Chapter 39:
Drayden's Dragons
Location: Opelucid City
"They said Opelucid, right?" I asked Hugh. "Maybe they were bluffing to distract us whilst they were operating somewhere else."
"These new Team Plasma Grunts are not tricksters," he said. "They seem far more truthful than the scum they proceeded, not counting the ones in Driftveil City of course. I will scour all the city if I have to. Wish me luck, and I'll wish you luck with your Gym battle. Drayden's no joke."
"Thanks!" I said, as I headed off.
Opelucid City is such a technological marvel that is years ahead of the rest of Unova's other settlements. Every door was automatic, street musicians played the keytar and it just made the old timey Gym stand out, but not in a bad way.
I ran to the Gym and didn't see the person in a cloak. I accidentally bumped into him.
"Hey," he said calmly. "Watch it." Just then, I saw him eye Hilbert's Journal.
"Gotta blast!" I said, running off. I didn't see the figures eyes, but there was something about that person…
Location: Opelucid City Gym
Opelucid City was without a doubt the grandest Gym yet. There were two dragon platforms, similar to how Hilbert described them.
"Yo, champ in the making!" said Clyde. "Welcome to the Opelucid Gym. Here, the choice is up to you. Well, not first off. As for Dragon Types, they are a toughie. The only weaknesses they have are Dragon and Ice. But the only thing they are strong against is Dragon as well. You'll really need to strategize to beat Drayden."
I walked up the slim dragon-like design to come face to face with an Ace Trainer.
"Welcome to the Opelucid Gym. Let's see how you overcome my Dragon Types!"
Rosa Vs. Veteran Lucius
"Okay Vibrava, go!" I shouted.
"Fraxure, I choose you!" Lucius replied.
Fraxure (オノンド)
184
Dragon Type
Axe Jaw Pokémon
3'03" (1 m)
79.4 lbs (36 kg)
A broken tusk will not grow back, so it diligently sharpens its tusks on river rocks at the end of battle.
Axew -Lv 38- Fraxure
"Vibrava, start with Dragonbreath!" Vibrava shot purple energy at Fraxure for Super Effective damage.
"Fraxure, Dragon Claw!" Fraxure swiped Vibrava across the face. It was a make it or break it moment at this point.
"One more Dragon Breath!" Vibrava shot one more round of energy at Fraxure, knocking it out.
"Yes, you seem to be at one with the Dragon Type."
"Great," Lucius said. "Now, this is where the decision making begins. You may choose one of two paths. Either face Veteran Jerry, who fights offensively. Or Veteran Rhona, who fights Defensively. You may choose the other one if you lose or have rematches."
I thought about it for a minute. "I'll go… offense! I want to see how much power can be used with the Dragon Type!"
"So be it!" Lucius said, as the dragon head started moving towards me.
I walked up it to an Ace Trainer. "So, you have chosen the path to witness the offensive power of Dragon Types? You have made a wise choice Rosa. Let's see how you do!"
Rosa Vs. Veteran Jerry
"I choose Serperior!" I yelled. I didn't know how far I was going to get with a Grass Type; the best I could hope for would be to spam the Slam.
"Fraxure, go!" Jerry responded.
"Okay Serperior, Coil!" Serperior twisted round, raisings its Attack, Defense and Speed.
"X-scissor!" Fraxure jumped into Serperior and slashed it in an X formation. I didn't expect it to have a Bug Type move. I was so thankful that the Coil helped Serperior survive, but what didn't help was Fraxure's Ability; Rivalry. It's an Ability that increases power when going up against the same gender.
"Serperior, Slam!" Serperior grabbed Fraxure and slammed it down for a lot of damage.
"X-scissor again!" Another Bug Type move was enough to finish of Serperior.
"Well, this isn't good. Vibrava, go!" I yelled. Now I had the advantage. Rivarly lowers the user's power if going up against the opposite gender. Since Vibrava is a girl, Fraxure wouldn't hit as hard. Not that it mattered anyway; Vibrava was faster. Fraxure succumbed to a Dragonbreath.
"Interesting. Okay Druddigon, go!" Out came an even stronger Dragon Type.
Druddigon (クリムガン)
270
Dragon Type
Cave Pokémon
5'03" (1.6 m)
306.4 lbs (139 kg)
It runs through the narrow tunnels formed by Excadrill and Onix. It uses its sharp claws to catch prey.
Druddigon has no known evolutions.
"Now Vibrava, Dragonbreath!" Vibrava shot more purple energy at Druddigon, doing far damage.
"Now Dragon Claw!" I noticed a diamond of some sort was glowing on Druddigon's tail. It swiped Vibrava for unbelievable damage, fainting it in one blow. The diamond was reduced to smithereens. "Dragon Gem. It's an item that powers up Dragon Type moves one time. Combine that with Sheer Force, an Ability that trades added move effects for boosted power, and you have a very strong Super Effective Dragon Type move!"
I recalled Vibrava and sent out Growlithe. "We can do this Growlithe!"
"Rock Slide Druddigon!" Druddigon made rocks fall from the ceiling. They all hit Growlithe, and Growlithe survived! Plus, with Sheer Force, there was no risk of flinching!
"Great job Growlithe! Now, Retaliate! Do it for Vibrava!" Teary eyed, Growlithe jumped at Druddigon and attack it for lots of damage. It was out.
"Your power overcame mine."
With that, the next statues bowed their head.
"You are now onto your next challenge. On the left, Veteran Ron focuses on Triple Battles. On the right, Veteran Deane who focuses on Rotation-"
"Ron," I quickly said running up the left dragon head.
"Tri and beat me! Oh, I hope these puns don't DRAG ON!"
Rosa Vs. Veteran Ron
"Vibrava, Vibrava, Cinccino, go!" I shouted.
"I choose Fraxure, Druddigon and Axew!" Replied Ron.
Axew (キバゴ)
183
Dragon Type
Tusk Pokémon
2'00" (0.6 m)
39.7 lbs (18 kg)
Its large tusks have a tendency to break, but each time they grow back, they grow in harder and stiffer.
"Okay Vibrava, Night Slash on Axew!" Vibrava swiped Axew with dark wings. It was a Critical Hit. "Cinccino, Tail Slap on Axew!" Cinccino hit Axew five times, which lead to it fainting. "Vibrava, Dragonbreath on Druddigon!" Vibrava breathed purple energy at Druddigon, paralyzing it.
"Dragon Claw Fraxure!" Fraxure swiped at the Vibrava that was in fact a Zoroark. Druddigon couldn't move, so it gave us an opening. "Let's gang up on Fraxure. Give it a Night Slash, Dragon Breath and Tail Slap combo!" However, only Dragonbreath and Tail Slap worked. Nah, Zoroark could only hit Druddigon, which also meant it had to deal with Rough Skin.
"Druddigon, Dragon Tail!" Druddigon hit Vibrava with its glowing blue tail. It was forcibly switched out with Growlithe, but we had this.
"Use Crunch and Tail Slap!" Both Cinccino and Growlithe attacked, knocking out Fraxure.
"You did very SCALE during that match. Wait… that one doesn't even make sense…"
With that, it was time to take on Drayden. I went to the top of the dragon statue where I saw the white bearded man with his arms crossed.
"Mr… Mr. Drayden?" I asked.
"Rosa," he said. "I've heard a lot about you. Welcome to the Opelucid City Gym. A certain someone told me that you have been searching for Hilbert and have been using a vital piece of evidence to help you." He put one arm out to his side. "I also thank you for your efforts against Team Plasma! You are more than worthy of facing me, Drayden, Gym Leader of Opelucid City!"
Rosa Vs. Gym Leader Drayden
"Okay Azumarill, go!" I shouted.
"Druddigon, you're up first!" Drayden replied. "Start with Crunch!" Druddigon jumped over to Azumarill and chomped down on it. Azumarill's Defense fell.
"Azumarill, Double Edge!" Azumarill wriggled free and charged into Druddigon. Thankfully, it didn't have Rough Skin. "Now use it again!" Another Double Edge almost defeated Druddigon.
"Druddigon, Revenge." Druddigon, remembering the pain it went through, punched Azumarill. It took it down.
"Clever strategy," I said, recalling Azumarill. "Okay Cinccino, go!" I shouted. "Night Slash!" Cinccino slashed at Druddigon, knocking it out.
"Impressive so far, but I wasn't Hilbert's final Gym challenge for nothing. Flygon, go!" Drayden sent out a flying-green Pokémon with red-tinted eyes.
Flygon (フライゴン)
123
Ground/Dragon Type
Mystic Pokémon
6'07" (2 m)
180.8 lbs (82 kg)
Known as "The Desert Spirit," this Pokémon hides in the sandstorms it creates by beating its wings.
Trapinch -Lv 35- Vibrava -Lv 45- Flygon
"You know," I said. "I train up a Vibrava myself, so seeing its evolved form is a real treat!"
"You've yet to see its power!" Drayden replied.
"Okay Cinccino, Night Slash again!" Cinccino went for Flygon, but it missed.
"Aerial Ace." Flygon dove into Cinccino, stripping it of its Zoroark disguise.
"Okay Zoroark, Night Slash again!" Zoroark this time got a successful Night Slash at Flygon. It was a Critical Hit.
"Earth Power." Flygon made a crack in the ground that hit Zoroark, lowering Sp. Defense.
"Torment!" Zoroark started edging on Flygon.
"Aerial Ace." Flygon dove into Zoroark again, knocking it out.
"Just what we needed. Serperior, go!" Out came Serperior. "Leaf Blade!" Serperior slashed Flygon in the face. It barely survived.
"Dragon Tail." Flygon whacked Serperior with its tail, forcing it to return. Out came Growlithe. "Now Earth Power." Flygon made another crack in the ground, which hit Growithe for a lot of damage.
"Use Crunch!" Growlithe bit Flygon. It was finished.
"It comes to this," Drayden said. "Haxorus, go!" There is was; Drayden's ace. I was nervous enough beforehand but seeing Haxorus in person made me a bit shaky.
Haxorus (オノノクス)
185
Dragon Type
Axe Jaw Pokémon
5'11" (1.8 m)
232.6 lbs (105.5 kg)
Its tusks are incredibly destructive. They can easily slice through a thick, sturdy steel column every time.
Axew -Lv 38- Fraxure -Lv 48- Haxorus
"Haxorus, use Dragon Dance!" Haxorus summoned purple energy around it, raising its Attack and Speed. Haxorus was become more dangerous by the minute.
"Use Crunch Growlithe!" Growlithe bit Haxorus' tail, and its Defense was lowered.
"Slash!" Haxorus slashed at Growlithe. It was a Critical Hit and knocked it out.
"Serperior, go!" I yelled. I didn't know how much it would do.
"Use Dragon Claw!" Haxorus swiped at Serperior with its buffed-up Dragon Type move, and Serperior held on.
"Slam it!" Serperior slammed Haxorus with its tail. Haxorus was getting weaker, but its buff was not to be underestimated.
"Dragon Claw again!" Haxorus swiped Serperior, knocking it out.
"Okay. This Cinccino is the real deal!" Out came Cinccino. "Use Charm!" Cinccino fired hearts at Haxorus, lowering Attack.
"Dragon Dance!" Haxorus brought its Attack back up and its Speed even higher. "Now Dragon Tail!" Haxorus whacked Cinccino with its tail and forced out Vibrava. "Dragon Claw!" Haxorus slashed at Vibrava, but thanks to the Charm, it wasn't as strong!
"Dragon Dance won't save you now!" I shouted. "Vibrava, Dragonbreath!" Vibrava spat purple energy at Haxorus. It was paralysed! "And one more!" Vibrava fired it one more time, finishing Haxorus.
Drayden crossed his arms again. "That was a fine match, Rosa. You have demonstrated your skills against the mightiest Pokémon Type of them all. Therefore, I bestow upon you the Rising Badge." He gave me the black Badge. "I also give you TM82, which includes Dragon Tail. It's a move that forces the opposition to switch. Okay, go forth Rosa!"
Location: Opelucid City
Waiting proudly outside the Gym was Hugh, Bianca and Iris.
"Congrats!" Bianca said. "When I took on this Gym two years ago, Drayden was a real challenge. I can't even begin to imagine what he's like nowadays."
"He's really strong!" Iris assured her. "I can say that with authority; I was his student. And now I'm the Ch-"
Drayden appeared. "Rosa, thank you again for a great battle. Now. If I may see the Journal."
I took out Hilbert's Journal and Drayden had a flick through. "It… fell from the sky."
"This is how I remember it," Drayden said. "We both put up a good fight, just like now. Until then, I will return it to you."
We saw the sky turn orange. "It's getting late," Bianca said. "Hey Rosa, if you need a walk to help get your head around things, we understand."
I decided that taking that opportunity would be a good idea.
As I walked round the corner, I saw the hooded figure again.
"You… are you Rosa of Aspertia City?"
In the grand scheme of things, I wasn't too shocked he knew my name. I had become somewhat of a celebrity around these parts. Ya know. Having a movie role, opening a battle stadium and getting seven Badges.
"Yes. Sorry, I'm not one for autographs."
"I'm not here for you. I want to know… what that book is."
I stopped. "No… why should I-"
The figure took me round the corner to a blind spot from the passer-by. That's where he pulled down his hood to reveal the green hair of someone I never expected to see…
"N?!" I shouted.
"Quiet!" he whispered through a semi shout. "As far as this world is concerned, I'm as missing as Hilbert."
"What are you doing here?" I asked.
"I'm… well, that doesn't matter. That book. Is it the Journal that once belonged to my dear friend, Hilbert Whittaker of Nuvema Town?"
I took it out and showed him. "Fascinating. Wherever did you find this?"
"It fell from the sky into my home city. You can't have it. It's still his. I'm using it to trace Hilbert's whereabouts."
N looked interested. "I came here to tell you something, but I never thought that the connection to you and Hilbert would be so… big. Anyway. I came here to tell you that I want in on your plan to take down Team Plasma."
My mouth dropped. N, the most mysterious Trainer in the world, on our side? "Great! I'll tell my friends!"
"No," N said. "As weird as it may sound, I must keep a low profile. If my father finds me again, especially with what he is planning to do with Kyurem, I'm afraid that the Unova region is in serious danger."
"No biggie!" I said. "You have Reshiram!"
"And that's the scary thing," he said. "I must go. Please keep this a secret. I will reveal myself when the time is right, but now is not the time…"
With that, he ran off.
So… that was a day and a half. When it starts off with getting a Badge and ends with meeting someone with close ties to N that is now on your side, yeah. It's a lot to take in. Otherwise, I was confirmed that Team Plasma are nowhere in Opelucid City. So, I guess it's onto Icirrus City!"