AUTHOR'S NOTE: Greetings, readers! Here is chapter 18 of the continuing adventures of Tristan, Hillary, and Pikachu as their journey through the Johto region continues. Normally, when players play in the Little Cup on Pokémon Stadium 2, Rex is seen as the eighth round opponent, but this time, I decided to have Rex move up to be Hillary's sixth round opponent in my last chapter. And I know it wouldn't be fair to have the protagonists win all the time. So I wanted to balance it out, but you'll see what I mean when you read. Also, you may recall that Ritchie in the anime has a Pupitar named Cruise. But what if this chapter showed Cruise as a Larvitar before it evolved? Veronica's mother and father, Rachael and Stuart are informally introduced in this chapter, particularly Stuart. As always, please feel free to read and review at your leisure.
TEASER: Hillary continues her battle against Rex in the quarter-finals of the Little Cup. Plus, two Team Rocket Grunts have captured a Larvitar named Cruise, and Tristan must team up with Ritchie to get it back and send them packing!
Chapter 18: THE LITTLE CUP, PART 4
(Music Cue: Johto Champion Battle (as heard at the beginning of "Chikorita's Big Upset"))
Last time, Hillary easily sailed through the fourth and fifth rounds of the Pokémon Little Cup tournament and earned herself a spot in the quarter-finals.
But her sixth-round opponent turned out to be a strong Trainer named Rex, whose Abra was psyched for battle...quite literally.
First of all, it used its Psychic attack to send Squirtle's Water Gun right back at it. Then, without missing a beat, Rex ordered a Zap Cannon from Abra, defeating it in just one attack.
Hillary decided to choose Eevee as her second Pokémon, and although it avoided another Zap Cannon, it ran right into Abra's Fire Punch, giving it serious damage!
Now, as Eevee stands completely helpless, Abra's thunderous Zap Cannon is flying straight toward it! Will Hillary be able to turn this match around and make it to the semi-finals of the Little Cup?
(Music Cue: Danger! Pikachu!)
Abra's Zap Cannon thundered closer and closer to the defenseless Eevee.
"Hurry, Eevee, you've gotta get out of the way!" shouted Hillary.
Using all the strength it could muster, it jumped high into the air and avoided Abra's Zap Cannon, but it winced in pain from the burn it had.
"Eevee manages to avoid Abra's attack," said the announcer. "But how much more can Eevee take?"
"I don't think Eevee will last much longer," said Ritchie, who was now concerned. "Especially now that it has to deal with that burn."
Tristan and his grandparents seemed to agree with Ritchie, but still remained hopeful.
"That Eevee of yours has got a lot of spunk, even with that burn," remarked Rex. "But I'm afraid that won't help you win this battle. Abra, use your Psychic attack."
Abra's eyes opened and they glowed in a red aura, and so did a surprised Eevee.
"Eevee gets caught by that Psychic attack," said the announcer.
"Now, toss it, Eevee!" commanded Rex.
And with just one thrust from its head, Abra's Psychic attack allowed it to send Eevee careening into one of the stadium walls.
"Eevee!" cried Hillary.
Eevee hit the wall hard and collapsed on the ground with a dazed expression in its face. It had been knocked out.
"Eevee is unable to battle...Abra wins!" declared the referee as he raised his red flag in the air.
The crowd cheered in excitement, but Tristan, his grandparents, Ritchie, and the Pokémon gasped in shock.
"Abra's powerful Psychic attack puts an end to Eevee's battling for the day," said the announcer. "And with that, Hillary is down to her last Pokémon."
Hillary returned her Eevee to her Poké Ball and held it close. "You were great. You earned a good rest." She then took out her third Poké Ball. "Okay, Cyndaquil, let's show Rex what a come-from-behind win looks like. I choose you!" She threw the ball.
(Music Cue: Johto Trainer Battle (as heard in "A Goldenrod Opportunity"))
Cyndaquil emerged from the white light that shot out of it.
"Hillary's final Pokémon will be Cyndaquil," said the announcer.
"Cyndaquil should be a good match-up against Abra," said Eric.
"Yeah, but Hillary's already down two Pokémon, Grandpa," reminded Tristan. "She has to figure out a way to stop Abra plus whatever Rex's next two Pokémon will be."
Pikachu, Togepi, and Sparky cheered for Hillary as loud as they could.
"You're a great Trainer, Hillary," said Rex. "But it's time for me to end this here and now. Okay, Abra, let's give Cyndaquil a taste of your Zap Cannon."
Abra held its hands together as another white orb filled with electricity. Then it fired the orb right at Cyndaquil.
"Just like before, Abra starts out with a Zap Cannon," said the announcer.
"Dodge it, Cyndaquil!" ordered Hillary.
Cyndaquil jumped into the air and nimbly dodged Abra's Zap Cannon, causing it to miss its target.
"Cyndaquil use your Flame Wheel!" commanded Hillary.
Cyndaquil rolled up into a fiery ball and rolled straight toward Abra.
"I thought you might try that," said Rex. "Let's see how fired up Cyndaquil gets. Abra, Fire Punch now!"
Abra made a fist as fire burned in it. Then it made contact with Cyndaquil's Flame Wheel, causing both attacks to make contact with one another.
"Cyndaquil and Abra collide with a vengeance," said the announcer. "But who will come out on top?"
Rex was surprised. No way! he thought. I thought for sure that Fire Punch would finish it off by now.
But far from finished, Cyndaquil hung on for all it was worth.
Just then, Hillary noticed that Cyndaquil was getting stronger because of Abra's Fire Punch. That's it! We'll defeat Abra using our own firepower. Yeah, it just might work. "All right, Cyndaquil, hit Abra with your best Flamethrower now!" she commanded.
Cyndaquil shot a stream of fire from its mouth, even in the middle of its Flame Wheel.
The force of the attack scored a direct hit on Abra and sent it flying.
"Whoa, what a hot hit!" said the announcer. "Abra's Fire Punch seems to have backfired in a big way while Cyndaquil's Flamethrower got a boost in firepower!"
"No, Abra!" cried Rex.
Abra fell on the ground and collapsed in a heap. It had been knocked out by the force of the attack.
"Abra is unable to battle...Cyndaquil is the winner!" declared the referee as he raised his green flag in the air.
The crowd roared in excitement while Tristan and the others watched proudly.
"Cyndaquil scores an impressive victory against Rex's Abra," said the announcer. "And now we eagerly await the appearance of Rex's next Pokémon."
Rex returned Abra to its Poké Ball. "Abra, great job." He turned to Hillary. "Well, Hillary, you managed to defeat a very strong Pokémon, but now, it's time for my biggest surprise." He then took out his Poké Ball and threw it.
(Music Cue: The Mighty Mewtwo)
A Pokémon with a pink polyhedral body and a blue front emerged from the white light that shot out of it. It had blue triangular prism feet and a blue triangular prism tail. It had a pink polyhedral head that ended in a beak, plus it had hexagon eyes.
"Rex's second choice is a Porygon, a Pokémon composed made completely out of programming code," said the announcer.
"I've never seen a Pokémon like that before," said Tristan as he scanned Porygon with his Pokédex.
"Porygon, the Virtual Pokémon," identified Dexter. "This artificial Pokémon was made due to extensive research. It can only perform what's in its programming."
"That Porygon looks like it's very strong," said Veronica. "I haven't seen one of these in many years, so who knows what it can do."
"Cyndaquil, use your Flamethrower!" ordered Hillary.
Cyndaquil shot another powerful stream of fire at Porygon.
"Porygon, use Conversion," instructed Rex.
Porygon glowed in a white light. But then when the light disappeared, it had the same color scheme as Cyndaquil. And when Flamethrower hit it, it didn't seem to mind at all.
"Flamethrower makes a clean hit after Porygon uses Conversion to change its color," said the announcer.
"Well, as long as it doesn't attack Cyndaquil, Hillary should be okay, right?" said Ritchie.
I don't know, thought Tristan. There must be some reason why Porygon used Conversion. Rex must be up to something.
"Cyndaquil, use another Flamethrower!" commanded Hillary.
Cyndaquil shot another blast of fire at Porygon, but when it hit it this time, it didn't seem to take any damage at all.
"Hey, what's the deal?" said Hillary. "Cyndaquil's Fire attacks don't seem to be working!"
"That's right," replied Rex. "Conversion changes Porygon's type to whatever type the Pokémon it's battling. So it's able to resist your attacks that come from that Pokémon. In other words, just because your Flamethrower and Flame Wheel attacks can work, doesn't mean that they will work because Porygon has the same type characteristics."
(Music Cue: Radio Tower Takeover)
Hillary gasped in shock.
"Now I've seen it all!" said the announcer. "Porygon used Conversion to make itself resistant against Cyndaquil's Fire attacks!"
"That's why Rex used Conversion," said Tristan. "He must've planned this from the beginning and used Abra first. He wanted to take out Squirtle at the beginning of the battle so that he didn't have any problems against any Fire-type Pokémon later on."
"This doesn't look good at all," added Eric. "As long as Rex is using that Porygon, this will be tough to win."
"Cyndaquil, hit it with your Quick Attack now!" commanded Hillary.
Cyndaquil sped toward Porygon as a white line trailed behind it.
"Porygon, use your Psychic attack," instructed Rex.
Porygon's eyes glowed in a blue color as well as Cyndaquil's outline as it was lifted into the air.
"Now toss it," said Rex.
Cyndaquil was thrown to the ground, taking damage as a result.
"Cyndaquil, get up!" encouraged Hillary.
Cyndaquil struggled to its feet.
"We're gonna have to go for it all the way, Cyndaquil," said Hillary. "Now use Flame Wheel!"
Cyndaquil rolled into a fiery ball and rolled into Porygon, scoring a direct hit.
"Flame Wheel scores big time!" said the announcer.
However, Cyndaquil was breathing heavily.
"Cyndaquil's getting tired," said Veronica. "I don't know how much longer it can keep going."
Porygon had bruises on its virtual body thanks to Cyndaquil's Flame Wheel.
But Rex wasn't concerned. "Porygon, use Recover."
Porygon's outline glowed, as did the bruises, and as the glowing stopped, so did they.
"No way!" gasped Hillary.
"Porygon uses Recover to get back on track," said the announcer.
"Hurry, Cyndaquil, hit it with Flame Wheel at maximum power now!" shouted Hillary.
Cyndaquil rolled into a fiery ball as it rolled straight toward the rejuvenated Porygon.
"Now I've got you just where I want you," said Rex. "Porygon, hit it with Tri Attack!"
Porygon fired an orb full of fire, ice, and electricity from its beak, and scored a direct hit on Cyndaquil.
"Cyndaquil, no!" cried Hillary.
"Porygon's Tri Attack scores a direct hit, causing Cyndaquil big trouble!" said the announcer.
Cyndaquil was sent flying and landed on the battlefield with a hard thud right in front of Hillary.
"Cyndaquil, please try to stand up!" implored Hillary.
Cyndaquil slowly struggled back to its feet, but its legs were pretty wobbly from the damage it took in the battle.
Tristan and his friends watched anxiously as Cyndaquil struggled on.
But unfortunately, Cyndaquil's legs gave out, causing it to collapse back on the ground. It had been defeated.
"Cyndaquil is unable to battle...Porygon is the winner...and the victory goes to Rex from Goldenrod City!" declared the referee as he raised his red flag in Rex's direction.
(Music Cue: OK! (Piano Ballad))
The crowd roared in excitement, but Hillary was left feeling very distraught from her loss.
"Rex defeats Hillary, and will move on to the semi-finals of the Little Cup tournament," said the announcer. "As for Hillary, our youngest Trainer to ever compete in this tournament, she did impressively well making it to the final eight in her very first Pokémon tournament. Let's give both Trainers a big hand!"
The crowd gave a standing ovation to both Rex and Hillary.
Rex came to his Porygon and stroked it. "Hey, Porygon, how do you feel, buddy?"
Porygon gave a happy reply.
Hillary, listening to the admiration of the crowd, forgot all about feeling sad and remembered the fun she had battling in the Little Cup. She then walked toward Cyndaquil and gently held it in her arms. "Hey, Cyndaquil, you did great. Thanks so much."
Cyndaquil gave a weak, but happy reply.
Rex walked over to them. "You were great, too, Hillary," he said. "I had no idea that you were this good with Pokémon already. That was a fine battle."
"I should be thanking you, Rex," replied Hillary. "I'll remember this battle for a long time to come."
And both Trainers shook hands.
"It's sad that Hillary lost," said Veronica. "But she's worked so hard, and she put up a great battle."
"You're right, dear," said Eric. "And she knows that she's made wonderful achievements."
Tristan and Ritchie agreed as the crowd continued cheering on.
That evening, Hillary sat in the Pokémon Center lobby alone as she waited for any news on the health of her Pokémon. She was especially concerned about her Cyndaquil, who had taken a direct hit from Porygon's Tri Attack earlier in the day. I really hope Cyndaquil and the others will be okay. I never meant to put them through this much trouble.
Tristan and his grandparents watched her from a distance.
"Poor Hillary," said Tristan. "She must still be feeling sad after her loss. Cyndaquil's defeat must've really taken a big toll on her."
Pikachu and Togepi felt sad for Hillary.
"All Trainers have setbacks on their journeys sometimes," said Veronica. "Even you had a pretty major setback after your loss against Blue in the Trainer House Stadium in Kanto."
"How could I forget that?" replied Tristan. He thought back to how Pikachu had suffered a crushing defeat from Blue's Jolteon.
Eric put his hand on Tristan's shoulder. "You know, the best Trainers learn a lot from their losses. I imagine Hillary's thinking of ways to get even stronger after today's battle."
"You're right, Grandpa," smiled Tristan. "And we all know that Hillary's battling spirit will be restored."
Veronica agreed.
Tristan then noticed that Ritchie had disappeared. "Hey, where'd Ritchie go?"
"I think he went outside to relax," replied Veronica.
Tristan understood. He knew that Trainers needed to rest every once in a while.
Hillary sighed as she waited. To her, it was like waiting for news of a friend in the hospital.
Just then, Nurse Joy came out of the operating room.
Hillary quickly came to her. "How are the Pokémon, Nurse Joy?" she asked.
"Your Pokémon are recovering nicely," answered Nurse Joy. "All they need is a good night's sleep, and they'll be fine tomorrow."
Hillary smiled. "Thanks so much, Nurse Joy."
"It's my pleasure," replied Nurse Joy. And she walked off.
Tristan and the others came to Hillary.
"Hey, guys," said Hillary. "What are you all doing here?"
"We just wanted to check up on you and make sure you're okay," explained Veronica.
"I'm fine, thank you," said Hillary. "Cyndaquil and the others will be good as new tomorrow."
"That's good," replied Tristan.
Presently, Rex came in. "Hi, Hillary. How are your Pokémon?"
"Oh, hi, Rex," said Hillary. "My Pokémon are doing well. After a good night's sleep, they'll feel stronger than ever."
"I'm so pleased to hear it," smiled Rex.
"There's something I've been wanting to ask you."
"Ask away."
"How were your Pokémon able to perform different kinds of attacks? I never expected your Abra to use any Fire attacks or Electric attacks."
"I'd been wanting to learn about the many attacks Pokémon can use," explained Rex. "So I went to the Pokémon Day Care near Goldenrod City and learned from the best breeders in the business...Rachael and Stuart."
"Rachael and Stuart," repeated Hillary. "Those are my great-grandparents!"
Rex was shocked. "No way! Rachael and Stuart are your great-grandparents?! Wow! I'm even happier that I got to battle you of all people today!" He continued his story. "Anyway, I've learned that your great-grandparents had been breeding Pokémon and hatching them for many years. So I asked them to hatch some very special Pokémon that could use many different types of attacks. But to do it, they needed two compatible Pokémon that could breed together and lay eggs. So I brought them in, and soon after, they gave me an egg. And that was the very egg that my Abra came out of. It knew many of the same attacks that I used in today's battle: Psychic, Fire Punch, and Zap Cannon. I'd been wanting to participate in the Little Cup ever since I met Rachael and Stuart for the first time."
"That's a great story, Rex," said Tristan. "I imagine Great-Grandma Rachael and Great-Grandpa Stuart are very happy for you." He turned to Hillary. "Hey, sis, maybe we should plan a trip to Goldenrod City and see Great-Grandma Rachael and Great-Grandpa Stuart."
"That's a great idea, Tristan," replied Hillary. "I'm all for it."
Veronica agreed. "Now that your great-grandmother's out of the hospital and taking care of Pokémon again, she'd be more than happy to see you two stopping by her neck of the woods."
Tristan took out his PokéGear and looked up Goldenrod City's location. Then he saw that another town was close to Goldenrod City. "Looks like there's another place besides Goldenrod City."
"Where's that, Tristan?" asked Hillary.
"Azalea Town," answered Tristan. "And it has a Gym. I can plan to get my next Johto League badge right there, and then we'll make the trip to Goldenrod City. Plus, Nurse Joy in Cherrygrove City said that Kurt, the Poké Ball maker lives there, too."
"All right! I can't wait!" said Hillary excitedly.
"It sounds like you two have things all planned out," remarked Eric. "Ah, the joys of being young."
"Thanks, Grandpa," replied Hillary.
Rex was puzzled. "Grandpa? Hey, you or your grandmother wouldn't be related to Rachael and Stuart would you?"
"I am, actually," replied Veronica. "I'm Veronica, Rachael and Stuart's daughter."
"Wow!" said Rex excitedly. "It's exciting that I got to battle the great-granddaughter of Rachael and Stuart, and now I meet her grandparents, too? Plus a former champion? Wow! How exciting can this get?"
"Well, there's a news break for you," whispered Tristan to himself.
Pikachu agreed.
Presently, shouting could be heard from outside the Pokémon Center followed by screeching tires.
"Give me back my Cruise, you crooks!"
Tristan and Hillary ran to the window and looked out.
(Music Cue: Team Rocket Appears (as heard in "The Heartbreak of Brock"))
Sure enough, they saw a truck with a red letter "R" speeding away as they saw Ritchie trying to chase after them.
"It's Team Rocket!" gasped Tristan.
"I think they've stolen something from Ritchie, Tristan!" said Hillary. "Come on, we've gotta go help!"
"Right!" replied Tristan. And they both raced out of the Pokémon Center.
"Hey, wait for us!" called Veronica as she, Eric, and Rex followed them.
Inside the back of the speeding truck, a small, green reptilian Pokémon was trembling inside a cage.
But in the front, two people in black uniforms were gloating after their latest catch.
"Yeah, you should've seen that kid sleeping like a baby back there," one of them said. "He and that Larvitar had no idea that it'd be swiped."
"That Larvitar couldn't do nothing except cry," added another. "Plus, it'll make us big bucks, especially when we have it participate in the Little Cup!"
And they both laughed maniacally.
Meanwhile, Tristan and his friends had caught up to Ritchie as he desperately tried to catch up to the truck.
"What's going on, Ritchie?" asked Tristan.
"It's my Cruise!" panted Ritchie. "Those jerks snuck up on us and took it away from me!"
"Well, they're not gonna have it for long," said Tristan as he took out a Poké Ball. "Charizard, I choose you!"
Charizard emerged from the white light that shot out of the ball.
"Charizard, go and help Ritchie catch up to the truck, and do what he tells you," instructed Tristan.
Charizard nodded and flew lower to the ground alongside Ritchie.
Wasting no time, Ritchie climbed on Charizard, and together, they quickly took off into the air.
Inside the truck, the unsuspecting Rocket Grunts were speeding along the streets of Violet City when suddenly, they heard a loud roar from outside.
The second one looked out. "Aah! A Charizard! And it's closing in on us!"
But before they knew what was happening, Charizard had flown over the truck, and soon passed it.
"Charizard, stop them with Flamethrower!" commanded Ritchie.
Charizard unleashed a stream of fire from its mouth right in front of the truck.
The Rocket Grunts, not wanting to be caught in the flames, braked hard and tried to swerve out of the way, but they lost control, causing the truck to fall on its side, ending the chase.
The back burst open, and a cage was seen flying out. Yes, it was the cage that the Larvitar named Cruise had been captured in.
Quickly, Tristan ran and caught the cage safely in his hands. "Gotcha!"
Charizard and Ritchie landed on the ground, allowing him to dismount.
Ritchie ran to Tristan, who handed the cage over to him. "Thanks, Tristan."
"Anytime," replied Tristan. He then noticed the Larvitar named Cruise inside. "I've never seen this Pokémon." And he scanned it with his Pokédex.
"Larvitar, the Rock Skin Pokémon," identified Dexter. "Larvitar generally hatch deep within the earth, and take a long time before coming to the surface."
In no time, Ritchie freed his Larvitar. "Are you okay, Cruise?"
Cruise gave a happy reply.
The two Rocket Grunts managed to climb out of the rubble and angrily confronted Ritchie.
"You've got some nerve ruining our good day!" burst out the first Grunt. "All we wanted to do was to use this baby for the Little Cup tournament."
"Well, this is no way to do it!" replied Tristan.
"Yeah, you can't steal Pokémon from other Trainers and you know it!" agreed Ritchie.
"Get those kids!" barked the second Grunt.
And the two Grunts charged forward.
(Music Cue: OK! (Orchestra and Guitar (as heard in "Fight for the Light")))
Cruise, however, leaped out of Ritchie's hands and executed a Headbutt attack that knocked them for a loop.
Veronica was impressed. "Wow, that's strong!"
Ritchie stepped forward. "You two ought to be ashamed of yourselves. Cruise wants payback for being stolen after being treated in such a way."
Cruise landed on its feet in front of Ritchie as it prepared for battle.
Tristan also stepped forward. "And Charizard and I will help."
Charizard flew and landed in front of Tristan, ready to help him and Cruise.
"Are you ready, Tristan?" asked Ritchie.
"Yeah!" replied Tristan.
"Oh yeah?" said the first Rocket Grunt. "We'll see how ready you really are." He threw his Poké Ball. "Go, Arbok!"
"You, too, Raticate, go!" shouted the second Rocket Grunt as he threw his Poké Ball.
A purple cobra-like Pokémon and a brown ratlike Pokémon emerged from the white lights that shot out of them.
"All right, go get them, Charizard!" commanded Tristan.
"You can handle them, Cruise!" added Ritchie.
Charizard and Cruise flew into battle.
"Arbok, Bite attack!" ordered the first Rocket Grunt.
Arbok charged forward and proceeded to use its fangs to bite down on Cruise.
"Cruise, use Headbutt!" commanded Ritchie.
Cruise charged at Arbok and used its rock-hard head to score a direct hit on Arbok.
Arbok fell to the ground.
The first Rocket Grunt snarled. "Come on, you good-for-nothing cobra, get up and fight right, will ya?!"
"Go, Raticate, Hyper Fang now!" shouted the second Rocket Grunt.
Raticate's fangs glowed as it charged at Charizard.
"Charizard, Flamethrower!" ordered Tristan.
Charizard shot a hot stream of fire from its mouth right at Raticate, scoring a direct hit on it.
Ritchie smiled and turned to Tristan. "You're a great Trainer, Tristan."
"Thanks, Ritchie, you're not so bad yourself," replied Tristan. Then he noticed that Arbok was headed toward Cruise. "Look out, here comes Arbok!"
"Dodge it, Cruise!" shouted Ritchie.
Cruise heard Ritchie's shout and avoided Arbok just in time.
"Go, Cruise, use Sandstorm!" commanded Ritchie.
Cruise's eyes flashed blue, then it whipped up a sandstorm from its body, buffeting Arbok, and sending it backward.
"Great job, Cruise!" commended Ritchie.
Cruise landed neatly on its feet and gave a determined reply. But suddenly, it began to glow in a white light.
Everyone was surprised, especially Ritchie.
"Whoa, check out that Larvitar!" gasped Hillary.
"It must be evolving!" added Veronica.
As Cruise evolved, it changed into the shape of a thick shell. When the light stopped, it was grayish blue, and it had two holes resembling eyebrows.
"This is awesome!" said Ritchie. "My Cruise evolved into a Pupitar!"
The two Rocket Grunts growled angrily.
"This battle isn't over yet!" said the first Grunt.
"Not by a long shot!" added the second Grunt. "They can't beat us if we attack them together!"
"Attack!"
Arbok and Raticate charged at the newly evolved Pupitar.
"Get 'em, Cruise!" commanded Ritchie.
Cruise charged at Arbok and Raticate and rammed into them hard, sending them flying into the Grunts.
"Let's finish this," said Ritchie.
"Yeah," agreed Tristan. "Pikachu!"
"Sparky!" called Ritchie.
Pikachu and Sparky jumped in front of their Trainers and awaited their directions.
"Double Thunderbolt!" commanded Tristan and Ritchie together.
Pikachu and Sparky shot bolts of electricity from their bodies and scored a direct hit on the Rocket Grunts and their Pokémon, causing an explosion and sending them blasting off into the sky.
DING!
Ritchie turned to his Pupitar. "You were amazing, Cruise."
Cruise gave a happy reply.
Tristan took out his Pokédex and scanned Cruise on it.
"Pupitar, the Hard Shell Pokémon," identified Dexter. "Pupitar is encased in a nearly indestructible shell and has enough power to topple a mountain."
Hillary walked up to Tristan and Ritchie. "I feel a lot better now thanks to that battle. And now, I can't wait to get back to training."
"That's the spirit, sis!" said Tristan. "What do you say we all head on back to the Pokémon Center and rest up?
Everyone agreed.
(Music Cue: I Got a Victory Badge!)
The next day in the stadium, the Little Cup ended with Rex reaching the top as the crowd cheered.
Everyone else watched proudly.
"The Little Cup tournament draws to a close," said the announcer. "Trainers have battled with amazing skills using Pokémon with very little battling experience, and one Trainer had the skills to show off exemplary breeding. We now present the victor of the Little Cup, Rex from Goldenrod City!"
Everyone cheered as an official handed him a trophy. It was shaped like a golden cup with an egg inside it.
"Rex certainly deserved that trophy," said Hillary. "Great-Grandma Rachael and Great-Grandpa Stuart would be very proud of him, even if I didn't win it myself."
Tristan, his grandparents, and Ritchie agreed.
Later, everyone was saying their goodbyes as they prepared to leave Violet City.
"I think I'll head to the Whirl Islands and do some research on that mysterious Pokémon," said Ritchie. "I learned so much battling with you and alongside you, Tristan."
"I am, too, Ritchie," replied Tristan. "Best of luck with your research."
"Thanks a lot," replied Ritchie. "Catch you later!" And he and Sparky waved goodbye as they left.
"Bye, Ritchie! Bye, Sparky!" called Tristan and Hillary as they waved back.
Pikachu and Togepi waved goodbye to Sparky as it and Ritchie disappeared from view.
Veronica and Eric turned to Tristan and Hillary.
"We should get back home," said Eric.
"Right," added Veronica. "I'm sure you kids have places to go, too."
"Yes!" said Tristan excitedly. "Next stop: Azalea Town!"
He and Hillary each gave Veronica and Eric hugs.
"Thanks a lot for coming to watch me battle in the Little Cup," said Hillary.
"You're welcome, kids," replied Veronica and Eric. "Take care."
"Bye, Grandma! Bye, Grandpa!" called Tristan and Hillary. "We love you!" And they waved as they left.
Veronica and Eric waved back until Tristan and Hillary were out of sight.
The Pokémon Tournament Little Cup has come to a close, and Hillary battled bravely in her first official tournament. But now, the focus has turned back to their journey as Tristan and Hillary begin their trek to the next Johto League Gym in Azalea Town.
(Music Cue: The Moon Stone)
Meanwhile, on a remote island in the Whirl Islands, night had fallen. The moon and the stars were shining brightly, and the wind and the sea were calm.
A Lugia and its two babies were sleeping close to one another on the island. Sure enough, it was the same two babies that had hatched from their eggs a few weeks before.
The first baby Lugia had grown a little bit since it hatched, but the second baby hadn't grown at all.
Both babies were warm and cozy in the parent Lugia's wing.
The smaller baby Lugia slept peacefully as it thought back to the morning when it first met Tristan and Pikachu. It stirred in its sleep as that memory entered its mind. Tristan... it whispered to itself. It didn't realize that it was the one who spoke telepathically. I wish...I could see you again.
But unbeknownst to the baby Lugia and the rest of its family, the Silver Wing that it had dropped on Ogi Isle suddenly and magically began to glow in a strange white light, as if a response to the baby's wish. And as its yearning to see Tristan again grew stronger and stronger, the Silver Wing glowed brighter and brighter. The glowing seemed to last forever.
Presently, the baby Lugia woke up to the bright glow of its Silver Wing and became much alarmed. It had never seen anything quite like that before. Whoa! What's going on?! Then it suddenly realized that it said those very words all by itself. Hey, I can speak human language!
► TO BE CONTINUED