime you want to."
Tristan smiled. He knew that Hillary was right. "Thanks, guys. I feel a lot better now." Then he thought to himself, I just hope Blastoise gets better, too.
Meanwhile at Professor Oak's Laboratory in Pallet Town, Tristan's Lapras had just finished making ice packs for Blastoise.
"Terrific work, Lapras," commended Professor Oak. "Why don't you take a little break?"
(Music Cue: Bulbasaur's Lullabye (Japanese version from "Pikachu's Summer Vacation" as heard in "Don't Touch That 'dile")))
Lapras replied happily. Then it thought of Tristan and bent its head low.
Professor Oak came to Lapras. "I know you're sad right now, Lapras. You miss Tristan, don't you?"
Lapras slowly and sadly nodded.
"I'm sure he misses you, too," smiled Professor Oak. "But you know what? You're doing a great service not just for me, but for all the sick and injured Pokémon for the Pokémon Center in Viridian City. Tristan will be very happy to know that you're doing a great job."
(Music Cue: Farfetch'd Running (Japanese version from "Pikachu's Summer Vacation (as heard in "Hello, Pummelo!")))
Lapras cheered up and nudged Professor Oak to show its affection, causing him to chuckle. Then it playfully launched an Ice Beam to freeze Professor Oak's shoes.
"Brr!" shivered Professor Oak "That's cold!" Then he ran all over the room, yelling out as he went while Lapras laughed and laughed.
Back in Blackthorn City, Clair was just explaining her next assignment to Tristan and his friends.
"I want you all to go to the Dragon Holy Land again today," she said.
"What for?" wondered Emmy.
"Because the legendary Dragon Master is visiting today," explained Clair. "And he will be presenting Tristan with a test."
"A test?!" gasped the others.
"But I didn't study for one," said Tristan.
"Don't worry," replied Clair. "This is a test I'm sure you'll pass, as I'm sure you love Pokémon. The Dragon Master will ask you a few simple questions, and all you have to do is respond by how you classify Pokémon, how you raise them, and what kinds you like."
Tristan sighed with relief. "That should be easy then. What do you say, guys? Let's go to the Dragon Holy Land and meet the Dragon Master."
Everyone agreed.
"Now before I let you go, I should let you know that the Dragon Master will be on the move in the Dragon Holy Land," cautioned Clair. "So you'll have to work together in order to find him."
Lugia, Silveena, and Celebi met Tristan, Hillary, Emmy, and Max outside a few moments later.
So, you have a big test today, said Lugia.
"Yeah, a big one," replied Tristan. "But I know I can do it."
Presently, they saw a blue serpentine Pokémon crawling out from behind the bushes.
"Wow!" cried Max as he pointed out. "Look at that!"
Then everyone looked out and saw the Pokémon.
"A Dratini!" gasped Hillary as she scanned it with her Pokédex.
"Dratini, the Dragon Pokémon. Dratini sheds its skin as it grows, often doing so while hidden behind large powerful waterfalls."
"But what would a Dratini be doing here of all places?" wondered Tristan.
"Dratini are rare Pokémon, Tristan," explained Emmy. "But there are always a few that come here to Blackthorn City so they can get stronger in the Dragon Holy Land."
Just then, Dratini looked at Tristan and the others. It then surrounded itself in a white aura, and quick as a flash, it disappeared into the water straight into the Dragon's Den.
"Look!" cried Max. "Dratini's gone!"
"It must've seen us and gotten scared away," said Emmy sadly.
It was then that Tristan realized what had happened. "It was using ExtremeSpeed!"
Everyone was surprised.
"But that's impossible!" said Hillary. "I always thought that only Arcanine could use ExtremeSpeed. And Dratini normally can't use it."
"That's true," agreed Tristan. "Normally, Dratini can't learn ExtremeSpeed, but I know this one did."
Clair came up behind them. "Actually, this one is a special Dratini that's a bit shy."
"What do you mean, Aunt Clair?" asked Emmy.
"This is a special Dratini that very few Trainers have ever come across," explained Clair. "Such Dratini are very hard to come by, and once they evolve into Dragonair, and eventually, Dragonite, then they can REALLY go fast. Dragonite can normally circle the globe in just 16 hours, but this one, if trained properly, can cut that time in half and fly around the world in just eight hours."
"Now I wanna catch it even more!" said Tristan excitedly. "There's nothing like training an awesome Pokémon and being friends with it."
"Maybe if we fly into the Dragon Holy Land, we can see it again," suggested Hillary.
"Good idea," agreed Tristan. "Let's go, everyone!" He, Emmy, Max, and Pikachu all climbed on Lugia.
But Hillary still wanted to try and ride on Silveena. "Please, Silveena, just one ride? Please?"
But Silveena still wouldn't let her on. I said no, and I mean NO! And she shook Hillary off.
Hillary landed on the ground with a hard thud, and winced in pain as she got up. "Talk about hitting rock-bottom." She was right, for she had landed on her bottom in the middle of some rocks.
Some humans, snorted Silveena. They never learn.
"You okay, sis?" called Tristan.
"I will be in a minute," replied Hillary as she came over and climbed on Lugia to join the others. "All right, let's go."
(Music Cue: Flying Dragonite (Kairu (as heard in "The Whistle Stop")))
And together, they took off into the sky to the Dragon Holy Land.
"Good luck, everyone!" called Clair as they flew off. "And be careful!" And she waved to them until they were out of sight.
Tristan kept looking below to see if he could find Dratini, but could find no trace of it.
"You okay, Tristan?" asked Hillary. "You seem kind of quiet."
"Yes, sis, it was nothing," answered Tristan as he and the others flew on.
(Music Cue: Team Rocket's Theme (as heard in the Japanese version of "The Emperor of the Crystal Tower"))
Unfortunately, had Tristan and the others chanced to look behind them, they would've seen Taz flying in his hot-air balloon right behind them, for he was readying another fiendish plan. This time, he would capture Dratini all for himself. "So this Dratini can learn ExtremeSpeed, eh? Well, this ought to make things very interesting." And he flew after them.
Meanwhile, Tristan and his friends had landed in the Dragon Holy Land.
Dragonite, who was very happy to see Emmy and Max, gave them a gigantic hug. Then it set them down.
"That Dragonite must love you two an awful lot," remarked Hillary.
"Yeah," agreed Emmy. "We've been really good friends ever since we first came here to the Dragon Holy Land a couple of years ago."
"We've gotta find that Dratini so that we can let it know we're it's friends," said Max.
"All right then, we should split up," suggested Hillary. "Emmy and Max, you and Dragonite go to the left. Celebi and I will go to the right toward the woods."
Silveena and I will search from the sky, added Lugia.
"Okay, then Pikachu and I will go straight ahead," said Tristan. "Dratini couldn't have gone far."
"Let's meet back here at the lake in half an hour," suggested Hillary. "Agreed?"
"Agreed!" everyone else said.
And so the group split up.
Tristan and Pikachu were left alone, but they didn't mind that a bit.
I sure hope that Dratini's doing okay by itself, thought Tristan.
As Taz landed his balloon close to the river, he looked through his binoculars, but he didn't see a thing. "I wonder where that Dratini could be." He took a few steps and stopped at the large lake.
Suddenly, a little blue head with white three-pronged fins popped up from the surface of the lake and looked all around.
"Ah, there it is!" said Taz.
(Music Cue: Team Rocket Appears (as heard in "Espeon...Not Included"))
And in a trice, he took out his net and charged straight toward Dratini. "Dratini, you're mine now!"
But Dratini saw him coming and, surrounding itself in a white aura, took off like a shot.
"Hey, you!" cried Taz. "Come back here!" And he chased after it.
Meanwhile, not too far away, Tristan and Pikachu saw a little blue blur swim by him at remarkable speed.
"Whoa! What was that?" gasped Tristan. Suddenly, he heard a voice.
"I'm gonna get you!"
A familiar bearded man ran by Tristan as fast as his legs could carry him.
"Let's go, Pikachu," advised Tristan. "It looks like Taz is up to something again."
And they raced after Taz as fast as they could.
Taz was still trying to catch Dratini, but no matter how fast he went, it was always swimming just a little too far ahead of him.
"Quick, Electabuzz, get that Dratini before it gets away!" shouted Taz as he threw his Poké Ball.
Electabuzz emerged from the white light that shot out of it and appeared in front of the little Dratini. It then launched a Thunderbolt in quick succession and scored a direct hit on Dratini, who was in great pain. Then it launched a Thunder Punch on Dratini's tail, clearly wounding it.
"Ha! Now I've got you!" yelled Taz as he threw his net.
The net ensnared Dratini as it painfully struggled in vain to get away.
"You'll fetch a nice price on the Poké Market," smirked Taz as he snatched the net.
But just then, something streaked at Electabuzz from behind and scored a direct hit on it, causing it to fall down to the ground.
Taz got annoyed. "Hey, you! What's the big idea?!" He then turned to see Tristan and Pikachu confronting him as sparks crackled from Pikachu's cheeks.
"All right, Taz, let that Dratini go!" demanded Tristan.
"Argh! It's you again!" grumbled Taz. "You always mess up my plans. Well, not today! Go get him, Electabuzz!"
(Music Cue: Kanto Trainer Battle (as heard in "Hi Ho Silver...Away!"))
Electabuzz charged forward toward Pikachu and prepared to attack.
"Pikachu, use your Quick Attack again!" ordered Tristan.
Pikachu once again streaked at Electbuzz and scored another direct hit on it, sending it flying into Taz, causing him to lose his grip on the net, which went flying into the air.
"Go, Meganium, use your Razor Leaf attack on that net!" shouted Tristan as he threw his Friend Ball.
Meganium emerged from the white light that shot out of it and launched a flurry of razor-sharp leaves to cut the net.
Dratini flew out and landed back in the water.
Taz seethed in anger. "Why you! How dare you make me lose my prize! I'll teach you how to butt in!"
"You'll teach me nothing!" retorted Tristan. "Pikachu, give him a Thunderbolt!"
Pikachu jumped high into the air and launched a powerful yellow bolt of electricity from its body straight at Taz and Electabuzz, scoring a direct hit on them and causing an explosion that sent them skyward.
BOOM!
"We'll remember this!" yelled Taz as he and Electabuzz disappeared into the sky.
DING!
"All right! He's gone!" cheered Tristan. "Good job once again, Pikachu."
Pikachu gave a happy reply.
Then Tristan stroked his Meganium. "You were great, too, Meganium."
Meganium also gave a happy reply. Then it gently did a Body Slam on him to show its affection.
"Okay, okay!" shouted Tristan playfully. "Take it easy, Meganium! I'm not a mango!"
Then they all saw that Dratini was slowly swimming away.
"Wait, Dratini! Come back!" called Tristan as he, Pikachu, and Meganium raced after it.
Elsewhere, Hillary and Togepi felt their stomach grumble as Celebi flew alongside.
"All that excitement about that Dratini made me hungry," said Hillary. "Let's stop for a bit and have a snack."
Togepi and Celebi agreed to the idea.
Celebi flew to some nearby trees and picked some ripe, juicy berries. Then it gave them to Hillary and Togepi.
"For us?" said Hillary. "Thanks a lot, Celebi!"
Celebi nodded and flew in great excitement. Then it picked a few berries for itself.
Hillary looked on as she ate. "Seeing Celebi happy like that while in its element makes me happy."
Togepi trilled in agreement.
Still, she thought, I hope that Dratini is all right. I know Tristan is doing his best to help.
Meanwhile, Emmy, Max, and Dragonite weren't having much luck as they flew along.
"I can't believe we haven't found that little Dratini yet," said Max sadly.
"Don't worry, Max," Emmy assured him. "We'll find it soon. At least, I hope we will."
Then suddenly, Dragonite saw two small objects in the sky, and got bigger as they got closer. It thought they were big and wild Pokémon.
"What's the matter, Dragonite?" asked Emmy.
"Look there!" cried Max.
(Music Cue: Raid!)
Sure enough, the objects had big wings and a point on the back of their heads.
"Those look like Skarmory!" shouted Emmy. "I hate Skarmory! They're mean and nasty, and they're after us!" Little did she know that it was really Silveena and Lugia in the distance.
Then suddenly, Dragonite took off like a rocket towards the Pokémon.
At that same instant, Lugia and Silveena were still searching for Dratini from the sky.
Any sign of that Dratini yet, Silveena? asked Lugia.
Not yet, answered Silveena. Suddenly, she saw a silhouette flying in her direction.
The object was bipedal and had arms and wings.
That's a Charizard! cried Silveena. Little did she know that it was really Dragonite flying at her at remarkable speed. Stand back, Lugia! I'll protect you! And she flew in front of Lugia.
Hold on, Silveena! protested Lugia. That's not a Charizard!
But Silveena wouldn't listen. Both she and Dragonite closed in on one another.
Emmy and Max saw who they were charging for.
"It's Lugia and Silveena!" cried Max.
"Stop, Dragonite! Stop!" shouted Emmy.
But Dragonite kept charging closer and closer.
I'll show you what happens when you attack me! snorted Silveena.
It was then that Lugia saw who had been charging them. That's Dragonite! it said. Silveena, hold on!
But as Dragonite got within striking distance, Silveena fired a Hydro Pump while Dragonite fired a Hyper Beam.
Both attacks collided, creating a tremendous explosion that sent both Pokémon earthward.
Silveena! cried Lugia as it descended after them.
Emmy and Max held on tightly as Dragonite sank lower and lower.
Seconds later, both Silveena and Dragonite fell to the ground with a crash.
Nobody got hurt, but both Dragonite and Silveena were most annoyed.
Emmy and Max managed to pick themselves up.
"Are you okay, Max?" asked Emmy.
"I am," answered Max. "How about you, Emmy?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," replied Emmy.
Then both Silveena and Dragonite began to argue.
What do you mean, it's my fault?! protested Silveena. You're the one who came at me first!
Dragonite wouldn't listen. It just kept barking at her.
What?! exclaimed Silveena. You thought I was a Skarmory?! And to think, I thought you were a Charizard!
Dragonite yelled even more loudly at her. It was such an insult that it was called a Charizard.
Lugia landed and tried to stop them from fighting. Hey, what's going on here? You two shouldn't be arguing like this.
That Dragonite came at me first and attacked first! fumed Silveena. Then it decided to launch a Hyper Beam at me!
But Dragonite kept on barking at her.
Silveena scoffed. What do you mean, those humans could've gotten hurt? I'll show you hurt! And she rushed toward Dragonite and proceeded to strike at it with her wing.
"All right, that's enough!" said a voice.
Everyone turned to see an elderly man with a cane. He had a white beard and mustache.
"This isn't how humans and Pokémon should behave, now is it?" said the man.
Emmy and Max were surprised. They knew who it was.
"You must be the Dragon Master!" gasped Emmy.
"Yes, that is correct," answered the man. "I am, indeed, the Dragon Master."
Incredible, thought Lugia. So he's the one Tristan needs to see for his test.
The Dragon Master came between Silveena and Dragonite. "Ah, Dragonite, it's wonderful to see you again. And you have your friends, Emmy and Max, with you as well. You three must be very close indeed."
"We just love to come here and play together," agreed Max.
"However, I noticed that sometimes you can be a little too rash," continued the Dragon Master.
"We thought a Skarmory was attacking us," said Emmy. "You know how much Max and I hate those things."
"Yes, I know," replied the Dragon Master. "But it's always a good idea to look more closely. Do that, and you won't get into any more of these squabbles."
Emmy, Max, and Dragonite nodded.
"As for you," said the Dragon Master as he turned to Silveena, "you are most certainly a Pokémon of a different color, and that's a rare sight. But it's obvious you don't really like humans very much. And because you charged at Dragonite and attacked it, those kids could've been seriously hurt. What would you do then?"
Silveena was ashamed.
"Try looking out for fire before trying to douse it," advised the Dragon Master. "Both of you."
Silveena and Dragonite nodded their heads and promised that they wouldn't be so reckless again.
"Now that we got that straightened out," said the Dragon Master, "where's Tristan?"
"He's somewhere else in the Dragon Holy Land, trying to find a Dratini that can use ExtremeSpeed," explained Emmy.
"Ah, interesting," smiled the Dragon Master. "I wonder how he'll fare."
"Let's go look for him," suggested Max.
And the party set off to find Tristan and Pikachu.
Tristan and Pikachu had run out of breath trying to chase Dratini.
"We've been running all day, and not once did we see Dratini come back," sighed Tristan sadly.
Pikachu pointed out to the lake.
And there was Dratini swimming, but more and more slowly.
"That's strange," said Tristan "We'd better see what's up." And he and Pikachu hurried off to catch up with Dratini.
Dratini shuddered and then stopped. It shut its eyes and winced in pain.
"There you are, Dratini," smiled Tristan. Then he noticed a small wound on Dratini's tail. "I see why you're swimming away. You got hurt, didn't you?"
Dratini nodded in embarrassment. It still couldn't help being shy, though.
"It's okay," said Tristan. "Come on over here, and I'll take care of that tail of yours, all right?"
Dratini nodded. Then it slowly came to the edge of the river and got out.
Tristan then took out his bottle of Super Potion. "This will sting a little, but it will help you tail heal." And he sprayed it on Dratini's tail.
Dratini winced as they spray took effect, but seconds later, the wound was gone.
Then, Tristan took out a water-proof bandage and neatly wrapped it around Dratini's tail. "There. You should feel better in no time."
Dratini nodded and gave a smile. Then it quickly hid behind him when it saw Pikachu.
"Don't worry, Dratini," Tristan assured it. "Pikachu's your friend, too, like me."
Dratini slowly peeped over and saw Pikachu greeting it warmly.
Tristan smiled. His plan to help and befriend Dratini had worked. It wasn't so afraid of him anymore. Then suddenly, he looked out.
(Music Cue: Desperate Situation (as heard in "The Bug Stops Here"))
And there was Taz approaching him from his hot-air balloon in the sky.
Dratini took one look at Taz, and quickly hid behind Tristan.
"All right, kid, hand over that Dratini!" ordered Taz.
"Dratini's not yours!" retorted Tristan.
"Oh, really?" said Taz. "I should like to see you protect it after I worked so hard to capture it."
"Capture it?" It was then that Tristan realized what had happened. "So it was you who hurt this little Dratini's tail, wasn't it?"
"Guilty as charged," smirked Taz as he took out a Poké Ball. "Take him out, Electabuzz!"
Electabuzz emerged from the white light that shot out of the ball.
"All right then, if that's how you want it," said Tristan as he took out a Poké Ball and prepared to throw it. "Then I choose..."
It was then that Dratini quickly came out of hiding and slithered in front of Tristan, who was very surprised.
"Dratini, are you saying you want to battle?" asked Tristan.
Dratini gave a hard nod.
Tristan wasn't sure what to do. He didn't want Dratini to get hurt, yet he knew that Dratini would help him since he helped it recover in the first place. "All right, Dratini, go for it."
"Oh, so now you want to use your new friend, eh?" smirked Taz. Then he gave a big laugh. "That Dratini can't beat me! It's such a weakling!"
"We'll see who's weak!" retorted Tristan.
Pikachu agreed with him.
"Okay, Electabuzz, let's knock that kid down a peg or two, shall we?" said Taz. "Show that thing a Thunder Punch!"
Electabuzz gathered up electricity in its fist, and then it charged at Dratini.
"Quick, Dratini, dodge using ExtremeSpeed!" commanded Tristan.
(Music Cue: OK! Orchestra and Guitar (as heard in "You're a Star, Larvitar"))
Dratini quickly surrounded itself with a white aura, and then using the increased speed, it nimbly dodged Electabuzz's attack.
"Try it again, Electabuzz!" ordered Taz. "Don't let that thing get away from you!"
Electabuzz tried again and again, but no matter how close it came to connecting, Dratini was just too fast for it.
Presently, Emmy and Max's group along with the Dragon Master came to the scene.
"Whoa!" exclaimed Emmy. "Just look at that Dratini go!"
"That's super-fast!" added Max.
The Dragon Master nodded in agreement. "That shy little Dratini's got some real speed."
Dratini continued to dodge every attack that Electabuzz threw at it. Then suddenly, it found itself backed against a tree.
Emmy and Max gasped in alarm. "Oh, no!" they cried.
"All right, Electabuzz, finish it off with Thunder Punch!" ordered Taz.
Electabuzz made a fist and charged at Dratini with its most powerful and electrified punch. But at the last second...
"Quick, Dratini! Jump!" shouted Tristan.
Using its tail as a springboard, Dratini jumped high into the air, avoiding Electabuzz's attack in the process.
Unfortunately for Electabuzz, its Thunder Punch caused the tree to fall right on top of it instead.
"Whoa!" exclaimed Max.
"Now that's what I call falling timber," remarked the Dragon Master.
"Definitely!" agreed Emmy.
Just then, Hillary, Celebi, and Togepi came to the scene.
"What's going on?" asked Hillary.
"Only the most exciting battle ever," answered Emmy.
Hillary couldn't believe what she was seeing. "Isn't that the same Dratini we've been trying to find? And Tristan in command?" Then she saw the Dragon Master. "And who's this guy?"
"That's the Dragon Master," replied Max.
"No way!" gasped Hillary. "You're the guy whom Tristan was supposed to meet! What are you doing here?"
"I'll explain everything later," said the Dragon Master. "I'm sure everyone wants to see how this battle turns out."
"Okay, now youse made me mad," fumed Taz. "We'll just have to crush Dratini with every ounce of energy we've got! Electabuzz, hit it with your Thunderbolt at full power!"
Electabuzz gathered all the electricity in its body and jumped into the air, preparing to attack Dratini again.
"Don't give in, Dratini! Use ExtremeSpeed with everything you've got!" commanded Tristan.
Dratini, still airborne, surrounded itself with its white aura and using the angle of the sun, it managed to blind Electabuzz, causing it to cancel out its attack. Then as fast as lightning, Dratini rammed into Electabuzz with all its might, and sent it careening into Taz, causing them both to hit the ground.
"Now that's what I call fast service," smiled Hillary.
I'll say, agreed Lugia. And with power to spare.
Then Dratini waved its tail around faster and faster and created a huge tornado that headed straight toward Taz and Electabuzz.
"What's that?" asked Hillary.
"Now that's a powerful Twister attack," answered the Dragon Master.
Sure enough, Dratini's Twister was powerful, and it was so strong that it created quite a wallop, and sent Taz and Electabuzz sailing through the air.
"Looks like we're blowing away again!" screamed Taz as he and Electabuzz disappeared into the sky.
DING!
Tristan came to congratulate Dratini. "That was awesome, Dratini! You were incredible!" And he gently picked up Dratini and gently stroked it. "You really showed Taz what you could do."
Dratini just stared. Then it curled up in Tristan's arms and nuzzled him in affection.
Hillary and the others came to him. "Tristan, great job!"
But Dratini took one look at Hillary, shut its eyes, and curled itself even tighter in Tristan's arms.
Tristan gave a chuckle. "It's okay, Dratini. This is my sister Hillary. And these are all my friends here, like I am."
Dratini opened its eyes. It was still uneasy toward the others, but it seemed to be the most comfortable with Tristan around. Then he saw the Dragon Master. "Who are you? Wait, don't tell me. You must be..."
The Dragon Master gave a nod and smiled. "Yes, the one and only. I am the Dragon Master. So good of you to have come. I'm sure that Clair sent you all here, didn't she?"
"Yes, she did," answered Tristan.
"Then let's proceed to our destination," said the Dragon Master as he got on Dragonite.
Tristan put Dratini safely and securely inside his backpack. Then, he, Pikachu, Hillary, Max, and Emmy all got on Lugia, and together, they along with Silveena and Celebi took off into the sky.
(Music Cue: Mystical Story (full version)
As they flew along, the Dragon Master explained the folklore and history of the Dragon Holy Land. "A long time ago, a very old Dragonite, which is this one here, belonged to the first leader of the Blackthorn City Gym. Since the original Gym Leader passed on, Dragonite became the unofficial 'guardian,' if you will, of the Dragon Holy Land. All the flowers stay in bloom all year round, and many believe that this comes from the power of all the Dragon Pokémon."
"That explains why this place is so beautiful all the time," said Emmy.
Presently, they saw a huge, clear lake below them with a small vault-like structure in front of it.
"Well, this is it," said the Dragon Master as he and the others landed. Then he opened the doors to the vault.
Inside, there was a golden bowl with a flame burning brightly inside.
"I welcome you to the Dragon Shrine," said the Dragon Master. "The big Pokémon will have to wait outside. The rest of you may follow me."
And so Tristan, Hillary, Emmy, and Max, along with Celebi, Pikachu, and Togepi all entered the Dragon Shrine while Lugia, Silveena, and Dragonite watched as the doors closed.
Tristan carefully opened up his backpack, took Dratini out, and held it in his arms.
"The flame you see burning here is the sacred Prayer Flame," explained the Dragon Master. "It's the first fire the Dragon Pokémon gave the inhabitants of Blackthorn City. This flame, along with this shrine, was made over 500 years ago. And the flame continues to burn brightly to this day, no thanks to a certain group of goofballs that nearly destroyed this place."
"Team Rocket," whispered Tristan to himself disdainfully.
"I figured this would be a customary place where we could present you with your test, young man," continued the Dragon Master. "All I will do is ask you a few questions about Pokémon. Are you ready?"
"I'm ready," answered Tristan.
"Then let us begin. What are Pokémon to you?"
(Music Cue: The Pokémon Castle)
"Pokémon are my friends. Every single one of them. We all live and work together like a family."
The Dragon Master seemed intrigued. "And what helps you to win battles?"
"I raise and train my Pokémon to be the very best they can be. And I always do my best to respect their wishes."
The Dragon Master nodded. "Very well. What kind of Trainer would you want to battle?"
"I always love to battle strong Trainers, but I'm happy to battle anyone no matter how experienced or inexperienced they are."
"Hm. Impressive. What is the most important to you when it comes to raising your Pokémon?"
"I treat them with love and trust. I couldn't bear to see anyone just treating them as tools of war."
"Interesting, young man. And now, I have one final question. When it comes to strong versus weak Pokémon, which is more important to you?"
"I like all Pokémon, no matter how strong or weak they are. You should've seen how awesome Dratini was in battle today. Taz thought it was weak, but I proved that size doesn't always matter. Isn't that right?"
Pikachu and Dratini agreed with him.
Just outside, Lugia and Silveena listened.
Sounds like Tristan cares about Pokémon...a lot, remarked Silveena. I just wish I could do the same for humans.
You will, Silveena, replied Lugia. It takes time to build trust between humans and Pokémon. And you will be better friends with him and Hillary soon. You'll see.
A few minutes later, the doors of the Dragon Shrine opened again, and Tristan and Pikachu came out and hugged Lugia while gently stroking it in the process.
(Music Cue: Ecruteak City (full version))
Lugia gave Tristan and Pikachu a hug with its wings in return.
Soon, everyone else joined him.
The Dragon Master saw the bond that Tristan and Lugia shared together. "Exemplary, young man," he smiled. "I see that you treat your Pokémon with the utmost care, even those that you've only befriended in the wild, and they do the same for you in return. That commitment to your Pokémon friends is most important. Don't lose that belief, and you will help make the world a better place."
"I'll remember that," replied Tristan.
"As proof of your worth," said the Dragon Master, "please take the very Dratini that you have in your arms on your journey."
"You mean this Dratini here?" Tristan was a little surprised. He wasn't expecting the very Dratini he had helped to be his reward.
The Dragon Master nodded. "You see, young man, that Dratini was part of your test. You and your Pokémon thought quickly and bravely and rescued that speedy Dratini from that evil man. And you helped it recover from its injuries. You deserve this special Dratini without a doubt, as you've proven that you can be trusted with a Dragon Pokémon. Promise me that you will raise and train that Pokémon with love and care."
"I promise," replied Tristan. Then he posed and happily proclaimed, "I caught a Dratini!"
"Pi-Pikachu!" agreed Pikachu as it happily posed with him.
"Congratulations, Tristan," commended Hillary.
"Good job," added Emmy.
"That's cool," put in Max. "Now you have a Dragon Pokémon friend of your own, too."
"Thanks, guys," replied Tristan. "We'll be great friends. Right, Dratini?"
Dratini happily nodded and curled itself in Tristan's arms, feeling very comfortable.
That evening, Tristan and his friends waved goodbye to Dragonite and the Dragon Master as they took off into the sky on Lugia. Celebi and Silveena flew alongside.
"Farewell, my friends!" called the Dragon Master. "Take good care of that Dratini! And please come back to the Dragon Holy Land anytime!"
"We will! Bye!" called Tristan and Hillary.
"See you soon!" added Emmy and Max as everyone flew off into the orangy sky.
Later at the Pokémon Center, Tristan called Professor Oak on the video phone. "How's Blastoise?" he asked.
"Much better," answered Professor Oak. "You Lapras' Ice Beam really came in handy. Say, would you mind if I kept Lapras here at the lab for a while? It could come in handy in case other Pokémon get sick."
"Sure, that's fine," answered Tristan.
Professor Oak was a little surprised.
"I'm not feeling as sad as I was this morning when I sent Lapras to your laboratory, especially now that I caught a Dratini today. And it's a special one that can use ExtremeSpeed. The Dragon Master gave it to me as a reward for helping it. Pretty cool, huh?"
"Now that's quite cool, indeed!" smiled Professor Oak. "I'm very proud of your tireless effort. I know you will raise it into a great Pokémon."
"We'll have a blast together," replied Tristan. He looked at Lapras on the video screen and said, "I'm proud of you, too, Lapras. I'll miss you, but I know you'll be a really big help to Professor Oak. Keep up the good work."
Lapras nodded and gave a happy reply.
The video screen then turned off.
Hillary, Emmy, and Max came over.
"How's Blastoise?" asked Hillary.
"It's doing a lot better," answered Tristan. "Lapras will stay at the lab to help Professor Oak in case other Pokémon get sick. And once Blastoise gets better, it can help, too."
"That's great," smiled Max.
Tristan nodded in agreement. Then he realized that Emmy and Max hadn't returned to Clair's house. "Why aren't you two back with Clair?"
"Aunt Clair asked us to stay at the Pokémon Center with you guys tonight as part of our adventure," explained Emmy. "And she wanted to make sure that her Gym was ready without any distraction."
Tristan was excited. "That's wonderful! I mean, I understand why she wants peace and quiet while setting up for our Gym battle."
(Music Cue: To Be Continued (sample (as heard in "Will the Real Oak Please Stand Up?")))
"What do you say we all have a little dinner before we turn in?" suggested Hillary.
"Definitely!" agreed Emmy. "Come on, everybody, let's go!"
So everyone headed for the Pokémon Center's cafeteria to get dinner.
Lugia and Silveena watched through the window, then they joined Celebi as they ate a great meal themselves.
As Emmy and Max join our heroes for dinner, Tristan reminisces about his big day, now that he has a new Dratini to add to our heroes' ever-growing family, and is getting more and more excited, as his Gym battle with Clair is just one good night's sleep away. Will Tristan be able to earn his eighth and final badge to qualify for the Johto League? Stay tuned!
► TO BE CONTINUED