AUTHOR'S NOTE: Greetings, readers! Here is chapter 16 of the continuing adventures of Tristan, Hillary, and Pikachu as they continue their journey in the Johto region. I may shorten some unimportant battles in this and the next two chapters. But as I mentioned in the last chapter, the Little Cup is based on the Little Cup in Pokémon Stadium 2. As always, please feel free to read and review.
TEASER: Hillary's opponent, Grant, claims that he has unbeatable Pokémon! Will Hillary be able to defeat them and advance in the tournament?
Chapter 16: THE LITTLE CUP, PART 2
(Music Cue: Title Screen 1999-2001 (as heard in "Chikorita's Big Upset")))
After a hard-fought, hard-won battle that earned Tristan a Zephyr Badge from Gym Leader Falkner, our heroes decided to stay in Violet City so Hillary could participate in the prestigious Little Cup. All Trainers had to do was register any Pokémon that haven't evolved yet, and are inexperienced in battling.
They ran into the Kimono Sisters, who found a wild Sentret roaming the streets of Violet City, and took it in to the Pokémon Center. The youngest of the Kimono Sisters, Sakura, wanted to see Pokémon battles firsthand, so she decided to watch Hillary compete.
Almost immediately, she challenged Hillary to a battle so she could prepare for the tournament.
Hillary and Sakura both used their Eevee to battle it out, but during the battle, Sakura's Eevee evolved into a powerful Espeon, whose Psybeam defeated Hillary's Eevee.
After a slight detour at the Pokémon Center, Hillary and her Pokémon were ready to participate in the Little Cup, especially now that they've added the little Sentret as part of the family.
The Little Cup tournament consisted of three-on-three battles with 256 Trainers battling it out for the Little Cup trophy.
In the first round, she went up against a Youngster named Bernie. Her Squirtle easily overpowered her Slugma and Cyndaquil made short work of Sunkern. But Bernie's final Pokémon, Omanyte, gave her Cyndaquil some big problems. Despite the disadvantage, Cyndaquil was able to defeat Omanyte thanks in part to Sunkern's Sunny Day, and mostly to Cyndaquil's new attack, Flame Wheel.
Now she's advancing further into the Little Cup. What opponents will she battle against? The action is just getting started!
Tristan and the Kimono Sisters were excitedly watching Hillary's second battle in Violet City's new stadium the next day as the second round of the Little Cup continued.
Hillary was battling a Trainer named Stacy as Pikachu and Togepi cheered loudly for her from their seats.
"We've seen some overwhelming strength from our young contender, Hillary, as her Squirtle makes short work of Stacy's Pidgey and Rattata," said the announcer. "And now, Stacy has only one Pokémon left. The question is...who will Stacy's last Pokémon be?"
Stacy took out a Poké Ball and threw it. "Go, Snubbull!" she shouted.
A pink bipeadal dog-like Pokémon emerged from the white light that shot out of the Poké Ball. It had blue polka dots covering its body.
"I've never seen that Pokémon before," said Tristan as he scanned the Pokémon with his Pokédex.
"Snubbull: The Fairy Pokémon," identified Dexter. "While it may appear gruff and grumpy, deep down, Snubbull is actually a caring Pokémon."
"That Snubbull looks like it could bite anybody," remarked Sakura.
"Yeah, but that doesn't mean that it always acts that way," added Satsuki.
"Let's see how Hillary handles this," said Tristan.
"Begin!" declared the referee as he raised his red and green flags in the air.
(Music Cue: Johto Wild Pokémon Battle (as heard in "Hour of the Houndour"))
"Snubbull, use Tackle attack!" commanded Stacy.
Snubbull started charging at Squirtle full-body style.
"Squirtle, use Withdraw!" instructed Hillary.
Squirtle's head and limbs shrunk into its shell as Snubbull rammed it with its Tackle attack. Even though the shell was sent flying, Squirtle didn't take any damage.
"Squirtle, Water Gun attack!" ordered Hillary.
Squirtle's head and limbs shot back out of the shell and it fired a blast of water from its mouth at Snubbull, scoring a direct hit.
"Squirtle's Water Gun soaks Snubbull!" said the announcer.
Snubbull and Squirtle both landed on their feet.
"Snubbull, use Scary Face!" commanded Stacy.
Snubbull ran toward Squirtle. Then, when it came close, it made a very angry and scary face that frightened Squirtle so much that it was sent rolling backward in fear.
"Hang on, Squirtle," encouraged Hillary.
"All right, now Lick attack!" called Stacy.
Snubbul came close to a surprised Squirtle again, and used its tongue to lick Squirtle, scaring it even more.
Tristan and the Kimono Sisters made grimaces as they watched.
"Snubbull's Scary Face and Lick attacks have Squirtle scared stiff!" said the announcer.
Sure enough, that's what happened, for Snubbull's combination attack had left Squirtle paralyzed with fear.
"That's a great combo," remarked Tristan. "This particular Snubbull not only looks intimidating, but is, especially since its Scary Face and Lick attacks can do a lot of damage in a short time."
"Come on, Squirtle, you can do it!" encouraged Hillary.
Squirtle struggled back on its feet and awaited Hillary's next direction.
"Snubbull, let's not draw this out any longer, so let's use another Tackle attack," instructed Stacy.
"Squirtle, use your Skull Bash!" commanded Hillary.
Both Pokémon charged at one another, but Squirtle glowed in a silver aura.
"Snubbull uses Tackle while Squirtle counters with Skull Bash," said the announcer. "Who will come out on top in this battle?"
Both Pokémon collided, but Squirtle's Skull Bash proved to be more powerful as Snubbull was sent flying into one of the stadium walls.
"No, Snubbull!" cried Stacy.
Snubbull landed hard on the ground with a thud and had a dazed expression in its eyes. It had been knocked out.
"Snubbull is unable to battle...Squirtle is the winner, and the second-round victory goes to Hillary from New Bark Town!" declared the referee as he raised his green flag in Hillary's direction.
(Music Cue: Ending 1997-1998 (as heard in "Fowl Play"))
The crowd roared in excitement as Tristan and the Kimono Sisters proudly looked on.
"Hillary scores another decisive victory!" said the announcer. "She will advance to round three."
Hillary picked up Squirtle and held it in her arms. "You were just great, Squirtle," said Hillary. And she happily embraced it.
"I knew Hillary could do it," said Tristan.
"She's proven to be a great Trainer," remarked Satsuki. "And she gets better and better with every battle."
"I agree," added Sakura. "She really knows what she's doing."
I think the Little Cup was a great idea, thought Tristan. She'll gain more and more battling experience, and she'll grow even closer with her Pokémon. She's been battling like a true champion ever since the Little Cup began
"Trainers and spectators, round three begins bright and early tomorrow," said the announcer. "So rest up, and be ready for even more action tomorrow than there was today!"
The crowd continued to roar in excitement as Hillary and Stacy exited the stadium.
"I didn't think your Squirtle would beat that Snubbull's Scary Face and Lick combination," said Sakura to Hillary that evening at the Pokémon Center.
"Well, it was pretty scary," replied Hillary.
"You should be proud of yourself, sis," said Tristan.
"It's all thanks to the experience travelling with you all this time," said Hillary.
"It's more than that," said Tristan. "You've trusted your instincts and believed in your Pokémon."
"Tristan's right," said Satsuki.
"Couldn't agree more," added Sumomo.
"Well said," put in Tamao.
"Yeah," finished Koume.
Presently, the screen flashed as Nurse Joy made the announcement over the P.A. system.
"May I have your attention please?" said Nurse Joy. "The cards are all in place for the first round. Only 64 contestants remain, so be sure to give it your all as the Little Cup continues!"
"Let's go see who I face next!" said Hillary excitedly as she ran to the front desk.
Everyone else followed.
Hillary saw her picture as she looked at her match-up. She saw a young male Trainer in a camper uniform in the picture going up against her in her next match. "How tough can this Trainer be?"
"I don't know, Hillary," replied Tristan. "I've never seen him before."
"So, you're my next opponent, are you?" said a voice.
Everyone turned around to see the boy camper just like in the picture.
"My name's Grant," said the camper. "I'm the world's future champion of all battles! And guess what? My Pokémon are gonna totally overpower yours in our battle tomorrow."
"I wouldn't be so sure, Grant," replied Hillary.
"Oh, but I am sure," smirked Grant. "This is gonna be so easy."
Hillary grunted. "I don't care how good he thinks he is. I'll show him that there's more to Pokémon despite the strengths they have."
"That's the spirit, sis," said Tristan. "Just keep on battling the way only you know how, and you can't lose."
"Right," replied Hillary.
The next morning, everyone was in the stadium eagerly watching as Hillary prepared to battle Grant in the third round.
"I'm not sure if I should believe Grant's statement as the world's future champion," said Tristan suspiciously.
"Yeah, something's not right," agreed Sakura.
Presently, Hillary entered the arena, feeling confident.
Pikachu and Togepi cheered loudly for Hillary as the crowd roared in excitement and the announcer began to speak.
"Welcome to day three of the Pokémon Little Cup," said the announcer. ""We've already seen some highly contested battles right here in this stadium. Up first is Hillary from New Bark Town. She faces off against Grant from right here in Violet City!"
The crowd roared in excitement as Grant came into the stadium to face Hillary.
"Today's the day you're going down, Hillary," said Grant. "My unbeatable team will totally agree with me!"
"We'll see about that," replied Hillary.
The referee, carrying his red and green flags, came to the podium. "Same rules as before," he said. "Each Trainer may use three Pokémon."
"Go, Cyndaquil!" shouted Grant as he threw a Poké Ball.
Grant's Cyndaquil emerged from the white light that shot out of it.
"So, Grant's starting with a Cyndaquil," said Tristan. "He must've just started out as a Trainer."
"Yeah, but I'm sure Hillary can handle it," replied Sakura.
"I choose Squirtle!" said Hillary as she threw a Poké Ball.
Squirtle emerged from the white light that shot out of it.
"Hillary made a good choice," remarked Satsuki. "Squirtle's Water-type characteristics give it a big advantage over Fire-types."
"Let the battle begin!" declared the referee as he raised both his red and green flags in the air.
(Music Cue: Raid!)
"Cyndaquil, start off with Flamethrower!" instructed Grant.
Grant's Cyndaquil ignited its flame from the four holes on its back, then it shot a powerful blast of fire from its mouth straight toward Squirtle.
"Squirtle, use your Water Gun!" commanded Hillary.
Squirtle shot a blast of water from its mouth at Cyndaquil's Flamethrower.
The two attacks collided, creating a cloud of steam.
"Squirtle and Cyndaquil prove to be strong, little battlers," said the announcer.
"I didn't know that Cyndaquil's Flamethrower could be an even match for Squirtle's Water Gun," remarked Sumomo.
"It's like Grant's toying with Hillary or something," put in Tamao.
Koume agreed. "I wonder if this is all part of Grant's strategy to throw Hillary off."
"Cyndaquil, Quick Attack!" commanded Grant.
Cyndaquil sped toward Squirtle with a line trailing behind it.
Quick Attack came very fast, too fast for Squirtle to dodge it, as it got hit hard.
"Wow, that's fast!" said the announcer. "Cyndaquil's Quick Attack scores big time!"
However, Squirtle managed to land on its feet.
"Yeah, hang tough, Squirtle!" said Hillary.
"Cyndaquil, use Flamethrower once more!" instructed Grant.
Cyndaquil shot another powerful stream of fire from its mouth at Squirtle.
"That'll be enough of that!" said Hillary. "Squirtle, dodge it and use your Water Gun!"
Squirtle jumped out of the way of Cyndaquil's Flamethrower, then it shot another blast of water from its mouth at Cyndaquil, scoring a direct hit.
"Now it's Squirtle time to take a turn as it douses Cyndaquil with Water Gun!" said the announcer.
"Hmph!" said Grant. "Fine then. Cyndaquil, return!" He took out Cyndaquil's Poké Ball, and Cyndaquil was shot back inside in a red beam of energy.
"Grant decides to switch Pokémon," said the announcer.
Grant put Cyndaquil's Poké Ball away, took out a second one, and threw it. "Go, Chikorita!"
Grant's Chikorita emerged from the white light that shot out of the Poké Ball.
"Grant substitutes Chikorita for Cyndaquil," said the announcer.
"That's great, so now, he's using a Grass Pokémon, and that's bad for Squirtle," said Sakura disdainfully.
"I'm sure Hillary can handle it," said Tristan.
"Squirtle, return!" called Hillary as she returned Squirtle back to its Poké Ball. Then she took out another Poké Ball and threw it. "Go, Cyndaquil!"
Hillary's Cyndaquil emerged from the white light that shot out of the Poké Ball.
"And now Hillary has substituted Cyndaquil for her Squirtle," said the announcer.
"You have a Cyndaquil, too?!" gasped Grant.
"Mm-hm," said Tristan. "Just like I told you. Hillary knows what she's doing."
Sakura was puzzled.
"In battle, a Trainer faces surprises of all kinds," explained Tristan. "Things like this can really put a Trainer to the test. But since Hillary saw that Grant had a Chikorita, she sent out Cyndaquil to take Squirtle's place."
"Right," agreed Satsuki. "It seems like Hillary's learned things pretty quickly in her short time as a Pokémon Trainer."
"No big deal," said Grant. "Chikorita, use Vine Whip!"
(Music Cue: Flying Poké Ball Chaos (as heard in "The Lost Lapras"))
Chikorita shot two vines from its bud necklace at Cyndaquil.
"Cyndaquil, Smokescreen attack!" ordered Hillary.
Cyndaquil shot a thick, black cloud of smoke from its mouth at Chikorita, who was left unable to see.
"Hillary cleverly uses Cyndaquil's Smokescreen to dodge Vine Whip," said the announcer.
"Chikorita, try hitting it with your Razor Leaf!" commanded Grant.
Chikorita shot a flurry of razor-sharp leaves through Cyndaquil's Smokescreen, but every last one of them missed Cyndaquil.
"Rats!" grunted Grant.
"Flamethrower!" shouted Hillary.
Grant was surprised to see Cyndaquil shoot a powerful flame through the Smokescreen to blast Chikorita with a super-effective hit.
"Surprise!" said the announcer. "Cyndaquil scores a direct hit with Flamethrower while still under cover from Smokescreen!"
"Come on, Chikorita, battle back with Tackle attack!" ordered Grant.
As the Smokescreen cleared, Chikorita charged at Cyndaquil full-body style.
"Cyndaquil, finish Chikorita off with a Quick Attack!" commanded Hillary.
Cyndaquil sped toward Chikorita with a white line trailing behind it. Its speed proved to be much stronger than Chikorita's Tackle as it successfully pushed it back, sending it flying.
"Cyndaquil manages to keep the momentum going as it scores big with Quick Attack!" said the announcer.
"Chikorita, no!" cried Grant.
Chikorita crashed into the stadium wall and collapsed on the ground with a dazed expression in its eyes. It had been knocked out.
"Chikorita is unable to battle...Cyndaquil is the winner!" declared the referee as he raised his green flag in the air.
The crowd went wild as the victory was announced.
"Cyndaquil shows how cunning it is as it defeats Chikorita with plenty of firepower," said the announcer. "Grant has two Pokémon left."
Grant returned Chikorita to its Poké Ball. "You were great, Chikorita. But now, it's time to show Hillary my latest surprise. Totodile, I choose you!" He threw his next Poké Ball.
Sure enough, a Totodile emerged from the white light that shot out of it.
(Music Cue: Johto Trainer Battle (as heard in "A Goldenrod Opportunity"))
"Grant's third Pokémon will be a Totodile," said the announcer.
"Let's see what Dexter has to say about it," said Tristan as he scanned Totodile with his Pokédex.
"Totodile, the Big Jaw Pokémon," identified Dexter. "Its highly developed jaw is so powerful, it can crush practically anything. Trainers beware: this Pokémon loves to use its teeth."
"So his team consists of the three starter Pokémon that Trainers can get from the Johto region," said Satsuki.
"That must be why Grant said his team was unbeatable," added Sakura.
"Yeah, but now, Hillary is facing a Water-type, which puts Cyndaquil at a disadvantage," reminded Tristan. "But we'll see if she has a trick or two up her sleeve that will get her through."
"Let's make up for lost ground, Totodile," said Grant. "Blast Cyndaquil with your Water Gun attack!"
Totodile fired a powerful blast of water from its mouth straight toward Cyndaquil.
"Dodge it, Cyndaquil!" shouted Hillary.
Cyndaquil, agile as ever, nimbly jumped into the air, successfully dodging Totodile's Water Gun.
"Totodile uses Water Gun, but Cyndaquil was too fast for it," said the announcer.
"Cyndaquil, use your Flamethrower!" commanded Hillary.
Cyndaquil shot a powerful stream of fire from its mouth at Totodile, scoring a hit on it.
"Cyndaquil strikes back with Flamethrower," said the announcer. "But is it enough to keep Totodile down?"
Totodile leaped out of the fire, surprising Hillary and Cyndaquil.
"Totodile, Scratch attack!" ordered Grant.
Totodile charged at Cyndaquil and proceeded to scratch it with its sharp claws.
"Cyndaquil, Smokescreen!" shouted Hillary.
Cyndaquil shot a thick, black cloud of smoke from its mouth, temporarily blinding Totodile.
"Totodile, use Water Gun to blast through that Smokescreen!" commanded Grant.
Totodile shot a blast of water from its mouth, dissipating Cyndaquil's Smokescreen defense. Then it appeared right in Cyndaquil's face, surprising it.
"Totodile's Water Gun blasts right through Cyndaquil's Smokescreen," said the announcer.
"Totodile, Bite attack now!" ordered Grant.
Totodile used its sharp jaw to grab Cyndaquil and spin it around.
"Ouch!" said the announcer. "Totodile's powerful jaw hits hard."
"Cyndaquil, no!" cried Hillary.
"Finish it off, Totodile!" commanded Grant. "Water Gun!"
And in a trice, Totodile, using its Water Gun, blasted Cyndaquil right into the stadium wall, causing it to collapse.
Cyndaquil had been knocked out.
"Cyndaquil is unable to battle...Totodile wins!" declared the referee as he raised his red flag in the air and the crowd roared.
"Folks, Cyndaquil was defeated by Totodile's Water Gun," said the announcer.
"No way!" gasped Sakura.
"Well, Water-types do have the advantage over Fire-types," said Satsuki. "So it's no surprise that Cyndaquil lost that one so easily."
"I choose Eevee!" shouted Hillary as she threw her Poké Ball.
Eevee emerged from the white light that shot out of it, and was ready to battle.
"Hillary's third Pokémon is her Eevee," said the announcer.
"Totodile, use your Water Gun now!" commanded Grant.
(Music Cue: Kanto Trainer Battle (as heard in "The Fortune Hunters"))
Totodile shot a powerful blast of water at Eevee.
"Quick, Eevee, use your Sand-Attack!" shouted Hillary.
Eevee used its hind legs and kicked up sand to block Totodile's Water Gun.
"Eevee, Quick Attack now!" ordered Hillary.
Eevee sped at Totodile as a white line streaked behind it, then it rammed into Totodile hard.
"What a turnaround!" said the announcer. "Totodile's gone from predator to prey thanks to Eevee's combination of Sand-Attack and Quick Attack."
"Hurry, Totodile, use Bite attack!" commanded Grant.
Totodile charged at Eevee as it prepared to bite down on it with its teeth.
"Eevee, use Quick Attack to get out of the way!" instructed Hillary.
Eevee dodged Totodile's Bite attack as it sped out of the way and a white line trailed behind it.
"Now finish it off with a Tackle attack!" ordered Hillary.
Eevee ran as hard and as fast as it could and rammed into Totodile hard, sending it skyward.
"Eevee scores a direct hit with a Tackle attack!" said the announcer. "This could be the end for Totodile."
"Totodile!" cried Grant.
Totodile landed head first on the ground, and it collapsed. It had been knocked out.
"Totodile is unable to battle...Eevee wins!" declared the referee as he raised his green flag.
"Eevee's maneuverability allowed it to score Hillary another victory," said the announcer.
"I knew she'd be able to make a comeback," said Tristan confidently as Pikachu and Togepi cheered loudly for Hillary.
"What do you mean?" asked Sakura.
"Well, most of Hillary's Pokémon are small, like Grant's Pokémon," explained Tristan. "But most of them can use speed attacks like Quick Attack, and that may be what gives Hillary an edge in most of her battles here in the Little Cup."
"Small, but nimble," Sakura said to herself. "I can remember that."
"Go, Cyndaquil!" cried Grant as he threw his Poké Ball.
(Music Cue: A Fight! Real vs. Copy Pokémon (as heard in "Forest Grumps"))
Grant's Cyndaquil emerged from the white light that shot out of it and ignited the flame from the four holes on its back.
"Grant's final Pokémon will be his Cyndaquil," said the announcer. "Will it be able to pull off two victories in a row after its earlier battle with Squirtle?"
"Cyndaquil, use your Flame Wheel!" shouted Grant.
Cyndaquil spun itself into a wheel and quickly rolled towards Eevee.
"Eevee, Quick Attack!" ordered Hillary.
Eevee sped out of the way as a white line streaked behind it.
"Don't let it get away, Cyndaquil!" ordered Grant. "Keep up the Flame Wheel attack!"
Cyndaquil didn't stop as it quickly changed direction and struck Eevee full force, sending it skyward, much to Hillary and her friends' shock.
"Cyndaquil's Flame Wheel scores a direct hit!" said the announcer. "This could be it!"
"Eevee, hang on!" encouraged Hillary.
"Now blast it with Flamethrower!" commanded Grant.
Cyndaquil shot a fiery blast from its mouth at Eevee.
Just as it came down, Eevee was sent hurtling by Flamethrower at one of the stadium walls and collapsed on the ground, knocked out.
"Eevee is unable to battle...Cyndaquil is the winner!" declared the referee as he raised his red flag.
"Cyndaquil's red-hot victory against Eevee leaves both Trainers with only one Pokémon left," said the announcer.
Hillary returned Eevee to its Poké Ball and held it close. "You were great, Eevee. Take a long rest." She put Eevee's Poké Ball away, took out Squirtle's, and threw it. "I choose you, Squirtle, let's do it!"
(Music Cue: Johto Champion Battle (as heard in "Dueling Heroes"))
Squirtle emerged from the white light that shot out of its Poké Ball.
"Hillary's final Pokémon will be Squirtle," said the announcer.
"Let's just hope Squirtle can help Hillary clench this match," said Tristan nervously.
"Don't worry," said Sakura confidently. "I'm sure Hillary knows what to do. You said so yourself, remember?"
Tristan gave a chuckle. "I did say that, didn't I?"
"Let's end this one right away, Cyndaquil," said Grant. "Use your Flamethrower!"
"Squirtle, Water Gun!" ordered Hillary.
Cyndaquil shot a blast of fire from its mouth while Squirtle shot a blast of water from its mouth to counter it.
Sure enough, both attacks collided, creating a huge cloud of steam.
"Both Pokémon are evenly matched!" said the announcer. "Battles don't get any better than this right here at the Little Cup in this stadium!"
"Cyndaquil, use your Flame Wheel attack!" commanded Grant.
Cyndaquil spun itself into a ball as it surrounded itself into a wheel of fire, spinning right toward Squirtle.
I can't take any more chances with this attack, thought Hillary. "Squirtle, Withdraw!"
Squirtle, on Hillary's command, shrunk its head and limbs into its shell, and when it was struck, it was sent flying.
"Squirtle's been sent flying, but Flame Wheel doesn't seem to have hurt it," said the announcer.
"Now, Squirtle, Water Gun!" ordered Hillary.
Squirtle's limbs and head emerged from its shell, and it fired a stream of water from its mouth, scoring a direct hit on Cyndaquil.
"Squirtle's Water Gun makes a clean hit!" said the announcer. "Extremely effective!"
"This battle isn't over!" said Grant. "Not by a long shot! Cyndaquil, use your Quick Attack!"
Squirtle landed on its feet just as Cyndaquil sped right toward it with a white line streaking behind it.
Cyndaquil's Quick Attack hit the mark as Squirtle was sent flying.
"Whoa!" said the announcer. "Cyndaquil's Quick Attack was so fast that Squirtle didn't have time to dodge it!"
"Hang on, Squirtle!" encouraged Hillary. "Water Gun!"
Squirtle managed to straighten itself out and shot a powerful blast of water from its mouth at Cyndaquil, scoring another super-effective hit on it.
"Unbelievable!" said the announcer. "Squirtle managed to land a direct hit while in midair!"
Cyndaquil fell to the ground, but it wasn't out yet.
"Don't give up yet, Cyndaquil," encouraged Grant. "Hit it with Flame Wheel at full power!"
Cyndaquil spun into a ball and rolled right at Squirtle as fast as it could go.
"I don't think so, Grant!" said Hillary. "Squirtle, hit it head on with Skull Bash!"
Squirtle, glowing in a silver aura headed straight for Cyndaquil and its Flame Wheel.
Closer and closer Cyndaquil and Squirtle came until...
BAM!
...both of them made contact and tried to push one another backwards in the hopes of attaining victory. But one tense moment later...
BOOM!
The two attacks coming from both Pokémon created an explosion so huge that it made the stadium shake.
"Skull Bash and Flame Wheel collide with a vengeance!" said the announcer. "It's anyone's guess who will claim this victory from this explosive result. But any second, we'll know who will win and advance to the fourth round in the Little Cup. The question is...who will it be?"
Tristan, Sakura, Satsuki, Sumomo, Tamao, and Koume all watched anxiously as the smoke cleared.
Both Cyndaquil and Squirtle were standing on their feet as they stared at each other warily.
Squirtle started to waver.
But a second later, Cyndaquil collapsed on the ground, knocked out from the explosion.
Cyndaquil is unable to battle...Squirtle is the winner!" declared the referee. "The victory goes to Hillary of New Bark Town!"
(Music Cue: I Got a Victory Badge!))
Hillary was baffled, but then she smiled at the outcome as the crowd roared the loudest it ever roared in the entire tournament.
"She does it!" said the announcer. "After a hard-fought battle, Hillary emerges victorious! Our young Trainer will proceed to round four of the Little Cup Tournament!"
Tristan and his friends breathed a big sigh of relief.
"Phew! That was a close one," said Tristan.
"You said it," agreed Sakura. "I don't know how long I could've been able to stand the suspense!"
Grant returned Cyndaquil to its Poké Ball and held it close. "Great job, Cyndaquil," he said as Hillary came to the center of the field to meet him.
"That was a great battle, Grant," said Hillary. "I've never had as tough a battle here as I did with you today."
"Thank you, Hillary," replied Grant. "You team was great, too. It looks like my team wasn't unbeatable after all. But I know they're strong Pokémon already. From now on, I'm gonna train even harder, and my Pokémon and I will get even stronger together. I hope we can have another battle someday."
"You bet," smiled Hillary as she shook hands with Grant.
Tristan and his friends smiled as they looked on.
That evening, Tristan, Hillary, and the Kimono Sisters were conversing inside the Pokémon Center.
"It sounds like you've made another new friend," smiled Tristan.
"Right," agreed Hillary. "I can't wait until Grant gets stronger. Then we'll battle again."
"It sounds like Grant learned that just having three starters doesn't always make him unbeatable," said Satsuki. "I think that battle made both of you even better Trainers today than you were yesterday."
Sakura nodded in agreement.
As did Pikachu and Togepi.
Once rivals, but now, good friends. Hillary and Grant forge a brand new friendship as she advances to the next round in the Little Cup, and the journey to the Johto League continues.
► TO BE CONTINUED