Blain and Ember stood on the other side of each other while the others were up in the stands and watched.
"This will be a three-on-three, only the challenger is allowed to substitute. Do you agree to these terms?" Blain announced.
Ember nodded, "I do."
Blaine pulled out a Pokéball, "Fine. I have already selected my first Pokémon." He threw it, "Ninetales, go!"
Ninetales is a fox-like, quadruped Pokémon covered in thick, luxurious golden-white fur. It had a small mane of thicker fur around its neck and a long, fluffy crest on top its head. It had slender legs with three-toed paws and nine, long tails with pale orange tips. It had red eyes, pointed ears, and a triangular black nose.
Ember scanned the Pokémon.
[Ninetales, the Fox Pokémon. The evolved form of Vulpix. It has nine tails and a shining golden fleece. Ninetales are said to live very long lives.]
"Wartortle, I choose you!" Ember sent out Wartortle.
"Wartortle (Let's do this)!" Wartortle declared.
"Ninetails, use Fire Spin!" Blaine started things off first.
Ninetales opened its mouth and released a stream of spinning red-orange flame spiraling around it at Wartortle.
"Jump, Wartortle!" Ember told him.
Wartortle jumped high in the air to avoid the Fire Spin attack, "Now, Hydro Pump!"
Wartortle released a powerful stream of water from his mouth at Ninetailes, making it a direct hit as Ninetails skidded backwards.
"Ninetails, use Flamethrower!" Blaine ordered.
Ninetails spewed fire from its mouth at Wartortle.
"Use Water Gun!" Ember countered.
Wartortle spewed water from his mouth at the Flamethrower, causing both attacks to collide and create steam that covered the field. Ember used that opportunity to attack, "Use Bubble!"
Wartortle released several clear bubbles from his mouth at an unsuspecting Ninetails, but Ember wasn't done yet, "Now Tackle!"
Wartortle followed up with a Tackle, slamming into Ninetails, "Finish off with another Hydro Pump!"
Wartortle fired off another Hydro Pump at Ninetails, sending it flying backwards and into unconsciousness.
Blaine called it, "Ninetails is unable to battle! Wartortle wins!"
"Great job, Wartortle!" Ember smiled.
Wartortle turned to her with a smile and gave a peace sign.
"Yes!" Misty cheered.
"Rai! (Go Ember!)" Tesla cheered.
Blaine brought another Pokéball, "Rhydon, come!" Out came a Rhydon.
"Rhydon (A challenger)!" Rhydon said.
Rhydon is a large, gray, bipedal Pokémon with features of both dinosaurs and rhinoceroses. It has a cream-colored, drill- like horn on its snout. There are other protrusions on the head as well, including a spike curving forward from the middle of its head, two triangular, points resembling ears to the sides, a wide, wavy crest under the ears, and spiky ridges on its cheeks. It has red eyes and two fangs protruding from its upper jaw. It has a cream-colored stomach and a row of spikes down its back. Rhydon has a long tail with skinny, black stripes.
Ember took out her phone again:
[Rhydon, the evolved form of Rhyhorn. It is known as the Drill Pokémon. Its large horn gives it formidable attack power.]
"Wartortle, return!" Wartortle was returned to his Pokéball, "Rory, I choose you!" Her shiny Gyarados was released.
Blaine's eyes widened at the sight of Gyarados, "A shiny Gyarados? Amazing."
Even his Rhydon was surprised.
"Okay Rory, use Rain Dance!" Ember ordered.
Rory roared, summoning a dark cloud that spun around and then stopped. Rain then poured from the cloud.
"What's going on? What's with all the rain?" Misty wondered.
"I see, Ember is using Rain Dance to increase Rory's water type moves while decreasing fire type moves." Brock explained.
"Really? Talk about a good move." Misty commented.
"Rhydon, use Drill Run!" Blaine ordered.
Rhydon ran towards Rory, the drill on its horn spinning. Ember waited for the right moment,
"Use Scary Face!" Rory made a scary face that frightened Rhydon and stop its attack, "Now, use Hydro Pump!" Rory fired a hydro pump attack at Rhydon which sent it flying and landed on the ground with a thud. "Whirlpool!"
Rory summoned a whirlpool and tossed it towards Rhydon and got a direct hit. Once the water disappeared, Rhydon was laid on its back with swirls in its eyes. It fainted from all the water attacks.
"Rhydon is unable to battle! Gyarados wins!" Blaine announced.
"Way to go, Rory!" Ember cheered.
Rory roared happily at the compliment.
"Get some rest. You need it from all those water attacks." Ember returned Rory without any fuss.
Blaine returned Rhydon, "You're quite the trainer so far, Ember."
"Thanks." Ember said.
"But let's see if you can handle my last and strongest Pokémon." Blaine let out his last Pokémon.
"Magmar!"
Magmar is a bipedal Pokémon that has a red body with yellow flame designs along the bottom half. It has a puckered, yellow beak, small eyes, and two lumps on its forehead with a yellow flame on top of each one. Rigid, red scale covers its arms and it has five, clawed fingers on each hand. Its shoulders and thighs are yellow, and its red feet have two, clawed toes each. It has black, metal shackles around its neck and ankles. Down its back is a row of red spikes, and there is a flame at the tip of its tapering, yellow tail.
"Look at that." Misty said.
Ember pulled out her phone.
[Magmar, the Spitfire Pokémon. Its body is like a furnace, making Magmar a living inferno. It has been discovered only near active volcanoes.]
"Natsu, I choose you!" Ember released her shiny Charizard.
"ROAR! (Let's do this!)" Natsu roared.
Blaine was, once again, shocked to see that Ember had another shiny Pokémon on her team.
"Another shiny, huh?" Blaine asked, "Magmar, Flamethrower!"
"Use Flamethrower as well, Natsu!" Ember countered.
Both Pokémon blasted streams of flames slammed against each other, a battle of power had started.
"Fireblast!" Blaine ordered.
Magmar blasted a kanji-like flame towards Charizard.
"Use Air Slash!" Ember countered.
Natsu flapped his wings and sent Air Slash towards the kanji-like flame, destroying it.
"Now Dragon Claw!"
Natsu flew at high speed and hit the Spitfire Pokémon with Dragon Claw in the stomach which it flying. But Magmar luckily landed on its feet.
"Don't give up, Magmar! Use Smokescreen!" Blaine called out.
Magmar covered the field with black greyish colored smoke.
"Use Air Slash to get rid of the smoke!" Ember ordered.
Natsu flapped his wings fast and it created a wind like attack, clearing away the smoke from the field.
"Now Iron Tail!"
"Counter it with your own, Magmar!"
Both tails smashed against each other and both Pokémon growled.
"Flame Charge!"
"Flare Blitz!"
Both fire types charged at each other with flame covered bodies and continued to smash into each other, not giving in.
"Dragon Tail!"
Natsu's tail glowed green and slammed it against Magmar's stomach. Magmar cried out in pain. Since it was exhausted from using Flame Charge a lot and couldn't handle it anymore, it could only do one thing, it fainted with swirls in its eyes.
Ember had won the battle.
Natsu flew over to Ember's side and she hugged him around the neck, "We did it, Natsu! We won! Thank you!"
Natsu smiled and hugged her back, "Growl (You're welcome, Ember)."
Blaine returned Magmar to its Pokéball and walked over to Ember and Natsu.
"Ember, you gave me a great battle. One I haven't had in quite a while." Blaine said, "Now I have one more riddle for you: what's hot but doesn't burn anybody?"
Ember pretended to ponder and then smiled at her answer, "The Volcano Badge." She replied.
"Correct! As Gym leader of the Cinnabar Gym, I'm happy to give you the Volcano Badge." He held out the badge to Ember.
The badge was red in the shape of a flame.
Ember smiled gratefully to Blaine, "Thank you, Blaine." She gently took the badge from Blaine.
"Alright, we got the Volcano Badge!" Ember posed with Tesla and Natsu.
The gang went back to the inn to pack up their stuff. Once they were finished, they met up at the entrance. They were going to meet up with Blaine at the Pokémon lab.
"Man, that was a great battle, Ember." Brock said.
"I have to admit that you got me on edge for a bit when Natsu battled with Magmar." Misty admitted.
They were about to leave when they suddenly heard an alarm go off:
"ATTENTION: EVACUATE THE ISLAND IMMEDIATELY! I REPEAT EVACUATE THE ISLAND IMMEDIATLY!"
"What's going on?!" Misty exclaimed, holding Togepi closer to her.
"Come on, lets go find Blaine!" Ember yelled.
They ran to where his secret gym location was and saw Team Rocket blasting off.
"Was that..." Brock trailed off.
"Doesn't matter right now Brock!" Ember reminded him.
"Right!"
Running into the secret cave they saw Blaine and Magmar, but they also saw ice everywhere and the battlefield was covered in lava!
"Blaine, are you okay?!" Ember ran up to him.
"You kids are still here?! You have to evacuate!" Blaine told them.
"We can have our Pokémon help! What happened here?!" Ember asked.
"Magmar Mar Mag Magmar Mar Mar (Two humans and a Meowth caused all of this ice after they tried to capture me)!" Magmar explained.
Ember rubbed her temples in annoyance, "Team Rocket tried to capture Magmar by freezing him, but failed. In other words they caused this."
"Just tell us what you want us to do!" Brock said to Blaine.
"Right! We need to dam the volcano and prevent it from erupting, we're going to need your Pokémon." Blaine told them.
"Fine by me! Everyone come on out!" All of the Pokémon Ember had on hand came out.
Lucario, Ivysaur, Natsu, Rory, Wartortle, Pidgeot, Levina, and Kadabra.
"We need your help too, everyone!" Misty called out her Pokémon. Staryu, Starmie, Psyduck, Dewgong, Jynx, Mudkip, Tentacool, and Horsea.
"Out here on the double!" Brock called out his Pokémon. Geodude, Onix, Vulpix, Sandslash, Graveler, Marowak, Diglett, and Weepinbell.
Ember turned to her Pokémon, "Okay guys, we need to prevent this volcano from erupting. Natsu, help Magmar dam the volcano! Ivysaur, use your Vine Whip to help Natsu!"
Natsu and Ivysaur nodded their heads in agreement.
Blaine then took charge, "Pokémon that are able to help dam this volcano, help out! Water type Pokémon, use your water attacks to help cool the rocks! Now go!"
The Pokémon got to work. Onix, Magmar, Charizard, Sandslash, Graveler, Rhydon, Ivysaur, Kadabra and Geodude help dam the rocks, while the water types help cool the rocks down, including Onix. Psyduck of course was being Psyduck which made Misty angry.
"Psyduck, now is not the time for you to be acting like...you!" Misty yelled.
Psyduck tilted his head, "Psy (What do you mean)?"
"You little-!" Misty growled with a vein pop on her forehead.
"Psyduck, we need your help!" Ember pleaded.
With the flip of a switch Psyduck started helping much to Misty's annoyance but she didn't voice it. They worked tirelessly, making sure this volcano didn't go off. Finally they managed to dam the volcano, preventing it from erupting. Everyone cheered and the announcement gave the all clear and informed those that were still on the Island it was safe.
The gang was now at the Pokémon lab where Blaine had restored their fossils from Grampa Canyon.
Ember had gotten her two Amaura's which were a male and female and were named Aurelius and Istas. Misty got a Tirtouga and Brock got a Kabuto. All three were happy with their new Pokémon.
Now the gang was facing Blaine as they were about to head off on the road again.
"So you're heading off to Viridian City?" Blaine asked.
"Yeah, for my eighth badge." Ember replied.
"Home of the Earth Badge. Well then I wish you luck, Ember." Blaine said.
"Thank you, Blaine." Ember waved goodbye as she and her friends left.
Having won her seventh gym badge, Ember and her friends are on the road again towards Viridian City. There Ember will hopefully earn her next and final gym badge.
Pokémon on hand: Raichu (Tesla)(F), Lucario (M), Ivysaur (M), Pikachu (Levina)(F), Shiny Charizard (Natsu)(M), Wartortle (M), Pidgeot (F), Kadabra (M), Shiny Gyarados (Rory)(M)
Prof. Oak's Lab:
Mienfoo (F), Glaceon (F), Leafeon (F), Jolteon (F), Sylveon (F), Shiny Umbreon (Mani)(M), Sandslash (M), Rockfuff (M), Gengar (M), Butterfree (M), Pink Butterfree (Momo)(F), Primeape (M), Raboot (M), Braixen (F), Kingler (M), Muk (M), Magnemite (Genderless), Nidorina (F), Nidorino (M), Shiny Suicune (Azure)(F), Scyther (F), Marowak (F), Cubone (M), Dewgong (M), Persian (F), Horsea (F), Vulpix (F), Eevee (F), Kangaskhan (F), Growlithe (M), Rapidash (F), Tauros (9), Porygon (Genderless), Flareon (M), Vaporeon (F), Shiny Rapidash (Comet)(M), Boltund (M), Clefable (F), Jigglypuff (F), Aerodactyl (F), Espeon (F), Shiny Farfetch'd (F), Dragonair (F), Amaura (Aurelius)(M), Amaura (Istas)(F)