AUTHOR'S NOTE: Greetings, readers! Here is chapter 46 of the continuing adventures of Tristan, Hillary, and Pikachu as they continue their journey through the Johto region. I was inspired by the episode: "The Grass Route" to write this chapter that features a Water Pokémon Tournament. I mentioned in the first chapter that Hillary would be participating in various tournaments throughout this story, and I figured she was long overdue to battle in another one. Also, you may recall Christopher and Harrison from the Whirl Cup tournament. They make appearances in this chapter. I hope you enjoy reading this chapter. Feel free to leave responsible reviews, too.
TEASER: Tristan and Hillary participate in the Water Pokémon Tournament. Which Trainer out of many others will win and earn the collection of Water Stones?
Chapter 46: WATER THE CHANCES?
(Music Cue: Opening & Title Screen 1997-1998 (as heard in "The Battle of the Badge"))
Our heroes have stopped at a mountain stream. It's here that the Water Pokémon Tournament is about to take place.
"I can't wait to start battling!" said Hillary excitedly as she and Tristan walked over to the stream. "Squirtle and I are gonna take it all the way!"
Togepi seemed to agree with her.
"You certainly seem confident," replied Tristan. "When you battled in that Little Cup tournament in Violet City, I wanted to start participating in tournaments like that one."
"What do you mean, Tristan?"
"What I mean to say is that I want to participate in this tournament, too!" said Tristan as he started to get excited. "And with Totodile on the team, we can improve our chances!"
Pikachu was getting excited, too.
Hillary was a little perplexed. "Wow. There's something new." She didn't expect that.
"Come on, let's go register for the Water Pokémon tournament!" suggested Tristan. "Then we'll find out which of us deserves to be called the best Water Pokémon Trainer!" And he and Pikachu ran posthaste to the site where the competition would take place.
"Oh, boy," said Hillary to herself. "I'd better watch out for him." And she and Togepi followed suit.
There was a crowd of people waiting to register for the tournament. They all had Water Pokémon; some were bigger than others, but their Trainers were just as excited about the tournament as they were.
Tristan and Hillary eventually made it to the counter to register.
A lady greeted them warmly. "Welcome to the Water Pokémon tournament. Which one of your Pokémon will you be registering today?"
"You mean we can only choose one Water Pokémon?" asked Hillary.
The lady nodded. "This tournament rules say that only one Water Pokémon can be used at a time."
"What should I do, Tristan?" asked Hillary. "Lapras and Squirtle are both great Water Pokémon, but I can't decide which one I should use."
"First of all, stay calm," suggested Tristan. "Second, think about the advantages your Water Pokémon have. I think it's best to use a Pokémon that can battle on both water and land...like Totodile." And he took out his Lure Ball.
The Lure Ball opened and Totodile emerged from the white light that shot out of it.
Totodile was obviously very happy to see Tristan.
Tristan came to the counter and registered first. "I'm gonna use Totodile for this competition."
"Very good," said the lady as she wrote the entry down. "Who's next?"
Hillary came forward and sent Squirtle out of its Poké Ball. "I'm gonna use Squirtle as my partner."
"Good choice," smiled the lady as she wrote the entry down.
"Well, Hillary, you made a good decision," said Tristan. "Let's give it our all."
"You're on!" agreed Hillary as she and Tristan shared a fist bump.
But first, let's agree to take turns hanging out with Pikachu and Togepi.
"It's a deal," agreed Hillary.
But before they could shake on it, Pichu emerged from one of Hillary's Poké Balls and enthusiastically shocked them, causing them to yell out in pain.
They all collapsed on the ground after the shock was over.
"Yup," said Hillary, who was in a slight daze. "Pichu's as ecstatic about this as I am."
Tristan nodded in agreement.
(Music Cue: Bug Catching Contest (higher-pitched (as heard in "Beauty and the Breeder")))
"Welcome! Welcome one and all!" An announcer spoke on the microphone to the joy of many people in the audience. "Welcome to the Water Pokémon Tournament. The rules are very simple. Each Trainer that has registered is allowed the usage of only one Pokémon, and the Pokémon they use must have Water-type characteristics. All Trainers will be using the nearby piers as the battlefield. The battlefield will consist of many platforms, which the Trainers and Pokémon must adapt to in order to win. Winning Trainers will advance in the tournament; losing Trainers will be eliminated."
Tristan and Hillary looked at the Trainers they would be facing.
"Well, sis, not much competition so far," said Tristan. "But let's not get overconfident."
Hillary nodded in agreement.
"Thirty-two Trainers have registered for this event," continued the announcer. "And the winner will receive a collection of Water Stones!"
"Grandma would sure love one of those," said Hillary.
The tournament began a few moments later.
"All right," said the announcer, "let's get down to business and introduce the first two Trainers...Tristan and Adam!"
The field had multiple floating platforms, including two for each Trainer to stand on.
Tristan positioned himself on the green platform while Adam positioned himself on the other as Hillary, Pikachu, and Togepi watched from the crowd of people.
The referee was ready to judge the match. "Ready...begin!"
(Music Cue: Let's Run! (as heard in "A Dairy Tale Ending"))
"Totodile, I choose you!" shouted Tristan as he threw his Lure Ball.
Totodile emerged from the white light that shot out of it.
"Go, Seel!" shouted Adam as he threw his Poké Ball.
His Seel emerged from the light that shot out of it.
"Let's wrap this up fast, Totodile," said Tristan.
Totodile nodded and charged into battle.
"Seel, Ice Beam now!" commanded Adam.
Seel shot an icy cold beam of energy from its horn directly at Totodile, but Totodile was too quick for it to connect as it jumped from one platform to the other.
"Totodile, Water Gun now!" ordered Tristan.
Totodile took a deep breath, then it shot a blast of water from its mouth at Seel, scoring a direct hit on it.
Seel was blasted into Adam, causing them both to knock each other out.
"Seel is unable to battle...Totodile is the winner!" declared the referee as he raised his green flag in the air.
"Tristan and his Totodile make quick work out of their opponent and score their first round victory," said the announcer.
"Great job, Totodile," said Tristan.
Totodile jumped up and down. It was pleased with the easy win.
"Well, I'm up next, guys," said Hillary. "Wish me luck."
Pikachu and Togepi each gave Hillary a high-five.
Next, Hillary faced off against a female Trainer named Kayzie.
"Okay, Squirtle, go!" shouted Hillary as she threw her Poké Ball.
Squirtle emerged from the white light that shot out of it.
"Go, Magikarp!" yelled Kayzie as she threw her Poké Ball.
Her Magikarp emerged from the white light that shot out of it, but it seemed to flail about on the platform pathetically.
Tristan hit his face in embarrassment. "How humiliating," he said.
Pikachu and Togepi nodded in agreement.
But Hillary was most annoyed.
The referee began the match.
"Come on, Squirtle, get in there!" yelled Hillary.
Squirtle charged into battle and used a Tackle attack on Magikarp.
Magikarp was knocked out in just one attack.
"Magikarp is unable to battle...Squirtle is the winner!" declared the referee as he raised his red flag in Hillary's direction.
The crowd cheered and applauded for Hillary and Squirtle, who also scored another easy victory.
Tristan and Totodile easily defeated a Krabby in the top 16 and a Shellder in the quarter-finals.
Hillary and her Squirtle defeated a Goldeen in the top 16 and a Poliwag in the quarter-finals just as easily.
They had both made it to the semifinals while still maintaining their friendship.
"Well, Hillary, it looks like your Squirtle's handling things like a champ," said Tristan. "You should be very proud. Professor Oak certainly made the right decision to give it to you."
"Thanks, Tristan," replied Hillary. "Your Totodile's not so bad yourself. But don't expect me to go easy on you just because we're brother and sister."
"Right," agreed Tristan. "Let's get through the semifinals first. Then we'll see what happens."
Tristan and Hillary exchanged another fist bump as the first match-up of the semifinals was announced.
"The first match of the semifinals will now begin!" said the announcer. "It's Tristan and Totodile versus Christopher and Kingdra!"
"Kingdra," said Tristan to himself. "This'll be tough. But we can do it, right, Totodile?"
Totodile nodded in agreement.
In a few moments, Tristan and Christopher faced each other on opposite sides of the field.
"Go get 'em, Tristan!" cheered Hillary.
Pikachu and Togepi cheered in agreement.
"Both Trainers are ready to battle it out to see who makes it into the finals!" said the announcer.
"Totodile, I choose you!" shouted Tristan as he threw his Lure Ball.
(Music Cue: Johto Rival Theme (as heard in "The Grass Route"))
Totodile emerged from the white light that shot out of it.
"Go, Kingdra!" shouted Christopher as he threw his own Lure Ball.
A blue, large seahorse-like Pokémon with a tightly curved tail emerged from the white light that shot out of it.
"So that must be Kingdra," said Hillary as she scanned it with her Pokédex.
"Kingdra, the Dragon Pokémon. Kingdra normally rests on the ocean floor, but in periods of high activity, even a simple yawn has enough power to create whirlpools."
"I sure hope Tristan knows what he's up against," said Hillary nervously. "Kingdra has characteristics of both Water and Dragon-types. This'll certainly make things tough to say the very least.
Pikachu and Togepi cheered loudly for Tristan and Totodile.
The referee was ready to begin the match. "Ready...begin!"
"I may have recently lost in the Whirl Cup, but there's no way we can lose to another Totodile here!" said Christopher confidently. "Kingdra, Hydro Pump now!"
Kindgra fired a powerful blast of water in a spiral at Totodile.
"Quick, Totodile, dive underwater!" ordered Tristan.
Totodile quickly dove under the surface to avoid Kingdra's Hydro Pump.
"Oh, yeah? You're not gonna get away that easily," said Christopher. "Kingdra, Twister attack!"
Kingdra spun round and round in the water, faster and faster, until it created a water cyclone.
"What a powerful attack!" gasped Hillary.
Pikachu and Togepi agreed nervously as they looked on in shock.
Totodile got hit by Kingdra's Twister and was sent flying over the water. Seconds later, it went into a freefall.
"All right, Kingdra, Water Gun attack!" commanded Christopher.
Kingdra shot a powerful blast of water directly at the falling Totodile.
"Totodile, use your Water Gun to dodge it!" instructed Tristan.
Totodile aimed its Water Gun at the water, allowing it to change direction as it fell. Tristan's quick thinking allowed it to escape injury and land neatly on one of the floating platforms.
"Phew! That was close," said Hillary.
"All right, Totodile, back into the water!" commanded Tristan.
Totodile dove back into the water and awaited Tristan's next command.
"Kingdra, dive underwater, too!" instructed Christopher.
Kingdra dove under the surface and faced Totodile.
"Now Smokescreen!" ordered Christopher.
Kingdra released a large, black cloud of smoke from its snout while still underwater, causing it to get darker.
Totodile, unable to see anything underwater, shot back out of the water and landed on the platforms.
"Looks like the battle's come to a standstill as Totodile and Tristan await Kingdra's next move," said the announcer.
I'll have to stay alert, thought Tristan. There's no telling where that Kingdra's gonna come up...or where.
This is perfect! thought Christopher. The longer Kingdra stays underwater, the more nervous he's gonna get.
Tristan slowly took a few deep breaths, letting him relax a little more each time.
Yeah, that's it, Tristan, thought Hillary. Don't let it get to you.
Tristan and Christopher stared at each other as Totodile awaited Kingdra's appearance.
"Okay, Christopher," said Tristan, "we're ready for you! Bring out your Kingdra.
"You heard what he said, Kingdra!" shouted Christopher. "Appear now!"
And with a mighty splash, Kingdra emerged from the water and readied itself for an attack.
"Kingdra, Hydro Pump, go!" yelled Christopher.
"Quick, Totodile, use Bite attack to close its mouth!" ordered Tristan.
And Totodile lunged forward and used its sharp teeth to hang on to Kingdra's snout, causing all the water inside to become blocked.
Kingdra grew larger and larger as the water continued to build up inside it.
"No! Not again!" yelled Christopher.
"Totodile's bitten Kingdra's mouth shut so the water can't escape," said Hillary.
When Kingdra grew to major proportions, Tristan was ready to release it. "You can let it go now, Totodile," he said.
And Totodile did, and once it did, Kingdra was sent spiraling into the air like a balloon losing air.
"Kingdra!" cried Christopher.
Seconds later, Kingdra appeared from way up high in the sky and landed in the water with a big splash. Afterwards, it was seen with a dazed expression in its eyes. It had been knocked out.
"Kingdra is unable to battle...Totodile is the winner!" declared the referee.
"And so, Tristan defeats Christopher and moves on to the finals," said the announcer as the crowd cheered and applauded him.
"I knew Tristan could do it," said Hillary confidently. "Now it's my turn to make it to the finals."
Pikachu and Togepi agreed determinedly.
Next, Hillary faced off against a Trainer named Harrison, who was an expert fisherman, and was wearing a straw hat.
"Well, kid, I've had plenty of experience battling against all different kinds of Water Pokémon," he said. "And yours is gonna be no different."
"We'll see about that," replied Hillary as she took out her Poké Ball and threw it. "Squirtle, I choose you!"
Squirtle emerged from the white light that shot out of it.
Harrison took out his Poké Ball and threw it. "Go, Qwilfish!"
(Music Cue: Johto Trainer Battle (as heard in "A Goldenrod Opportunity"))
A Pokémon with a spherical body and a flat tail emerged from the white light that shot out of it. It was blue on top and light yellow on the bottom, and it had sharp conical spikes all over its body.
"Who's that Pokémon?" asked Tristan as he scanned it with his Pokédex.
"Qwilfish, the Balloon Pokémon. The quills covering the entire body have evolved from scales. A Qwilfish can cause its body to swell in order to shoot its needles in all directions."
"This could be trouble," said Tristan to himself. "Hillary's never faced a Qwilfish before, and it also has Poison-type characteristics, giving it more of an advantage."
Pikachu and Togepi cheered loudly for Hillary.
"Let's get this match over with nice and quick," said Harrison. "Qwilfish, Water Gun attack!"
Qwilfish shot a stream of water at Squirtle.
"Squirtle, use your Water Gun attack, too!" commanded Hillary.
Squirtle shot a powerful blast of water to block Qwilfish's Water Gun.
"So an even match, huh?" said Harrison. "Qwilfish, Take Down attack!"
Qwilfish charged toward Squirtle at full speed.
"Quick, Squirtle, dive underwater!" ordered Hillary.
Squirtle quickly dove underwater and narrowly avoided Qwilfish's Take Down.
"You won't get away that easily!" said Harrison. "Qwilfish, Take Down again!"
Qwilfish dove underwater and charged straight toward Squirtle.
Unfortunately, Squirtle couldn't dodge it it time as Qwilfish scored a direct hit on it.
"Hang in there, Squirtle!" encouraged Hillary. "Use another Water Gun attack!"
Squirtle, still in midair, shot another blast of water from its mouth, scoring a direct hit on Qwilfish.
"Okay, you're trying my patience!" said Harrison, who by this time was getting frustrated. "Qwilfish, Pin Missile attack!"
Qwilfish began to swallow water at a breakneck clip.
"What now?" asked Hillary.
"Qwilfish must be getting ready for a Pin Missile attack," said Tristan nervously. "The more water it takes in, the faster the speed of its pins. This turn of events is really gonna put Hillary's reaction time to the test."
Pikachu and Togepi cheered even more loudly for Hillary as Qwilfish continued to swallow water at an alarming rate.
Qwilfish swallowed as much water as it could; its body was now bigger than a beach ball.
"Qwilfish, Pin Missile attack now!" ordered Harrison.
Qwilfish glowed and fired multiple white needles at Squirtle, causing it to shrink back down to normal.
But the speed of Qwilfish's Pin Missile was faster than Hillary and Squirtle had anticipated.
"Squirtle, Withdraw!" shouted Hillary.
Squirtle withdrew its limbs and head into its shell as its body glowed in a blue aura.
However, Qwilfish's Pin Missle scored a direct hit on it, sending it flying, much to Hillary's surprise.
"Squirtle!" cried Hillary.
"Looks like that Pin Missile did a lot of damage," said Tristan worriedly. "Hillary'd better think fast if she wants to win this."
"Okay, Squirtle, shoot your Water Gun toward the water!"
(Music Cue: S.S. Aqua (as heard in "The Fire-ing Squad"))
Squirtle fired another blast of water from its mouth directly at the water, causing it to do a backflip. Amazingly enough, it managed to land neatly on one of the floating platforms.
"Yeah, awesome, Squirtle!" commended Hillary.
"Not bad, kid," grumbled Harrison.
"Now that's more like it," smiled Tristan.
Pikachu and Togepi nodded in agreement.
"Qwilfish, use Take Down again!" ordered Harrison.
Qwilfish charged straight toward Squirtle again.
"Squirtle, use Rapid Spin!" commanded Hillary.
Squirtle's head and limbs disappeared into its shell, and it spun faster and faster to match Qwilfish's Take Down speed for speed until they collided into one another. Sure enough, those two were evenly matched.
"Looks like it's over, kid," said Harrison.
"This battle's still on, Harrison," replied Hillary. "Okay, Squirtle, spin faster!"
Squirtle spun faster, and sure enough, Qwilfish was pushed back.
"Send it airborne with another Water Gun!" ordered Hillary.
Squirtle shot another blast of water at Qwilfish, scoring a direct hit on it, sending it skyward.
"Qwilfish!" cried Harrison.
"Hurry, Squirtle, finish it off with Skull Bash!" shouted Hillary.
Squirtle jumped upward out of the water as it glowed in a silver aura and scored a huge direct hit on Qwilfish, sending it even higher into the sky.
"Aaah! No!" cried Harrison.
Qwilfish flew higher and higher until the force of gravity sent it plummeting into the water below with a big splash. When the water cleared, Qwilfish had a dazed expression in its eyes. It had been knocked out.
"Qwilfish is unable to battle...Squirtle is the winner!" declared the referee as the crowd cheered and applauded.
"Oh, why me?" grumbled Harrison as he sunk to his knees.
"Hillary defeats Harrison and will now face Tristan in the final match of the Water Pokémon Tournament!" said the announcer.
"Well, Hillary has proven that she'll be tough to beat," smiled Tristan. "We'll see what happens in the finals."
"Well, Tristan, it's you and me," said Hillary as they met a few moments later. "How does it feel to face off against a sibling?"
"Well, I was certainly impressed with your Squirtle's performance," replied Tristan. "But don't expect me to go easy on you just because we're brother and sister."
"I wouldn't want you to," said Hillary. "Let's give it all we've got, and no matter what happens, we're both winners."
"Right," agreed Tristan as he and Hillary shook hands. "Pikachu and Togepi, cheer really loud for the both of us."
Pikachu and Togepi nodded and agreed.
"All right, folks, this is it: the moment you've all been waiting for!" said the announcer. "Two Trainers who are brother and sister. It's Tristan from New Bark Town and Hillary, also from New Bark Town. Whoever wins this wins the Water Stones!"
(Music Cue: Kanto Gym Leader Battle (as heard in "One Trick Phony"))
"Totodile, I choose you!" shouted Tristan as he threw his Lure Ball.
"Squirtle, go!" shouted Hillary as she threw her Poké Ball.
Totodile and Squirtle emerged from the white lights that shot out of the two Balls.
"Here I come, Hillary," said Tristan.
"Bring it on!" replied Hillary eagerly.
"Ready...begin!" shouted the referee as he raised his two flags in the air.
"Totodile, Water Gun attack!" commanded Tristan.
Totodile shot a blast of water from its mouth at Squirtle.
"Squirtle, Water Gun, too!" commanded Hillary.
Squirtle shot a blast of water to block Totodile's Water Gun.
Both attacks collided.
Totodile and Squirtle did everything in their power in an attempt to push the other's attack back. It was like playing a game of tug-of-war.
"Folks, we've got a really good battle going on here!" said the announcer excitedly. "Neither Squirtle nor Totodile are giving as much as an inch. It seems as if both Trainers are pushing their Pokémon and each other to battle at their very best!"
"Totodile, Bite attack now!" ordered Tristan.
Totodile charged forward and proceeded to bite Squirtle with its teeth.
"Squirtle, Withdraw!" instructed Hillary.
Squirtle shrunk its head and limbs inside its shell as its body glowed in a blue aura.
Totodile's Bite attack was stopped in its tracks.
"Good defense, sis," said Tristan.
"Thanks, Tristan," replied Hillary. "But don't think for a second that we're finished."
"Right back at you," agreed Tristan. "Totodile, use another Water Gun attack!"
Totodile shot another powerful blast of water from its mouth and sent Squirtle's shell skyward.
"Totodile's Water Gun scores a direct hit!" said the announcer.
"Don't give in, Squirtle!" encourage Hillary. "Battle back with your Skull Bash!"
Squirtle appeared out of the sky surrounded by a silver aura, scoring a huge direct hit on Totodile.
"Totodile!" cried Tristan.
"Yeah!" said Hillary excitedly.
"Whoa!" said the announcer. "Squirtle evens the score with Skull Bash!"
Totodile crash-landed on one of the floating platforms.
"Totodile, are you okay?" asked Tristan.
Totodile managed to get back on its feet.
"Well, Tristan, I must admit, your Totodile's stronger than I thought," commended Hillary. "You certainly raised it well. It took on Squirtle's Skull Bash and is still ready to battle."
"Your Squirtle's pretty good, too, sis," replied Tristan. "I can see why Professor Oak handed it to you as your first Pokémon. Now, let's finish this battle."
"Okay!" said Hillary. "Squirtle, Water Gun!"
(Music Cue: OK! (Orchestra & Guitar (as heard in "Sick Daze")))
Squirtle shot another powerful blast of water from its mouth straight toward Totodile.
"Totodile, Scratch attack!" ordered Tristan.
Totodile dodged Water Gun, lunged toward Squirtle and used its claws to scratch Squirtle.
"Squirtle and Totodile are battling hard!" said the announcer. "These two have their pride on the line."
"Now this is the way a Water Pokémon battle is supposed to be, Tristan!" said Hillary excitedly. "Now, Squirtle, Rapid Spin!"
Squirtle shrunk its head and limbs into its shell and spun faster and faster as it flew down toward Totodile.
"Totodile, Water Gun!" commanded Tristan.
Totodile shot another blast of water from its mouth at the still-spinning Squirtle, stopping it from getting closer to it.
"Those two have been evenly matched right from the start," said the announcer. "It's anyone's guess who will come out on top."
"That Water Gun may have stopped us before, but not anymore!" said Hillary. "Let's do it, Squirtle! Give Totodile your Skull Bash!"
Squirtle's head and limbs appeared from its shell and it proceeded to fly down on Totodile as it surrounded itself in a silver aura once again.
"Totodile, just give it a little bit more, let's go!" shouted Tristan.
Totodile increased the velocity of its Water Gun in an attempt to stop Squirtle's Skull Bash from getting any closer.
"Squirtle, maximum power!" commanded Hillary.
Squirtle gave more and more until finally, it was able to push through Totodile's Water Gun to score a huge direct hit on it, sending it flying.
"Wow, look at that!" said the announcer. "Squirtle's Skull Bash scores a direct hit! Could this end the battle and the tournament?"
Tristan gasped in shock, and realized what that meant. But he soon gave a smile. I guess that's it, he thought. I'm ready to accept defeat and learn from it. And I know that Totodile did its best like it always does.
Sure enough, Totodile had a dazed expression in its eyes as it kept going higher and higher in the air. Then the force of gravity sent it lower and lower, faster and faster, until it hit the water with a tremendous splash.
When the water cleared, the referee saw that Totodile had been knocked out.
"Totodile is unable to battle...Squirtle is the tournament winner!" declared the referee as he raised his red flag in Hillary's direction.
(Music Cue: I Got a Victory Badge!)
The crowd cheered and applauded loudly as Hillary gave a smile and Squirtle hopped over into Hillary's arms.
"Squirtle, that was a great battle!" commended Hillary. "You really came through."
Squirtle nodded happily as it hugged Hillary.
Tristan hopped over to his Totodile and held it in his arms. "You were great, too, Totodile. You gave it all you had out there. You deserve a good rest."
Totodile gave a weak, but happy nod as Tristan returned it to its Lure Ball.
"An impressive victory for Hillary and her Squirtle!" said the announcer. "Two Trainers as brother and sister put on a great show today. Let's give them and their Pokémon a big round of applause."
And the crowd did just that as Tristan and Hillary walked over to each other.
"Thanks for a great battle, Tristan," said Hillary. "You and Totodile made us work for it."
"I should thank you, Hillary," replied Tristan. "Totodile and I got stronger thanks to that battle, which was one I'll never forget."
And together, they shook hands as the crowd continued to cheer and applaud them.
The crowd gathered to see Hillary on the stage as the announcer made his closing remarks.
"Congratulations to Hillary from New Bark Town, who earns this collection of Water Stones for her first-place finish!"
The crowd cheered and applauded her as Tristan came to the stage to shake her hand.
"You certainly earned that victory, Hillary," smiled Tristan. "Congratulations."
"Thanks, big bro," replied Hillary. "I figured that no matter which of us won, there'd be no hard feelings, right?"
"Right," agreed Tristan.
Pikachu and Togepi watched their Trainers shake hands with one another as the crowd gave them a big round of applause.
And so, Hillary wins the Water Pokémon Tournament after a long, hard battle with Tristan while never once forgetting their undying friendship. Now it's on to Ecruteak City where Tristan hopes to earn his fourth Johto League badge. And this victory among many others is one that will get him one step closer to entering the Johto League.
► TO BE CONTINUED