AUTHOR'S NOTE: Greetings, readers! We've finally reached the 70th chapter of the continuing adventures of Tristan, Hillary, and Pikachu as they continue their journey through the Whirl Islands in the Johto region. For those of you who are unfamiliar with The Bullwinkle Show, or the cartoon characters Rocky and Bullwinkle (Rocky the Flying Squirrel and Bullwinkle Moose are trademarks of Jay Ward Productions), I decided to have Veronica and Eric do a parody of Bullwinkle's infamous rabbit-out-of-the-hat trick. This chapter is also based on my experiences with trading some of my Pokémon from my Yellow version to a Crystal version game that belonged to one of my siblings. He wanted a Charmander, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur to add to his Pokédex, not to mention its evolutions, so I was willing to help him out. As always, please feel free to read and review responsibly at your leisure.
TEASER: Veronica and Eric bring Braden and Evan to Whirl Camp as Braden asks for volunteers to battle three rare Pokémon that had just hatched from eggs that Tristan's Pokémon and Great-Grandma Rachael had been taking care of. Little do the Trainers know that the three Pokémon know big attacks.
Chapter 70: WHIRL CAMP, PART 4
(Music Cue: Opening Title 1999-2001 (as heard at the beginning of "Takin' it on the Chinchou"))
Whirl Camp has been full of surprises so far, and today, our heroes are in for a special surprise. Actually, make that four special surprises for the price of one!
"I hope they get here soon," said Tristan the next morning. "I can't wait to see them."
"Yeah, me, too," agreed Hillary. "They said that they'd show us and the other Trainers something they hope we'll really like."
Presently, they heard two voices behind them.
"Hey, kids! Watch us pull a surprise out of our hats!"
"Nothing up our sleeves!"
Tristan and Hillary turned around to see their grandparents, Veronica and Eric. Then they saw two more emerge from behind them.
"Presto!"
"It's Grandma and Grandpa!" said Tristan excitedly.
"And Evan and Braden, too!" added Hillary.
Pikachu and Togepi were also excited to see all four of them.
Tristan and Hillary gave each of them a hug as they happily reunited.
"You two kids are looking well," said Veronica.
"How have you been?" asked Braden.
"We've been doing great," answered Tristan. "I'm already the proud owner of five Johto League Gym badges."
"Congrats!" smiled Evan. "Three more to go and you'll be able to compete in the Johto League, right?"
"That's right!" replied Tristan. "And one day soon, I'll be a Pokémon Master! Right, Pikachu?"
Pikachu eagerly nodded in agreement.
"But what are you and Evan doing here on the Whirl Islands, Braden?" asked Hillary.
"Grandma had offered to be a special guest at Whirl Camp," explained Braden. "And seeing as how I was able to hatch three rare Pokémon, she and Grandpa asked if we'd like to come along, so it's natural for them that we'd accept."
"Wow, you hatched three rare Pokémon? I'd like to see them," said Tristan, who was getting more and more excited.
"Patience, Tristan," reminded Braden. "Good things come to those who wait. Although, I will be happy to tell you that your Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise helped me out a lot. That's the only clue you'll get from me."
Hmmm, thought Tristan. What could he mean by that? "By the way, guys," he said aloud, "Hillary and I have someone special that we'd like you all to meet."
Presently, a big shadow flew overhead, and when Lugia came into view, it landed not too far away.
Veronica, Eric, Evan, and Braden were all awestruck when they saw it.
"Whoa, that Lugia's huge!" gasped Braden.
"Awesome!" added Evan.
"This is our good friend, Lugia," said Hillary as she introduced Lugia to them. "It's been dubbed Whirl Camp's designated lifeguard."
"Ah, so that's the Lugia Tristan and Hillary have been telling you about," said Eric to Veronica.
"It sure is," added Veronica.
Lugia was a little nervous around the newcomers. They won't hurt me, will they?
"And it can talk, too!" said Evan excitedly. "How cool is that?"
"Don't be silly, Lugia," smiled Tristan. "They're my friends, too. This is my grandma and grandpa. And that's Evan, and that's Braden. They're two of my other siblings.
Lugia thought back to when it first learned about brothers and sisters. So Evan and Braden must be your...brothers.
"That's right, they're my brothers," replied Tristan.
So what's a grandma and a grandpa?
"They're the parents of a person's father or mother," explained Tristan. "They're very special in a child's life, and are very nice."
Lugia took a look at Veronica and Eric's smiling innocent faces; they didn't look like the kind of people who'd ever hurt it.
Presently, Veronica slowly stepped forward to Lugia, who lowered its neck. She slowly and gently touched Lugia. Then she smiled and gave a small chuckle. "I've been looking forward to finally meeting you. I can tell just by looking into your eyes that you're not only strong, but very protective and kind-hearted...just like me. And I can tell that Tristan has been a big help to you along the way as well."
Lugia was taken aback, but it seemed to be infatuated with Veronica and her kind personality.
Everyone else was surprised.
"Grandma sure knows how to turn on the charm, doesn't she?" remarked Braden.
"I'll say," agreed Evan and Hillary.
"Well, that's Grandma for you," replied Eric.
Tristan and Pikachu were a little surprised that Lugia had warmed up to his grandmother just as fast as it warmed up to them, if not faster. But Veronica seemed so happy to finally meet it that they forgot to be jealous.
Ten minutes later, the other Trainers had gathered together on the beach as Professor Elm introduced Veronica and Eric to them.
"Here's a special treat for you, kids," said Professor Elm. "I'd like you all to meet Veronica, a former Champion of the Johto region. She's been training Pokémon for many, many years, and is willing to give expert Pokémon advice. Plus, let's also welcome her husband, Eric, and two more of her grandchildren, Evan and Braden. Now let's give them all a hand."
Everyone clapped for Veronica as she stood in front of the Trainers.
"Thank you, Professor Elm," smiled Veronica. "And I'm so pleased to be here to meet all of you today. Not to mention the fact that I was able to meet a legendary Pokémon right before my very eyes."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
"Now, as Professor Elm said, I am a former Champion, and have trained with many Pokémon for many years," continued Veronica. "After Tristan and Hillary left New Bark Town to begin their Pokémon journey through the Kanto region, I had wanted to get back into training Pokémon part-time while still being able to spend most of it caring for my grandchildren. So I've been wanting to show you some of my favorite Pokémon." And she took out a Poké Ball, and it opened.
An Eevee emerged from the white light that shot out of it.
Everyone seemed to like the way that particular Eevee looked.
Pikachu and Togepi marveled at its appearance.
"Wow, look at that!" said Hillary. "That Eevee's so cute!"
"And take a look at its shiny coat and eyes," added Tristan. "That means it's been raised well. Grandma must have spent a lot of hours raising and training it."
Sure enough that Eevee's coat and eyes were shiny, and it looked like it was trained to perfection.
"As you can see, a happy Pokémon is a healthy Pokémon," explained Veronica. "So I give it delicious and nutritious meals to help it grow healthy and strong. Furthermore, it's also important to take care of your Pokémon like grooming it and giving it baths, for instance."
The Trainers seemed to be impressed at Veronica's ability to talk about caring for one's Pokémon.
Even Ed was impressed.
"It's also very important that your Pokémon gets enough exercise and rest to help balance it all out," continued Veronica. "Now, for slower Pokémon, it's easier said than done, but how you and your Pokémon adapt to certain situations makes it all the more important. But the best thing you can do for your Pokémon is to take them to Pokémon Centers on a regular basis to give them check-ups.
"Now I'd like to direct your attention to my grandson, Braden, who has some surprises to show you. Braden, dear, would you please send out the Pokémon you were kind enough to show us today?"
"Yes, Grandma, I'd be happy to do it," replied Braden. "But what fun would it be if showed them all at once? Which of you would like to be the first to volunteer to battle me?"
Everyone except Tristan and Hillary raised their hands.
Battle? What's a battle? whispered Lugia to Tristan.
"Oh, you mean a Pokémon battle," replied Tristan. "It's a form of competition where two Pokémon compete in a contest of skill and strategy to win. One or more of these Pokémon is owned by a person."
But isn't battling the same as fighting? asked Lugia.
"No it isn't," answered Tristan. "It's a great way for a Trainer to connect with their Pokémon. You can watch the battle and see if you like it."
Lugia still didn't feel so sure about the subject of battling, but it agreed to watch.
"You with the blue hair and green shirt," said Braden. "Come on over and let's have a battle."
Tristan and Hillary knew who that was. "It's Zachary," they whispered.
Zachary eagerly came up to the front. "Thanks for choosing me. Now I'd like to choose this Pokémon." He took out his Poké Ball and threw it. "Yanma, I choose you!"
His Yanma emerged from the white light that shot out of it.
"So, a Yanma," said Braden. "Interesting choice. Now here's mine!" And he took out his first Poké Ball and threw it.
A small quadruped Pokémon with a green bulb on its back emerged from the white light that shot out of it. It had blue-green skin.
"Wow, a Bulbasaur!" said Tristan. "This is a real treat!" And he scanned it with his Pokédex.
(Music Cue: Johto Rival theme (full version)
"Bulbasaur, the Seed Pokémon. It carries a seed on its back right from birth. As it grows older, the seed also grows larger."
"This is gonna be a great match-up," said Tristan.
"True, but it's going up against a Yanma, who's has Bug and Flying-type traits, which puts Bulbasaur at a huge disadvantage," reminded Hillary. "We'll have to see how Braden handles it."
"I'd like to be the judge of this match," said Veronica as she stepped up between the two Trainers. "This battle will be one-on-one with no time limit. The battle will be over when either Pokémon is unable to battle." And she raised both arms in the air and shouted, "Let the battle begin!"
"Yanma, use your Tackle attack!" commanded Zachary.
Yanma flew in and charged at Bulbasaur.
"Go, Bulbasaur, Tackle attack right back!" instructed Braden.
Bulbasaur charged full body style towards Yanma.
Both Pokémon rammed into one another and attempted to push each other back.
"You can do it, Bulbasaur!" encouraged Braden.
"Don't give up, Yanma, you can do it!" encouraged Zachary.
Both Pokémon continued to push each other back in an effort to test one another's strength.
"Those two are evenly matched!" said Hillary excitedly. "I can't wait to see what they do next!"
So this is what a Pokémon battle is like, thought Lugia to itself. It doesn't look all that bad...so far.
"Yanma, use Double Team!" commanded Zachary.
Yanma flew up and quickly made illusory copies of itself and surrounded a surprised Bulbasaur.
"I must admit, that's pretty impressive," said Braden. "But I have a way to find the real one. Mow them all down with your Vine Whip, Bulbasaur!"
Bulbasaur launched two green vines from the bulb on its back and struck all the copies. Eventually, it was able to strike the real Yanma, sending it to the ground.
"Hang in there, Yanma," encouraged Zachary. "Show Bulbasaur your SonicBoom!"
Yanma rapidly beat its wings and sent out shock waves from them, striking Bulbasaur directly.
Bulbasaur fell to the ground.
"Bulbasaur, can you get up?" asked Braden.
Bulbasaur struggled back to its feet.
"Yes, good job, buddy!" said Braden. "Now, since the weather looks so great today, what do you say we show Yanma your SolarBeam?"
"SolarBeam?" gasped Tristan and Hillary together.
Bulbasaur nodded as energy quickly gathered in its bulb.
"You should know that SolarBeam takes a while to build up," said Zachary. "Yanma, finish it off with a Tackle attack!"
Yanma flew in as fast as it could and proceeded to tackle Bulbasaur.
However, Bulbasaur was ready strike back, for thanks to the bright sunlight, it had charged up its SolarBeam attack in a matter of seconds.
"Now we will finish you!" shouted Braden. "Go, Bulbasaur!"
Bulbasaur launched its SolarBeam from the bulb on its back and scored a direct hit on Yanma.
"Yanma, no!" cried Zachary.
Everyone gasped in shock, including Lugia.
Yanma collapsed on the ground.
"Come on, Yanma, try and get up!" implored Zachary.
Yanma tried as hard as it could to get back up, but the damage from SolarBeam was too much for it to take, so it collapsed on the ground and fainted.
"Yanma!" cried Zachary.
"Yanma is unable to battle...Bulbasaur's the winner...the victory goes to Braden!" declared Veronica as she raised her arm in Braden's direction.
"Yanma, are you okay?" asked Zachary he gently cradled Yanma in his arms.
Yanma opened its eyes and gave a weak, but happy reply.
"You were great," smiled Zachary. "You deserve a good rest." And he returned Yanma to its Poké Ball.
"Wow, Braden, I never expected Bulbasaur to know SolarBeam," said Tristan as he came to Braden. "I'm impressed."
"Well, it was partially thanks to you," replied Braden. "Your Venusaur helped Great-Grandma Rachael and Great-Grandpa Stuart with all sorts of eggs that the Ditto help lay back at the daycare near Goldenrod City, and thanks to you, many of the Bulbasaur that do hatch will be stronger than ever."
"I'm just glad I was able to help," replied Tristan.
I didn't like the ending part of that battle, said Lugia to Hillary. Is that Yanma hurt?
"Well, yes and no," replied Hillary. "The reason why I'm saying yes is because Yanma had taken damage from that SolarBeam. And the reason why I'm saying no is because Yanma just had no energy left to battle. All it needs to do is to rest to regain its energy after a battle like that one. It's like sleeping. And Pokémon Centers help speed up the process."
Lugia understood what Hillary was saying. That Bulbasaur did put up a great battle. And so did that Yanma. It makes me want to practice battling sometime.
Braden knelt down to Bulbasaur and gently stroked it. "Great job, Bulbasaur. You deserve a good rest, too." And he returned Bulbasaur to its Poké Ball. Then he called out, "Who wants to battle me next?"
Every Trainer except Tristan, Hillary, and Zachary raised their hands.
"All right, you in the indigo shirt this time, let's have a battle," said Braden as he pointed to another Trainer.
The Trainer came to Braden and said, "My name's Bucky, and I managed to catch this awesome Pokémon some time ago. Let me show you." And he took out his Poké Ball and it opened.
A serpentine and somewhat insectoid Pokémon emerged from the white light that shot out of it. Its underbelly was blue, and it had short white wings.
"Who's that Pokémon?" wondered Tristan as he scanned it with his Pokédex.
"Dunsparce, the Land Snake Pokémon. When discovered, the Dunsparce uses its tail to burrow into the earth and evade capture."
"That's a nice Dunsparce," remarked Braden. "Now I want to test this Pokémon in battle." And he took out his second Poké Ball and it opened.
A tiny blue turtle-like Pokémon emerged from the white light that shot out of it.
"Wow, a Squirtle!" said Hillary. "That's pretty cool, too, isn't it, Tristan?"
"It sure is," agreed Tristan.
Pikachu and Togepi also seemed to agree.
"I can't wait to see Squirtle in action," said Evan excitedly. "And that Dunsparce looks pretty strong, too."
Veronica came to judge the match. "Same rules as the last match. Each Trainer may use one Pokémon with no time limit. The battle is over when one Trainer's Pokémon is unable to battle." Then she raised both arms in the air and shouted, "Trainers, go!"
(Music Cue: Johto Wild Pokémon Battle (as heard in "Trouble's Brewing"))
"Dunsparce, use Tackle attack!" ordered Bucky.
Dunsparce charged in full-body style and rammed into Squirtle.
But Squirtle was quick to react and landed on its feet.
"Wow, nice recovery," remarked Tristan.
"That Squirtle's really good," agreed Hillary.
Pikachu and Togepi also looked on in agreement.
"That was a pretty nice Tackle attack, but now it's time for me to respond," said Braden. "Go, Squirtle, Water Gun!"
Squirtle shot a powerful blast of water at Dunsparce, but this one shot out with much more velocity., and scored a direct hit on Dunsparce, causing it to slide backward.
"Come on, Dunsparce, hang in there!" encouraged Bucky.
Dunsprace manged to get back up.
"All right, use Dig, Dunsparce," instructed Bucky.
Dunsparce jumped up and dug a hole in the ground.
Squirtle looked around and tried to see where Dunsparce was going to come up.
"What's Braden gonna do now?" wondered Hillary..
"I'm not sure, but knowing Braden, I'm sure he has some sort of plan," replied Tristan.
"Oh, yeah, Braden always thinks one step ahead," smiled Evan. "Just watch."
"Squirtle, let's go slow," said Braden. "I know how to get that Dunsparce to come up. Use your Water Gun attack to fill up that hole."
Squirtle nodded, jumped over to the hole where Dunsparce dug and shot a Water Gun attack into the hole, filling it up with amazing speed.
"Braden must be filling up the hole with water so that Dunsparce won't be able to surprise it," said Tristan. "He must be trying to get it to force it above ground."
"Yup, you got it," replied Evan. "See? What did I tell you? You should know that Braden's always one step ahead of everyone else, right?"
"Quick, Dunsparce, get out of there!" shouted Bucky.
Having no other option, Dunsparce came up out of the hole, far away from where Squirtle was.
"All right, Squirtle, let's finish it up with Ice Beam now!" commanded Braden.
"Ice Beam?!" gasped Tristan and Hillary.
Squirtle unleashed an ice-cold beam of energy from its mouth and scored a direct hit on Dunsparce, encasing it in ice and knocking it out.
"Dunsparce!" cried Bucky.
"Dunsparce is unable to battle...Squirtle wins...the victory goes to Braden!" declared Veronica.
Bucky quickly rushed to his frozen Dunsparce, but when he touched the ice, his hands nearly froze.
Braden saw that Squirtle's Ice Beam had frozen Dunsparce solid. "Oops. I guess I overdid it a little. Sorry about that. Hey, Tristan, think you can help thaw out Dunsparce?"
"No problem, Braden," replied Tristan as he took out his Fast Ball.
The Fast Ball opened and out came Quilava.
"Quilava, I need you to use your Flamethrower and help get Bucky's Dunsparce unfrozen," instructed Tristan.
Quilava shot a Flamethrower from its mouth and easily melted the ice without scorching Dunsparce.
Sure enough, Dunsparce regained its senses and hugged its Trainer.
"Oh, Dunsparce, you're okay," said Bucky as he embraced it. He then took out his Poké Ball. "You have a good rest in there, okay?"
Dunsparce nodded as it was recalled back into its Poké Ball.
"Wow, Braden, your Squirtle's really something, too," remarked Hillary. "I never expected it to have such a powerful Water Gun attack. And that Ice Beam was top-notch. I assume Great-Grandma Rachael and Tristan's Blastoise had something to do with it, right?"
"Yup, you're catching on," smiled Braden. "Blastoise is one of Tristan's most powerful Pokémon, and the Squirtle that hatched from one of those eggs really knew how to battle. So Great-Grandma suggested that I help take care of it and train it. It always has energy to burn, right Squirtle?"
Braden's Squirtle nodded as it jumped up and down.
"All right, I'm looking for one more volunteer to battle me," said Braden. "Who's itching for a battle?"
The Trainers raised their hands again.
"I wanna battle, please?" said a female Trainer with indigo hair and pigtails. She was wearing a pink shirt.
"Okay, come on up and let's have a battle," smiled Braden.
The girl came forward. "My name's Cherry, and I come from Len Town, which is near Goldenrod City. I'm doing my best to communicate with my Pokémon psychically."
"Like Will, right?" asked Hillary.
Cherry nodded. "I've been taking lessons from Will of the Elite Four, and now I want to see how well this Pokémon does in battle." She took out a Poké Ball and threw it. "Girafarig, I choose you!"
A hoofed quadruped Pokémon with a long neck emerged from the white light that shot out of it. Its front end was yellow with black spots, and there was a white blaze on its muzzle, which ended with a round pink nose. Its tail also had a head of its own.
"I've never seen that Pokémon before," said Tristan as he scanned it with his Pokédex.
Girafarig, the Long Neck Pokémon. Girafarig has a second head at the back of its tail that bites those who approach it carelessly."
Lugia tried to get a better look at Girafarig from behind. It tried to tap it on the back by using its wingtip, but the tail suddenly lunged and chomped, and Lugia quickly drew back. Aah! That tail's alive!
"Oops, I forgot to mention that Girafarig doesn't appreciate being approached from behind," said Cherry. "That's why it has a tail that bites. It comes in quite handy."
I wish I'd known that sooner, replied Lugia.
Eric turned to Veronica and whispered, "Hey, dear, why don't you go prepare for your battle? I'll judge the next match."
Veronica nodded and walked off.
Eric came forward. "All right, I'll be the judge of this third match. Braden, have you decided on your third Pokémon?"
"Yes, I have, and it's a hot one," replied Braden as he threw his third Poké Ball.
A bipedal reptilian Pokémon emerged from the white light that shot out of it. It had a primarily orange body, and a flame at the tip of its tail.
(Music Cue: Johto Trainer Battle (as heard in "Dueling Heroes"))
"Wow, a Charmander this time," said Tristan as he looked up Charmander's entry in his Pokédex.
"Charmander, the Lizard Pokémon. The flame on its tail indicates Charmander's life force. If it is healthy, the flame burns brightly, even if it gets a bit wet."
"Braden has the three basic stages of Venusaur, Blastoise, and Charizard, all Pokémon I've owned," remarked Tristan.
Pikachu seemed to agree.
"That's right," replied Braden. "And this was one of the reasons I needed your help, so that I could show the Trainers how they can battle using these Pokémon when Whirl Camp came around. So I owe you a thank-you."
Tristan smiled. He was always willing to lend a helping hand to a friend in need, especially his brother.
"Okay! Let the battle begin!" declared Eric as he raised both arms in the air.
"Charmander, use Flamethrower now!" ordered Braden.
Charmander shot a hot stream of fire from its mouth at Girafarig.
"Girafarig, dodge it!" commanded Cherry.
Girafarig jumped back and narrowly dodged Charmander's Flamethrower.
"Girafarig, it's time to counterattack, so give 'em your Psybeam!" instructed Cherry.
Girafarig fired a multi-colored beam from between the horns on its head right at Charmander.
"Charmander, dodge and use Flamethrower again!" ordered Braden.
Charmander jumped into the air and evaded Girafarig's Psybeam.
"Good, Charmander, keep it up," smiled Braden.
Charmander gave a happy reply.
"Both Charmander AND Girafarig are dodging the other's attacks," remarked Hillary. "I must admit that this battle's pretty evenly matched."
"Yeah, but what happens if Charmander can't win?" asked Evan nervously.
"I wouldn't worry about it too much," replied Tristan. "Braden's gonna be just fine. After all, he did win two battles in a row, and despite how tough this battle is, he'll still manage to make it three for three."
"Girafarig, use Confusion!" commanded Cherry.
Girafarig's eyes glowed in a blue color, as did Charmander, as it was lifted high into the air.
"Charmander, look out!" cried Braden.
"Now use your Stomp attack now!" ordered Cherry.
Girafarig jumped high into the air and used its hooves to slam Charmander to the ground, causing a cloud of dust to form.
Despite the damage it took from the attack, Charmander managed to get back on its feet.
"Yes, we're back!" said Braden. "It'll take a lot more than a Stomp attack to keep Charmander down."
"Impressive," smiled Cherry. "That Charmander of yours has been raised well. But now, it's time to see what we can really do! Girafarig, use Future Sight!"
Girafarig's body glowed in a blue color for a few seconds. Then just as suddenly, the glow disappeared.
Evan was confused. "What happened? It doesn't look like Future Sight did anything."
"That makes no sense," said Hillary. "Why use Future Sight now?"
"Well, as long as it doesn't do damage, Braden should be just fine, right, Tristan?" asked Evan.
Hmm...I don't know, thought Tristan. There's more to Future Sight than meets the eye. But Braden doesn't seem to think that Future Sight didn't just end right there.
This is great, thought Cherry. The longer Charmander stays there, the quicker Girafarig's Future Sight will kick in. And as long as Braden stays tense, he won't know when Future Sight strikes.
Sure enough, Braden didn't look relaxed at all. He seemed to be on high alert after Girafarig stopped glowing. I have to finish this up before Future Sight kicks in. "Charmander, quick, use your Flamethrower!" he shouted aloud.
(Music Cue: Opening M01C 1997-1998)
Charmander shot a powerful stream of fire from its mouth and scored a direct hit on Girafarig.
"Follow it up with your Scratch attack!" ordered Braden.
Charmander used its little claws to scratch Girafarig over and over.
But Girafarig jumped back and managed to hang in there.
"Girafarig, use your Stomp attack one more time!" instructed Cherry.
Girafarig jumped into the air and used its hooves to try and strike Charmander.
"Dodge it, Charmander!" commanded Braden.
Charmander quickly got out of the way as it continued to face Girafarig.
Just then, a strong gust of wind came and blew in front of Cherry, causing her to smile. "It's time," she said.
"Time for what?" wondered Hillary.
(Music Cue: Kanto Champion Battle (as heard in "The Psychic Sidekicks"))
Suddenly, a sphere of rainbow-colored energy came quickly and without warning, and it struck Charmander from behind with such force that it was sent flying high into the air.
"Charmander!" cried Braden.
All the other Trainers who were watching gasped in shock as Charmander landed on the ground with a hard thud.
"Wow, did you see that?!" exclaimed Evan. "Charmander just got hit big time by that super-strong blast! But where did it come from?"
Tristan, what was that? asked Lugia, who was just as surprised as the Trainers were.
"That must've been Future Sight," replied Tristan. "It's an attack that seems to occur in the future, and it scored a bulls-eye."
"Yup," smiled Cherry. "Future Sight's a time-delayed Psychic attack. The opponents always have to be on their toes because most of them don't know where Future Sight comes from until it's too late. You see, it's not a matter of if Future Sight will kick in...but when."
"Hang in there, Charmander, don't give up," encouraged Braden.
Charmander slowly struggled back to its feet.
"It's time to finish this up," said Cherry. "Girafarig, use your Psybeam!"
Girafarig fired a multi-colored beam of energy from between its horns right at Charmander.
"Quick, Charmander, use Flamethrower before it's too late!" ordered Braden.
Charmander fired another stream of fire from its mouth at Girafarig's Psybeam.
Both attacks collided with one another, creating a huge explosion that caused a cloud of dust to form.
"Finish it off, Charmander!" shouted Braden. "Use your Fire Blast attack!"
"Fire Blast?!" gasped Hillary.
Charmander jumped out of the cloud of dust and shot another hot stream of fire from its mouth, only this time, the flame had five points on it, and the five-pointed flame came hurtling through the air and scored a direct hit on Girafarig.
"Girafarig, no!" cried Cherry.
Girafarig landed on the ground with a hard thud.
"Girafarig, be as strong as you can be!" encouraged Cherry.
Girafarig struggled to get back up, but the damage from Fire Blast was too much for it to take, and so it collapsed again, causing Cherry to gasp in shock.
"Girafarig's unable to battle...Charmander wins...which means Braden is our winner!" declared Eric as he raised his arm in his direction.
Cherry helped Girafarig up to its hooves. "Girafarig, you were great. Take a long rest now." And she returned Girafarig to its Poké Ball.
Professor Elm came to face the Trainers. "Those were some pretty good battles. Although, I never knew that Braden's Pokémon had powerful attacks. Of course, I can't forget all the attacks his three opponents used. That Future Sight attack was awesome."
"He's right, Cherry," smiled Braden. "That was pretty cool. Keep up the training and you'll be a force to be reckoned with."
Cherry nodded. "I'll do my best."
Professor Elm then looked around. "Hey, where'd Veronica go?"
Tristan and the others noticed that Veronica had disappeared.
"That's weird," said Hillary. "Grandma was here a minute ago."
Presently, Veronica came running back to them. "Sorry for the delay, everyone!"
"There she is," said Braden. "Where have you been?"
"Oh, I just needed to prepare for something important," answered Veronica. "So, Tristan, what do you say to a little bonus battle against me?"
(Music Cue: Movie Title 1998 (The Beginning of the Counterattack))
Tristan, Hillary, Evan, and Braden were a little surprised by this, and so were the other Trainers.
However, Tristan grew very excited. "I accept your challenge, Grandma."
Veronica smiled. She was looking forward to having a battle against her own grandson.
"Tristan versus Grandma? This should be good!" said Hillary.
"Yeah, but Grandma will win anyway," said Evan, who gave a little smirk. "Tristan may be good, but he's got no chance against Grandma's skills."
Well, this turn of events has everyone on the edge of their seats. Veronica has just challenged Tristan to a surprise battle. What will be the end result? Will our young hero emerge victorious? Or will his grandmother's old skills be too much for him to handle?
► TO BE CONTINUED