AUTHOR'S NOTE: Greetings, readers! Here is chapter 73 of the continuing adventures of Tristan, Hillary, and Pikachu as they continue their journey through the Johto region. I decided to have Jessie, James, and Meowth appear and trick Tristan and Pikachu into getting ice cream. I was inspired by a similar scheme in the Pokémon: Master Quest episode: "Entei at Your Own Risk." However, I decided that this would be the first time that they'd try a plan like this. Of course, it took Ash a little longer to think of what to do, although he did think quickly of how to get out of his situation. Anyway, please feel free to read and leave responsible reviews at your leisure.
TEASER: After a nefarious Team Rocket scheme, Tristan finally faces Olivine City Gym Leader, Jasmine, for his sixth badge. However, he's never faced a Steelix in battle before. How will he overcome this gigantic challenge?
Chapter 73: IRON POKÉMON
(Music Cue: S.S. Aqua (as heard in "The Fire-ing Squad"))
Today, our heroes are resuming their Johto journey. But for now, they're racing for Tristan's sixth Gym battle in Olivine City...quite literally!
The next morning at sunrise, Tristan, Hillary, Pikachu, and Togepi raced toward Olivine City. Tristan and Pikachu were riding Lugia through the air while Hillary and Togepi rode on Suicune, who ran on the water.
"That Suicune's really fast!" said Tristan. "I wish I was riding on it with you!"
"Yeah, but don't forget that Lugia's really fast, too!" replied Hillary. "You and Lugia always have fun doing things together."
"Well, the Pokémon seem to enjoy it!" remarked Tristan.
Sure enough, Pikachu and Togepi were having a fun, exhilarating ride.
Well, what do you say, guys? Should we go faster? asked Lugia.
"Yeah, the sooner we get to Olivine City, the sooner I can face Jasmine so I can earn my sixth badge!" agreed Tristan excitedly. "Right, Pikachu?"
Pikachu eagerly nodded in agreement. It was just as excited as Tristan was.
All right, hang on! And Lugia picked up speed and surged ahead of Hillary and Suicune.
"Oh, yeah?" said Hillary. "Come on, Suicune, let's catch up!"
Suicune nodded and picked up speed as well. In no time, it had caught up to Tristan and Lugia.
"Last one to Olivine City is a rotten Exeggcute!" said Hillary.
"You're on!" replied Tristan.
And together, they raced over the ocean waves the rest of the way to Olivine City as the sun rose higher and higher into the sky.
"That was a nice race," said Hillary after she and Tristan made it to shore a few minutes later.
"Yeah, you almost beat us," replied Tristan. "Lugia and I had to work for that. Now, we just need to know if Jasmine's ready for us to challenge the Gym. Let me give her a call." And he took out his Poké Gear and dialed Jasmine's number.
A cute voice answered it. "Hello, this is Janina."
"Oh, hi, Janina, this is Tristan. Is Jasmine ready for a Gym battle?"
"Oh, yes," replied Janina. "Jasmine just had the last challenger waiting in line just last night, and now there's nobody waiting at the Gym, so I'll put you down at the front of the line."
"Excellent," said Tristan. "We'll be at the Gym in about 15 minutes. Let me just make sure my team's ready first."
"Okay," replied Janina. "I'll let Jasmine know so she can get ready."
"Great," smiled Tristan. "We'll see you soon." And he hung up his Poké Gear and put it back in his backpack. "Jasmine's ready for me to challenge the Gym, so let's stop by the Pokémon Center before we do."
"Good idea," agreed Hillary.
And together, they ran to the Pokémon Center posthaste with Lugia and Suicune close behind.
Lugia and Suicune eagerly waited as Tristan and Hillary sat inside the Pokémon Center.
"I heard that Jasmine's Pokémon are strong," remarked Hillary. "People say that her Pokémon are as hard as steel. That must mean she specializes in the Steel-type, which was recently discovered. What kind of strategy do you think you'll use?"
Hmmm, that's a good question, thought Tristan. I never really thought of one. "Well, I know Quilava's been doing great lately. Bayleef, Croconaw, and Lapras are doing well, too. Larvitar doesn't have as much experience with battling yet, but I've been working on it. And Pikachu's been my number one partner ever since the beginning."
"I knew you'd say that," chuckled Hillary. "So, which of your current team members have you decided on?"
"Steel gets hot after experiencing fire, so I'll use Quilava!" replied Tristan. He was now ready for his battle.
"Sounds like you're all warmed up now," said Hillary. "You just needed to warm up your brain a little bit. You know, give it some exercise so you can stop and think."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Just then, the recovery signal rang.
Nurse Joy delivered Tristan and Hillary's Pokémon to them, including Pikachu and Togepi. "Well, everything's fine. You should be ready for your big battle today."
"Thanks, Nurse Joy," smiled Tristan. "Hey, Pikachu, I want you to cheer from the sidelines with Hillary for this battle, okay? I want to try out my new strategy."
Pikachu was somewhat disappointed, but gave a nod.
"Don't worry, Pikachu," Hillary assured it. "You'll get a chance soon."
Tristan, Hillary, Pikachu and Togepi walked over the Gym while Lugia and Suicune came alongside.
Are you sure you'll be fine without needing my help, Tristan? asked Lugia.
"I'm sure," replied Tristan. "Besides, it's not like I'll be in danger or anything.
Just as Tristan and Hillary arrived at the Gym, Jasmine and Janina came out to welcome them.
"Hi, guys!" greeted Janina.
"Welcome to the Olivine City Gym," added Jasmine. "So, Tristan, I hear that you and Hillary were doing a little exploring around the Whirl Islands and picked up a few friends along the way."
"We sure did," replied Tristan. "This is Lugia and Suicune, two great buddies of ours."
"Now that's a sight to see," smiled Jasmine. "Two Trainers with two legendary Pokémon. So are either of them going to battle my Pokémon today?"
"No, I think I'll stick with my usual team," answered Tristan. "It's only fair I use my own Pokémon instead of relying on legendary Pokémon to help me get badges all the time."
"That's just as well," chuckled Jasmine. "They probably wouldn't be able to fit through the door anyway. But they can still watch the battle through those windows."
"I'm sure they'd like that," said Hillary.
Just then, two cheery voices were heard saying, "I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!"
"Ice cream? Wow!" said Janina excitedly.
"What timing," added Tristan. "Ice cream before my Gym battle."
A truck arrived and two people in front of Tristan and Hillary.
Little did they know that it was Jessie and James in disguise.
"You see, we figured you might be in for a Gym battle today," smiled James. "So we decided to give you some 'lucky' ice cream to increase your chances of winning."
"Wow, I can't believe my luck!" said Tristan, who by this time was really getting excited. "Now this is turning out to be a really good day!"
"I figured it would, so just help yourself to all the ice cream you can eat," chuckled Jessie.
"All right!" replied Tristan eagerly.
"Wait a second, Tristan," whispered Hillary. "Something's not right about those two. Are you sure you wanna do that?"
"Oh, don't worry, there's no need to be suspicious, Hillary," Tristan assured her.
"The young boy's right," said James. "You see, there's oodles of ice cream, and you can have as much or as little as you'd like."
"Absolutely, it's all you can eat!" added Jessie.
"Well, I don't know," said Hillary doubtfully.
"Well, I'm going for it!" said Tristan as he and Pikachu went into the back of the truck.
But as soon as they entered, the doors to the back of the truck closed behind them.
"Hey, who turned out the lights?!" exclaimed Tristan. "What's going on here?"
Jessie and James briefly went into their motto, throwing off their disguises in the process.
(Music Cue: Team Rocket's Interrupted Motto (as heard in "A Parent Trapped!"))
"Prepare for trouble, you're as dumb as you seem."
"Make it double, you're such a gullible team."
"Ain't life a scream?" chimed in Meowth as he stuck his head out the open window.
"Wobbuffet!" put in Wobbuffet.
"Aah! It's Team Rocket!" gasped Hillary.
(Music Cue: Kanto Trainer Battle (as heard in the Japanese version of "As Clear as Crystal"))
"Go and get 'em, Weezing!" commanded James as he threw his Poké Ball.
Weezing emerged from the white light that shot out of it and unleashed a Smokescreen at Hillary and the others, causing them to choke.
"Ta-ta, twerps!" gloated Jessie, James, and Meowth as they waved.
And with tires screeching, the truck roared away with Tristan and Pikachu still inside.
Meanwhile, inside the truck, Tristan banged on the back of the doors. "Let us outta here!" he demanded.
A small window between the trailer and the cabin opened, and sure enough, there were Jessie and James smiling triumphantly.
Tristan was very angry. "I should've known it was you three!"
"Shoulda, woulda, coulda, you're traveling with us for the long haul," smiled James.
"Tough luck, Twerp," put in Jessie.
And together they cackled as the small window closed.
"I've gotta stay calm and think fast, said Tristan to himself. "There has to be some way out of this. But what? I know!" He took out his Fast Ball and Lure Ball. "Quilava, Croconaw, come on out!"
The Fast Ball and Lure Ball opened, and Quilava and Croconaw emerged from the white lights that shot out of them.
"I need you two to help," said Tristan. "We need to get out of this truck as quickly as possible. Quilava, blast those doors with Flamethrower!"
Quilava ignited the flames on its back and forehead and unleashed a powerful stream of fire from its mouth at the doors.
The attack caused the metal to glow.
"Go, Croconaw, hit it with your Water Gun now!" commanded Tristan.
Croconaw unleashed a powerful blast of water at the glowing metal spot that Quilava made.
The water caused that very spot to rust up.
The metal expanded and contracted thanks to Quilava and Croconaw's teamwork, causing it to start cracking up.
"Way to go, guys," commended Tristan as he returned Quilava and Croconaw to their balls. Then he took out his Friend Ball. "All right, Bayleef, Razor Leaf!"
Bayleef emerged from the white light that shot out of the Friend Ball and unleashed a powerful barrage of razor-sharp leaves at the rusted spot, creating a huge hole in the back of the truck.
"It worked!" said Tristan excitedly.
Pikachu climbed on Tristan's shoulder as he clung on to Bayleef.
"All right, Bayleef, Vine Whip now!" commanded Tristan.
Bayleef launched its two vines from the leaf necklace through the hole and used them to seize a nearby tree branch, causing it, Tristan, and Pikachu to be yanked out of the truck to safety as the truck sped further and further away.
"Bayleef, you were awesome," commended Tristan as he gently stroked it.
Bayleef snuggled up to Tristan to show its affection.
Presently, Hillary and Suicune arrived on the scene, followed by Lugia, Jasmine, and Janina.
"Tristan, are you okay?" asked Hillary.
"We're fine," answered Tristan.
"Oh, what a relief," sighed Hillary. "You had me worried."
"Now that that's over, what do you say we get back to the Gym so we can have our Gym match?" suggested Jasmine.
"Yeah," agreed Tristan.
Ten minutes later, Tristan and Jasmine faced each other on the battlefield inside the Gym while Hillary watched from the bleachers.
Lugia and Suicune watched through the window as they laid low outside.
You can do it, Tristan, whispered Lugia to itself.
Janina came to the field to judge the match. "We will now begin the official Olivine Gym battle for one Mineral Badge," she announced. "You may each choose two Pokémon. The battle will be over when both of either Trainer's Pokémon are unable to continue the battle. In addition, only the challenger is allowed to make substitutions."
(Music Cue: Johto Champion Battle (as heard at the beginning of "Chikorita's Big Upset"))
"Well, I know who I'm gonna start off with," said Jasmine as she threw her Poké Ball.
A Pokémon with a gray spherical body emerged from the white light that shot out of it. It had a magnet on either side, and it only had one eye.
"So, a Magnemite first, huh?" said Tristan. "I have a surprise...Go, Larvitar!" And he threw his Poké Ball.
Larvitar emerged from the white light that shot out of it.
"A nice choice, Tristan," commended Jasmine. "Larvitar's Rock and Ground-type characteristics give you a clear edge. But don't think that it means we'll be going easy on you."
"I wouldn't want you to," replied Tristan.
"Let Round One...begin!" declared Janina as she raised both her red and green flags in the air.
"Magnemite, Thunder Wave now!" commanded Jasmine.
Magnemite shot a blue stream of electricity at Larvitar.
"Larvitar, just stand there," instructed Tristan.
Larvitar nodded and took Magnemite's Thunder Wave head on. Thanks to its Ground-type characteristics, the attack was absorbed, and it took no damage.
"Tristan made a smart move choosing Larvitar," smiled Hillary. "That Thunder Wave attack didn't hurt Larvitar in the least."
Pikachu and Togepi cheered loudly for Tristan and Larvitar.
"Larvitar, Bite attack now!" ordered Tristan.
Larvitar charged at Magnemite and proceeded to bite it, but Jasmine seemed to be ready for it.
"I had a feeling you might try that. Magnemite, Supersonic!" commanded Jasmine.
Magnemite unleashed multiple transparent rings from its eye, which hit Larvitar, who then became confused.
Larvitar had some trouble standing as it wavered from side to side.
"Larvitar, are you okay?" asked Tristan worriedly.
"That's not good," said Hillary. "Larvitar must've gotten confused by Magnemite's Supersonic."
"I warned you I wouldn't be going easy on you, Tristan," said Jasmine.
She's right, thought Tristan. Magnemite's Supersonic took us by surprise. But I know there's some way to defeat that Magnemite. I just have to think of it.
Outside, Lugia was watching through the window. Come on, Tristan. You've been in tough spots before, and I know you'll make it through this one, too.
(Music Cue: Kanto Champion Battle (as heard in "Hello, Pummelo"))
"Now it's time to go all out!" said Jasmine. "Magnemite, SonicBoom!"
Magnemite spun round and round, faster and faster, sending out white shock waves at Larvitar, scoring small, but repeated direct hits.
"Larvitar!" cried Tristan.
"Big trouble," said Hillary with concern. "Larvitar can't defend itself from Magnemite's attacks as long as it's confused."
Pikachu and Togepi cheered loudly for Larvitar, encouraging it to stay strong.
Sure enough, Larvitar found itself powerless from Magnemite's relentless SonicBoom attacks.
"Excellent, Magnemite," commended Jasmine. "Keep up the good work."
"Hang in there, Larvitar!" encouraged Tristan. "Don't give up!"
"Hey, Tristan, maybe you should switch Pokémon!" suggested Hillary. "Doing so should rid Larvitar of that confusion!"
I can't switch Pokémon now, thought Tristan. I have to save Quilava for whatever Jasmine's second Pokémon is. And there's no telling how strong it is. As long as Larvitar stays strong and doesn't give up, we should be able to win this.
Larvitar hung in there for all it was worth, even as it was getting hit by SonicBoom over and over again. But seconds later, it managed to regain its senses and awaited Tristan's next command.
Jasmine was surprised. She never expected Larvitar to recover from its confusion as fast as it did.
"All right! I knew you could do it!" said Tristan. "Okay, Larvitar, use Screech attack!"
Larvitar took a deep breath and let out an ear-piercing cry, forcing everyone to cover their ears.
Magnemite was left defenseless as it had no ears.
"Whoa, that's loud!" shouted Janina.
"What's that awful sound?" bellowed Jasmine.
"All right, now we've got 'em! Finish it off with Take Down attack!" shouted Tristan.
Larvitar charged in as fast as it could and rammed into Magnemite that it sent it flying right past Jasmine and crashing into the opposite wall.
"Magnemite!" cried Jasmine.
Magnemite fell slowly and steadily to the ground and had a swirl on its eye. It had been knocked out.
"This match is over! Larvitar and Tristan win!" declared Janina as she raised her green flag in Tristan's direction.
"Awesome, Larvitar! You did it!" commended Tristan.
Larvitar gave a happy reply.
"Phew!" sighed Hillary. "That was really close. Good thing Larvitar has a strong will like Tristan does."
Jasmine returned Magnemite to her Poké Ball and held it close. "Great work, Magnemite. You deserve a good rest." Then she turned to Tristan. "That Larvitar of yours has proven to be quite strong. You certainly raised it well. But now, it's time to move on." She took out her second Poké Ball and threw it. "Steelix, let's go!"
(Music Cue: Johto Rival Theme (as heard in "The Grass Route"))
A huge, long serpentine Pokémon emerged from the white light that shot out of it and gave a mighty roar. It had a silver gray body and a massive head.
"Wow, that's gigantic!" gasped Hillary as she scanned the Pokémon with her Pokédex.
"Steelix, the Iron Snake Pokémon. Steelix is the evolved form of Onix. It has been compressed underground, making its body harder than diamonds."
"You'd better be careful, Tristan," said Hillary. "There's no telling how strong that Steelix is."
Tristan nodded then turned to Larvitar. "Larvitar, are you okay to keep going?"
Larvitar gave a hard nod.
"Then let's do it! Larvitar, use Take Down again!" commanded Tristan.
Larvitar charged at Steelix as fast as it could and rammed into it. But as hard as it hit, the massive Pokémon absorbed the impact and deflected it.
"Well, that didn't work," said Tristan to himself.
"Larvitar may have a rock-hard head, but against a Steelix, it may not matter!" gasped Hillary. "And what's worse, I think it's that thing's turn to attack Larvitar!"
"Well, Tristan, I must admit, your Larvitar is strong, but it's time to end it," said Jasmine. "Steelix, use Iron Tail!"
Steelix's tail began to glow and proceeded to hit Larvitar with it.
"Larvitar, dodge it and use Rock Slide!" ordered Tristan.
Larvitar nimbly jumped out of the way of Steelix's attack and unleashed a barrage of hard rocks at Steelix.
"Steelix, go underground!" instructed Jasmine.
Quickly, Steelix burrowed itself underground, causing Larvitar's Rock Slide to miss its mark.
"Now where did that Steelix go?" asked Tristan as he looked all around for it.
Suddenly, the ground rumbled and roared right under Larvitar.
"Larvitar, look out!" cried Tristan.
But it was too late, for Steelix had emerged from the ground and rammed into it, scoring a direct hit.
"This looks bad!" exclaimed Hillary. "Steelix must've used Dig to launch a sneak attack on Larvitar!"
"I'm sure that took you by surprise," smiled Jasmine. "Now it's time to finish it off. Steelix, use Iron Tail. Go, attack now!"
Steelix's tail glowed once again, and it attacked Larvitar with it. This time, it scored a huge direct hit on Larvitar, sending it flying into the wall right behind Janina.
"Larvitar, no!" cried Tristan.
Larvitar had a dazed expression as it lay on the ground. It had been knocked out.
"This match is over, and Steelix is the winner!" declared Janina as she raised her red flag in Jasmine's direction.
"Excellent work, Steelix," commended Jasmine.
Steelix growled and nodded.
"That's a shame. Larvitar lost," said Hillary.
Pikachu and Togepi nodded sadly.
Tristan returned Larvitar to its Poké Ball and held it close. "You were great, Larvitar. You deserve a nice, long rest." He then took out his Fast Ball. "All right, Quilava, it's just you and me now. I choose you!" He threw the ball.
(Music Cue: Johto Trainer Battle (as heard the second time in "Whichever Way the Wind Blows"))
Quilava emerged from the white light that shot out of it and ignited the flames on its back and forehead.
"Yeah, go Quilava!" shouted Hillary. "Show that Steelix who's boss!"
Pikachu and Togepi cheered loudly for Quilava.
Jasmine nodded in approval. "I thought you might use that. Another wise choice. You remind me so much of another Trainer named Ash Ketchum, who managed to defeat my Steelix with his Cyndaquil. Now let's see if you'll be just as fortunate as he was."
"Quilava, just because Steelix is bigger and stronger doesn't mean we should be intimidated by it," said Tristan. "So let's win this."
Quilava nodded in agreement. It looked ready to face a strong opponent like Steelix.
"Let Round Three begin!" declared Janina as she raised her flags in the air.
"Let's hit Steelix hard right from the start," said Tristan. "Quilava, Flamethrower attack!"
Quilava shot a powerful stream of fire from its mouth at Steelix.
"Steelix, use your Sandstorm to defend against that Flamethrower," instructed Jasmine.
Steelix spun round and round, and created a sand twister, repelling Quilava's Flamethrower.
The sand twister cleared up just as suddenly as it started, and in an instant, Steelix disappeared, and with it, another hole took its place.
"Steelix must've used Dig again to get away from Quilava's Flamethrower," said Hillary.
"Yeah, but the question is where will it come up?" said Tristan. "Quilava, keep your eyes and ears open."
(Music Cue: A Fight! Real vs. Copy Pokémon (as heard in "Hello, Pummelo"))
Quilava nodded. It knew that Steelix would be tricky to spot underground.
Tense seconds rolled by, causing everyone to get nervous...all but Jasmine.
Jasmine smiled. She knew that new opponents weren't used to her strategy. She hoped it would help her against Tristan.
Suddenly, there was a rumble, a roar, and Steelix appeared from underground, much to Quilava's surprise.
"Behind you!" cried Tristan.
"All right, Steelix, Iron Tail!" commanded Jasmine.
Steelix's tail lit up and aimed it at Quilava.
"Dodge it!" shouted Tristan.
Quilava nimbly evaded Steelix's Iron Tail attack.
"Good thing Quilava's small size allowed it to dodge Iron Tail," said Hillary.
Pikachu and Togepi agreed.
"Steelix, use a series of Iron Tail attacks!" ordered Jasmine.
Steelix's tail lit up and proceeded to attack Quilava with it over and over.
"Quilava, dodge them all!" commanded Tristan.
Quilava easily evaded every one of Steelix's attacks.
"Well, Quilava's doing a great job of dodging," remarked Hillary. "But Tristan and Quilava can't just keep dodging. They have to attack at some point."
Sure enough, Quilava was dodging Steelix's Iron Tail without finding an opportunity for a return attack.
There has to be something I can do to bring that Steelix down, thought Tristan. But what?
Steelix kept attacking with its Iron Tail, but as powerful as it was, Quilava was just too fast for it.
"Your Quilava's pretty fast, Tristan," said Jasmine. "It's obviously been raised well. But it's time to end our cat-and-mouse game. Steelix, get Quilava to the edge of the battlefield!"
Steelix led its Iron Tail attack closer and close to Quilava as it busied itself with dodging every one of its Iron Tails.
Suddenly, Quilava found itself cornered on the edge of the battlefield.
"From that position, Quilava can't dodge!" gasped Hillary.
"All right, Steelix, this is it!" said Jasmine. "End it with Iron Tail now!"
Steelix's tail lit up once again, and proceeded to finish Quilava off with it.
"Do something, Tristan!" cried Hillary.
"Quilava, aim your Flamethrower at the wall now!" shouted Tristan.
Quilava shot a powerful Flamethrower attack at the wall, allowing it to change direction and dodge Steelix's attack while still remaining strong on the battlefield.
"Phew!" sighed Hillary. "That was really close. One more hit, and it would've been over for sure."
Pikachu and Togepi agreed. They were feeling the suspense just as much as Hillary was.
Jasmine smiled. "Impressive, Tristan. That's the same tactic Ash Ketchum used in his Gym match. A smart move, indeed, and something I'd expect from someone of your caliber."
"Quilava, use your Smokescreen now!" commanded Tristan.
(Music Cue: Johto Wild Pokémon Battle (as heard in "Trouble's Brewing"))
Quilava unleashed a cloud of black smoke from its mouth and enveloped Steelix in it, making it unable to see any of its movements.
"Steelix, use your Sandstorm attack to blow that Smokescreen away," instructed Jasmine.
Steelix spun its body round and round, creating another sand twister.
Sure enough, the Smokescreen was blown away, but one the sand twister dissipated, Quilava had disappeared as well.
"Now Quilava's disappeared," remarked Hillary.
"Ah, I see," said Jasmine.
"See what?" asked Tristan suspiciously.
"You're trying to pull off a sneak attack on my Steelix," answered Jasmine. "Well it isn't gonna work! Go, Steelix, aim your Iron Tail at the ground now!"
Quilava had just appeared from one of the holes behind Steelix just as it launched an Iron Tail attack that was aimed straight for it. Fortunately, Quilava's reflexes were quick enough to doge and it leaped high over Steelix's long body and directly over it.
Jasmine gasped in shock.
"Quilava, Flamethrower!" shouted Tristan.
Quilava, still in midair, shot a powerful hot stream of fire from its mouth and scored a direct hit in Steelix's face.
"Steelix!" cried Jasmine.
"Bulls-eye!" said Hillary excitedly.
Pikachu and Togepi were also excited for this turn of events as Quilava landed neatly on its feet.
"Looks like you fell for my real trap, Jasmine," said Tristan. "I figured you would attack Quilava while it was still underground. So rather than take my chances at falling victim to that Iron Tail attack and the crumbling rocks below, Quilava and I decided to use its maneuverability to jump high over Steelix and use Flamethrower from midair. And the rest is history."
"That was an excellent move, Tristan," commended Jasmine. "You've proven yourself a worthy opponent. No more fooling around. Steelix, Iron Tail, let's go!"
Steelix's tail lit up yet again, and proceeded to attack Quilava with it.
"You've gotta dodge it, Quilava!" shouted Tristan. "Aim your Flamethrower at the ground now!"
Quilava shot a powerful Flamethrower from its mouth at the ground, causing it to rise into the air. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough for it to dodge Steelix's Iron Tail as it took a hard hit; however, it didn't take the full force of the attack, but it hit the ground with a hard thud.
"Hang in there!" cried Hillary.
Pikachu and Togepi cheered as loudly as they could for Quilava.
"Stay strong, Quilava!" encouraged Tristan. "I know you can do it!"
Quilava nodded as it struggled to its feet. Then it let out a loud cry as its flames grew hotter.
"If Quilava gets hit by one more attack, it's all over!" said Hillary nervously.
"Time to end this match once and for all!" said Jasmine. "Steelix, Crunch attack now!"
Steelix charged at Quilava and proceeded to crunch down on it using its teeth.
"Quilava, Smokescreen now!" commanded Tristan.
(Music Cue: OK! Orchestra & Guitar (as heard in "A Promise is a Promise"))
Quilava shot a thick, black cloud of smoke from its mouth, much thicker than the last one, and enveloped Steelix in it. Then it jumped back and prepared itself to make its next move.
"Here's our chance, Quilava," said Tristan. "Use your Flamethrower at full power!"
Quilava unleashed its hottest Flamethrower from its mouth and aimed it at the thick cloud of smoke, causing it to turn into a massive cloud of fire, which enveloped Steelix, scoring a clean hit on it.
Eventually, the fire and smoke combined together, creating a massive explosion, which sent Steelix toppling.
The strong winds and the large cloud of smoke from the explosion caused everyone to cover their faces.
Outside, Lugia and Suicune watched anxiously as they waited to see who would emerge victorious. The suspense was obviously getting to them.
When the smoke cleared, Quilava and Steelix were still standing their ground, eyeing each other warily.
Tristan and Jasmine watched as they wondered who would emerge triumphant.
Hillary, Pikachu, and Togepi all watched anxiously from the bleachers while Janina carefully watched from her perch.
The seconds went by.
Suddenly, Steelix winced from the pain it endured from the explosion, slowly toppled over, and crashed to the ground. It had finally been knocked out.
"Steelix is unable to continue the battle," declared Janine as she raised her green flag in Tristan's direction. "The victory goes to Tristan from New Bark Town!"
Tristan could hardly contain his excitement. "Yeah! Quilava, we did it!"
Quilava rushed to it happy Trainer and embraced him.
"I knew you could do it, Quilava," commended Tristan. "I'm so very proud of you."
Hillary, Togepi, and Pikachu came to congratulate Tristan.
"That was awesome, Tristan!" said Hillary. "You and Quilava were really on a hot streak today!"
"Thanks, sis," replied Tristan.
Jasmine returned Steelix to her Poké Ball and came to Tristan. "Well, Tristan, that Quilava of yours is red-hot. That Smokescreen and Flamethrower combo you did created explosive results...quite literally. Here, take this Mineral Badge. You earned it." And she handed him a badge that looked like a gray metal octagon.
Tristan happily accepted and proudly proclaimed, "We got...a Mineral Badge!"
Pikachu and Quilava happily celebrated along with him.
(Music Cue: To the Hopeful Sky)
That evening, everyone stood outside the Gym as they prepared to say goodbye to Lugia and Suicune.
Well, I was pleased to see you win your match, Tristan. Now it's time for us to go, said Lugia. But I promise we'll meet up again...just as soon as Suicune grows up a little bit, which I hope won't be long."
"I know Suicune will grow stronger, Lugia," replied Tristan. "If you can grow up in record time, then this Suicune can also."
Tristan, Pikachu, and Lugia shared one last hug.
"Thanks for everything, Lugia," said Tristan. "We enjoyed your company at Whirl Camp and at my Gym battle."
"Good luck with raising Suicune," added Hillary. "And know that you'll win Silveena someday soon."
Thanks, guys, smiled Lugia. I'll do my best.
Then Lugia took off into the air as Suicune raced along.
"Bye, Lugia! Bye, Suicune!" called Tristan and Hillary as they waved.
Pikachu and Togepi called out their goodbyes also until Lugia and Suicune were out of sight.
Then Hillary turned to Tristan and asked, "So where should we go now, Tristan?"
"I'm not sure," replied Tristan.
"Maybe you should try going to Mahogany Town," suggested Jasmine. "There's a Gym there, and it'll be a great place to earn your next badge."
"And you can cut through Ecruteak City to get there," added Janina. "It'll save you a lot of time and walking."
"All right!" said Tristan. "Mahogany Town, here we come!"
And so, Tristan walks away with his sixth Johto League badge: the Mineral Badge. Now, with the suggestions from Jasmine and Janina fresh in their minds, our heroes prepare to leave Olivine City behind and plan their long-anticipated trek to the next Gym in Mahogany Town.
As for Team Rocket, they found, to their horror, that Tristan and Pikachu had escaped their truck as they saw the gaping hole that they had made.
"That dreadful Twerp got away!" grumbled Jessie.
"And this was the Boss' best truck!" added James.
"Aah! And our ice cream's melting away!" put in Meowth as he pointed to the inside of the truck.
(Music Cue: Bellsprout (as heard at the end of "Hot Matches"))
Sure enough, the ice cream was dripping all over the inside of the trailer.
Jessie, James, and Meowth sat despondently on the ground and looked on sadly as they thought about their lost profits. Then they groaned, "Looks like Team Rocket's messed things up again..."
► TO BE CONTINUED