AUTHOR'S NOTE: Greetings, readers! Here is chapter 77 of the continuing adventures of Tristan, Hillary, and Pikachu as they continue their journey through the Johto region. I decided to have Lara Laramie from the Laramie Pokémon Ranch in the Safari Zone join the cast in this chapter, as well as her rival, Dario. I also wanted to base this chapter on the part of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time where Link's trusty horse, Epona jumps over the bars of the fence at the Lon Lon Ranch after beating his rival in a horse race. The title of this chapter is a reference to the My Little Pony franchise. I hope you enjoy, and please, feel free to review responsibly at your leisure.
TEASER: After a stampede, Tristan and Hillary meet Lara Laramie as a Ponyta befriends Hillary. But Lara's rival, Dario, challenges Hillary to a race, and she must accept the challenge!
Chapter 77: MY LITTLE PONYTA
(Music Cue: Opening Title 1999-2001 (as heard in "Takin' it on the Chinchou"))
As our heroes continue their journey to Mahogany Town and Tristan's seventh Gym battle, our heroes decide to make a pit stop in the little town of Eggseter.
"This place is wide open," remarked Hillary as she and Tristan overlooked Eggseter from the top of a hill. "It has plenty of room for all the Pokémon to run, jump, and play all day."
Tristan nodded in agreement. "I've heard this place is well known for having a Pokémon Day Care. It's known as the Shelby Ranch, and the folks there hatch baby Pokémon from eggs."
"Like what Great-Grandma Rachael and Great-Grandpa Stuart do, right?"
"That's right."
"I wonder if that's where they got their inspiration from...I mean to run a daycare of their own."
"Maybe we could meet them and find out. But first," said Tristan, "let's have our Pokémon enjoy this nice weather."
"All right!" agreed Hillary as she took out her Poké Balls. "Come on out, everyone!"
Hillary's Pichu, Squirtle, Cyndaquil, Eevee, and Lapras all emerged from the white lights that shot out of her Poké Balls and joined Togepi.
Tristan tossed his balls in the air, too, and soon, his Bayleef, Quilava, Croconaw, Larvitar, and his Lapras emerged from the white lights that shot out of them and joined Pikachu to run around.
"Don't go too far, and come back when it's lunchtime!" called Hillary.
All the Pokémon waved and ran off to play.
"What do you say we fix us some lunch while the Pokémon play?" suggested Hillary.
"Good idea," agreed Tristan. "I'll be sure to make something tasty."
As the Pokémon played, Pichu and Togepi wandered over to a herd of Tauros, who had come to visit from another ranch far away. But little did they know that a Dodrio was waiting in the distance with a mysterious stranger sitting on its back.
(Music Cue: A Fight! Real vs. Copy Pokémon (as heard in "Pokémon Double Trouble"))
The stranger spoke into his earpiece and said, "All right, ya ready?"
Just on the other side of the bushes, was Taz, Tristan and Hillary's nemesis. And he replied into an earpiece of his own. "You betcha."
"All right, go to it," said the stranger.
And Taz fired a slingshot, hitting one of the Tauros in the head, causing it to get mad and ram into the other Tauros.
All the Tauros were so mad at one another that they actually began to chase one another, creating a stampede.
Pichu, seeing the herd charging at it, cried out in terror and grabbed Togepi as they attempted to run for cover.
A short distance away, Tristan and Hillary felt the ground rumbling under their feet and the dust coming over the horizon.
"What's going on?" asked Hillary in alarm.
Presently, the herd of Tauros made their appearance.
"It's a stampede!" cried Tristan.
"Hurry, we'd better make a run for it!" advised Hillary.
"Right," agreed Tristan. "Pikachu, this way!"
Pikachu quickly came back to Tristan and Hillary as they took out their Poké Balls.
"Return, everybody!" they shouted.
All of Tristan and Hillary's Pokémon, save for Pikachu, were recalled safely back into their balls.
But just then, Hillary noticed that Pichu and Togepi weren't with Pikachu and the others.
"Where'd Pichu and Togepi go?" asked Hillary worriedly. Then she saw, to her horror, that they were in the middle of the stampede, totally unprotected. "They're gonna get trampled! I have to save them!"
"Hillary, wait!" shouted Tristan.
"I'm coming, guys!" cried Hillary as she desperately tried to reach them.
But unfortunately, there were so many Tauros coming by her in all directions they boxed her in, leaving her with no place left to run for cover. Suddenly, one of the Tauros headed straight for her!
Hillary screamed and shut her eyes as the herd got closer.
"Hillary, look out!" yelled Tristan.
But just then, an equine cream-colored Pokémon resembling a pony with flames on its mane and tail, thrust Hillary onto its back and saved her just in time.
Then, a bigger equine cream-colored Pokémon resembling a bigger horse with flames on its own mane and tail and a horn on its forehead, arrived on the scene.
A young lady with blue hair was riding on the taller Pokémon. She saw the defenseless Pichu and Togepi in the stampede. Using a handy length of rope, she made a noose, and she lassoed them from the ground and safely into her lap. "Don't worry, you're safe now."
Pichu breathed a sigh of relief while Togepi, unaware of the danger, gave a happy chirp as it rode along.
Hillary opened her eyes and saw that she had been saved by the smaller equine Pokémon as it galloped alongside the herd of Tauros at a safe distance.
Then the lady turned to a Growlithe, who was running alongside the bigger horse-like Pokémon. "All right, Growlithe, get in there and settle 'em down."
Growlithe quickly complied and ran around the herd of Tauros, instantly corralling them and calming them down.
The Tauros stood still, as if nothing had happened.
Tristan quickly rushed over to the two equine Pokémon as they came to him, and Hillary dismounted. "Boy, that was a close one, sis, are you all right?"
"I am now," answered Hillary. Then she saw that Pichu and Togepi had been saved as well. "Pichu! Togepi!" And she happily embraced them in her arms. "Thank goodness you're okay."
"It's a good thing we all came along," said the lady. "Those Tauros can get pretty wild, and they easily get stirred up."
Her Growlithe came and stood beside the lady as it completed its task.
"Nice job, Growlithe," said the lady.
"I wonder who those Pokémon are," said Tristan as he scanned them with his Pokédex.
(Music Cue: Golden Silver)
"Ponyta, the Fire Horse Pokémon. Training by jumping over grass that grows longer every day has made it a world-class jumper.
"Rapidash, the Fire Horse Pokémon. The evolved form of Ponyta. With incredible acceleration, it reaches its top speed of 150 miles an hour in just ten steps."
"Phew!" sighed Hillary. "I'm glad those Pokémon were fast, or else I would've been a goner!" Then she turned to the lady. "Thanks a lot for saving Pichu and Togepi."
"Oh, it was no trouble at all," replied the lady as she introduced herself. "My name's Lara Laramie. And you've already met my Rapidash, and its offspring, Ponyta."
"Wait!" gasped Hillary. "You wouldn't happen to be the famous Lara Laramie from the Laramie Ranch in the Kanto Safari Zone, would you?"
"Yup, that's right," smiled Lara.
"I knew it!" exclaimed Hillary. "I'd been wanting to meet you for a long time. Ever since I saw you with your Rapidash win the Pokémon Challenge Race on television last year, I'd been a big fan of yours! By the way, my name's Hillary."
"And I'm her brother, Tristan," added Tristan. "And this is Pikachu."
Pikachu greeted Lara warmly.
"It's nice to meet y'all," smiled Lara.
Presently, Ponyta came to Hillary and nudged against her.
"Hey there, Ponyta, you sure are a friendly one," chuckled Hillary as she gently petted it.
Ponyta seemed to like the attention it was getting, and whinnied.
"That Ponyta seems to have taken a liking to you, Hillary," smiled Tristan.
"You really think so?" asked Hillary.
"That Ponyta's always been very gentle, and always likes meeting new friends, especially those who have a good heart," explained Lara. "I can teach you how to ride if you'd like."
"Sure," agreed Hillary. "That'd be great. I can tell that you're a great breeder, raising not just Ponyta, but Rapidash, too. I bet that Rapidash has won lots of Pokémon races."
"Well, it's won the Big P Pokémon Race before," said Lara. "And even though I appreciate the kind words, I can't take all the credit."
"Why would you say that, Lara?" asked Tristan.
"Back when Rapidash was a Ponyta itself," explained Lara, "we were training to win that race so I'd be an honorary member of the Laramie Clan. But Dario, a Dodrio Trainer, wanted the coveted title for himself. So he decided to enter and win by any means necessary, including spooking poor Ponyta so much that it threw me off, causing me to break my arm."
"What a jerk," grumbled Hillary. "How selfish can you get?"
"Yeah, he should know better than to hurt people like that!" agreed Tristan.
"Fortunately, Ash Ketchum came and took my place, although Ponyta didn't trust him at first," continued Lara. "Ponyta had a habit of burning anyone it didn't trust. But after I persuaded it to help, Ash learned to ride Ponyta masterfully, and in the process, it evolved into Rapidash, and helped him win the race...not just for him, but for me and the Laramie Clan."
"What a great story," said Tristan. "I'm glad it all worked out for you."
"Yeah, but I'm afraid I have bad news," sighed Lara. "Ever since his loss, Dario's been trying to get his revenge, and that stampede you all saw may not have been an accident at all. I think he may have done it on purpose."
"You mean he could be on this ranch right now?!" exclaimed Hillary.
"He might be here as we speak," replied Lara.
"You bet your ponytail I am," said a voice.
(Music Cue: Imminent Danger)
Tristan and Hillary turned around to see a Trainer with purple hair standing behind them. He had a ponytail, too, but it was much shorter.
"Howdy, Lara," said the Trainer. "We meet again."
"That must be Dario, right?" whispered Tristan.
"Yup," answered Lara. Then she turned to her rival. "What are you doing here on the ranch?"
"I propose a rematch," explained Dario. "You see, I would've won that Big P Pokémon Race back at the ranch if that cheater didn't interfere with me."
"Ash beat you fair and square!" protested Lara. "And you know it!"
"So you were the one who broke Lara's arm in the first place when you spooked Ponyta into throwing Lara off and breaking her arm so that you'd win the race by default, aren't you?" accused Hillary.
"Watch your mouth, young lady, or I'll teach you a lesson!" barked Dario.
"And I betcha you were the one who started the Tauros stampede!" continued Hillary. "You almost crushed my Pichu and Togepi!"
"That's enough, Hillary," said Lara. "Let me handle this." She turned to Dario. "Just state your business and get lost!"
"That stampede was supposed to frighten you away, but I guess two more of your friends decided to put an end to it," grumbled Dario.
"We didn't do anything!" shouted Tristan.
"Take it easy, Tristan," whispered Hillary. Then she turned to Dario. "Talk straight. What do you want?"
"I already told you, I want a rematch," answered Dario. "And I choose to challenge that little girl over there. Yeah, I'm talkin' to you."
"Me?" gasped Hillary. "But why me?"
"We'll use the same route that the competitors used in the Extreme Pokémon Race that occurred not too long ago," explained Dario. "We'll ride our Pokémon out of town through the Eggseter Valley and over to the Shelby Ranch. Then we'll make a beeline for the finish line. There's no said course for gettin' from the starting line to the finish line, so we're free to choose our own route, not that it matters what kind of route you decide to take, seeing how I'll win anyway. So, do you have the guts to accept?"
"Bring it on, Dario!" said Hillary, who was now full of determination.
"We'll begin the race first thing tomorrow at sunrise," said Dario. And he took out his Poké Ball and tossed it into the air.
A Dodrio emerged from the white light that shot out of the ball.
Dario hopped on and said, "Later, losers. Yee-haw!" And he rode off, leaving a big cloud of dust in his wake.
"Hmph!" grumbled Hillary. "Showoff."
Just then, two elderly people arrived on the scene. They were a man and a woman.
"Is everything all right?" asked the man.
"Yup, everything's fine, Mr. Shelby!" called Lara.
"What a relief," said the woman. "We saw the Tauros stampeding through the ranch, and we were wondering if our eggs were going to be in danger."
"The danger's passed, Mrs. Shelby," replied Lara. "Your eggs are perfectly safe now."
"What a relief," sighed Mr. Shelby. "Well, you be safe, too! Call us if you need anything!"
And the two elderly people left.
Tristan was surprised. "I don't get it, Lara. How do you know those two people?"
"Oh, Mr. and Mrs. Shelby own this ranch, and they invited me to stay and help breed some Pokémon. You see, this Ponyta also hatched on this ranch...with Rapidash's help, of course.
Hillary then turned to Lara. "All right, Lara, I'm ready to learn how to ride and show that joker what it means to be beat and beat but good."
"That's the spirit," smiled Lara. "What do you say we get started now? That way you'll be ready for anything."
That evening, Lara showed Hillary how to mount Ponyta. "I put these reins on Ponyta so you could hang on to them during the ride. These are used for guiding Ponyta in the direction you want to go. Furthermore, if you want Ponyta to stop, just pull them, but not too hard."
"Got it," replied Hillary. She then mounted Ponyta and gripped the reins.
(Music Cue: Depart to the Pokémon Castle)
"Now, to make Ponyta stop and go is all just a matter of pressure and release using your legs or feet," continued Lara. "Just make sure to be gentle on Ponyta, though, because even though it's gentle, too much pressure can upset it. Understood?"
"Yes, Lara," replied Hillary. "Ready, Ponyta?"
Ponyta nodded.
"All right, let's go!" And Hillary gently tapped Ponyta with her legs, causing it start walking.
"Yeah, that's it!" smiled Lara.
Sure enough, Hillary and Ponyta were moving slowly and steadily along.
Hillary tapped Ponyta with her left leg again, making it go faster into a trot, and then into a gallop.
"Wow, just look at 'em go!" smiled Lara to Tristan.
"Yeah, she's really getting good!" added Tristan.
Pikachu and Togepi agreed.
"Hey, this is fun!" said Hillary excitedly as he held on to Ponyta's reigns. Unfortunately, she was having so much fun riding Ponyta that she forgot about her legs not tapping Ponyta too hard, so when they did one time, Ponyta went so fast that she had to hang on for dear life. "Whoa! Hey, how do you stop this thing?!"
Just then, Ponyta came to a sudden stop, causing Hillary to be thrown into the air.
"Oh, no!" cried Lara.
"Bayleef, Vine Whip, go!" shouted Tristan as he threw his Friend Ball.
Bayleef emerged from the white light that shot out of the ball and unleashed a pair of vines from its leaf necklace, and safely caught Hillary.
"Phew!" sighed Lara. "That was a close one. Are you okay?"
"Yes, thank you," replied Hillary as Bayleef safely set her to the ground. "And thank you, too, Bayleef."
Bayleef gave a happy reply as it nuzzled against her.
Ponyta then walked over to Hillary to make sure she wasn't hurt.
"Don't worry, Ponyta, I'm okay," said Hillary. "I guess I got a little carried away there, Lara. Riding Ponyta is so much fun, but I forgot about the pressure thing."
"It's gonna take some getting used to, but I know you can handle it," said Lara.
"Yeah, Lara's right," agreed Tristan. "There's no need to throw in the towel just because of a minor setback. All you need is a little more practice."
Pikachu nodded in agreement.
"All right, let's do it!" said Hillary. She was now determined to succeed as she got back on Ponyta and practiced riding all through the night.
The next morning at sunrise, the opposing parties met: Hillary and Ponyta, and Dario and Dodrio.
Tristan, Pikachu, Togepi, and Lara all watched anxiously.
"Get ready to lose, girly-girl," smirked Dario.
"I don't think so, pal," replied Hillary defiantly.
Lara was impressed. "I don't think I've seen Hillary this determined before."
"Yeah," agreed Tristan. "After seeing Hillary practice all night the way she did, there's no chance of Dario beating her."
Mr. Shelby came out to start the race. "All right, Trainers...on your marks...get set...go!"
(Music Cue: Chaos (as heard in "The Totodile Duel"))
And like a shot, Hillary and Dario sped off out of Eggseter and into the valley with Dario gaining an early lead.
"Go, Hillary!" cried Tristan.
"You can beat him!" added Lara.
Pikachu and Togepi cheered loudly for Hillary as well.
Dario nodded approvingly as he rode further and further away from the starting line. "Yup, just like I thought," he said to himself. "That Ponyta's a weakling, just like the girl. This'll be a walk in the park. Keep it going, Dodrio!"
Dodrio squawked as it ran on and on.
But Dario and Dodrio had reckoned without the determination of Hillary and Ponyta, who managed to catch up with them just as easily.
"Bye, Dario!" said Hillary in a singsong voice as she and Ponyta surged ahead. Then they passed some nearby bushes.
Dario growled. He didn't want to lose to a girl. Then he called out, "All right, Taz, we have no choice! It's time to go to work!"
Suddenly, Taz emerged from the bushes and leaped in front of Hillary and Ponyta. "All right, Magmar, Smokescreen!" he commanded as he threw a Poké Ball.
Magmar emerged from the white light that shot out of it and unleashed a thick, black cloud of smoke, enveloping Hillary and Ponyta in it, stopping them in their tracks.
Tristan, Lara, and the Pokémon gasped in shock at what they saw as the smoke continued to cover the entire ranch.
"Something's going on at the race track!" gasped Lara.
No! Hillary's in there! thought Tristan. Then he said aloud, "I'll be right back, Lara. Keep an eye on Togepi."
"You got it, Tristan," replied Lara as Pikachu followed Tristan to the source of the smoke. "Be careful!"
(Music Cue: Johto Trainer Battle (as heard in "Hot Matches"))
Meanwhile, Hillary and Ponyta were struggling to breathe after Magmar's Smokescreen affected them.
"Looks like the end o' da line for youse," smirked Taz.
"What do you want?" grunted Hillary.
"I only want Dario to succeed, partner," replied Taz calmly. "Speaking of whom...it's all clear, Dario! Go on ahead!"
"Thanks, Taz!" replied Dario.
Somehow, I have to stop Taz, thought Hillary.
Suddenly, a powerful stream of water blasted through the smoke, causing it to clear up. What's more, it blasted Taz and Magmar, causing them to hit the dirt.
"Hey, what is this?!" demanded Taz as he got back up.
Sure enough, Tristan and Croconaw had come to Hillary's rescue.
"We're coming, Hillary!" shouted Tristan. "Are you hurt?"
"Tristan!" smiled Hillary. "We're okay. You're just in time."
"I'll deal with Taz. You go on ahead and catch up to Dario."
"Right! Hyah!" And with that, Hillary raced away on Ponyta like a shot.
"No, you don't! Magmar, Flamethrower!" ordered Taz.
Magmar proceeded to unleash a Flamethrower attack to block Hillary and Ponyta's path.
But Tristan wouldn't have any of it. "Quick, Croconaw, Water Gun!" he commanded.
Croconaw unleashed a powerful blast of water at Magmar's Flamethrower, negating the attack and creating a thick cloud of steam.
"Quick! Stop her!" ordered Dario.
"You stop her! I've got an annoying pest to deal with!" retorted Taz.
"Fine, then!" snarled Dario. "I'll deal with the girl. You get the pest. Go, Dodrio!" And he and Dodrio raced after Hillary as fast as they could.
"You're gonna pay for interfering with us!" growled Taz. "Go, Electabuzz!" And he threw another Poké Ball.
Electabuzz emerged from the white light that shot out of it.
"Electabuzz, Thunder Punch, and Magmar, use Fire Punch!" ordered Taz.
Electabuzz charged at Croconaw as it made a fist with electricity crackling in it while Magmar charged with a fiery punch.
"Croconaw, hit 'em with your Water Gun attack!" shouted Tristan.
Croconaw shot another blast of water from its mouth at Electabuzz and Magmar, scoring clean hits on both of them at close range.
Electabuzz and Magmar crashed into the ground.
"Hey! Get up!" barked Taz. "You're gonna give me a bad name!"
Electabuzz and Magmar both struggled to their feet, but the force of Croconaw's Water Gun had weakened them so much that they could barely stand.
"Now hear this, you insensitive numbskull!" yelled Taz. "I'm gonna give you a lesson you're never gonna forget, and you're not gonna stop me! Electabuzz, Magmar, attack now!"
Electabuzz and Magmar charged forward again.
"Yeah? Well, I'll give you something to think about!" retorted Tristan. "Go, Pikachu, Thunderbolt 'em!"
Pikachu jumped into the air and unleashed a powerful bolt of electricity at Taz, Electabuzz, and Magmar, scoring such a huge direct hit on them that it created a huge explosion, sending them all skyward.
BOOM!
"WE'LL REMEMBER THIS!" screamed Taz as he, Electabuzz, and Magmar disappeared into the sky.
DING!
Meanwhile, Dario and Dodrio had left the Shelby Ranch, and just started racing for the finish line.
"Yee-haw!" cried Dario triumphantly. "I'm gonna win this one!" And he laughed profusely until he heard...
"Not so fast, Dario!"
(Music Cue: Kanto Trainer Battle (as heard in "Tunnel Vision"))
Dario had reckoned without Hillary and Ponyta's determination, for just then, they came into view and were closing in on him and Dodrio.
"All right, let's settle this once and for all!" shouted Hillary.
Dario was surprised; he didn't expect Hillary and Ponyta to catch up so quickly. "Huh? How'd you all get so close?"
"We won't let you win and dishonor Lara and her reputation!" said Hillary, who was feeling more determined with Ponyta's every step. "Now get ready to lose!"
"I don't think so, girly-girl!" retorted Dario. "Now speed it up, Dodrio!"
Dodrio began to run faster with Hillary and Ponyta close behind.
Meanwhile, Tristan and Pikachu had returned to Lara, who was waiting for him.
"Hey, great job, Tristan," said Lara. "I'm glad you and Pikachu are safe and sound."
"Yeah," agreed Tristan. "I should've known that Taz was behind the thick smoke. And I have a feeling that he and Dario were in this together."
"You know something, Tristan?" said Lara. "I think you may be right about that."
"Now we'll just wait for Hillary and Ponyta to come back."
"Let's hope they win," replied Lara. "I'm counting on Hillary and Ponyta to teach Dario a lesson."
Tristan turned to the horizon. All right, Hillary, we're all rooting for you, thought Tristan. You can do this.
Hillary and Ponyta were rapidly closing in on Dario and Dodrio.
Dario was shocked. He couldn't stand the thought of losing twice. "Here, take this!" And Dario threw a handful of nuts and volts in an attempt to stall Hillary and Ponyta long enough for him to win.
"Jump, Ponyta!" commanded Hillary.
Ponyta, showing no fear, jumped over them and managed to avoid every one.
Soon, Hillary and Ponyta came even closer.
Dario got more and more frustrated as he took out a handful of tacks. "Get outta my way!" he demanded as he threw them.
"Dodge them, Ponyta!" commanded Hillary.
Once again, Ponyta jumped over Dario's obstacles and didn't land on a single tack. A moment later, Ponyta came even closer to Dodrio.
"So, Dario, it looks like those things did little more than get us right back on track," smiled Hillary.
"Why you!" growled Dario. "All right, Dodrio, it's time. Fury Attack now!"
Dodrio used its three heads in a cheap shot to peck at Hillary and Ponyta furiously.
"Hey, that's against the rules!" exclaimed Hillary. "Stop that pecking!"
"What can I say? They're my rules." And Dario gave an evil smirk. "Now, if you'll excuse us, we got a race to win." And he and Dodrio raced off toward the finish line just a few hundred yards away.
Hillary groaned as she clutched her left wrist with her right hand, as it had been pecked on the most times. But she quickly shook that aside, as she knew that she had a race to win, and quitting wasn't an option.
(Music Cue: Route 11: The Road to Lavender Town (as heard in "Hot Matches"))
Sensing Hillary's desire to win the race for Lara, Ponyta started to run faster and faster, and suddenly, was bathed in a bright white light as Tristan, Pikachu, Togepi, and Lara saw it from the stands.
"Whoa, what's going on with Ponyta?" gasped Tristan.
"Ponyta's starting to evolve!" replied Lara, who was just as shocked as Tristan was.
Sure enough, Ponyta was evolving and grew in size; a large horn came out of its forehead, and the flames on its mane and tail were growing more and more intense.
Dario could feel the heat getting more and more intense as it got closer. "I can't believe it!" he exclaimed.
When the light faded, the newly evolved Pokémon jumped as high as it could, and in no time at all, it had caught up to Dario and Dodrio.
Tristan and Lara couldn't believe their eyes.
"That little Ponyta just evolved into Rapidash!" gasped Tristan. "And did you see that jump? It was incredible!"
"Ponyta must've known that Hillary believed in it with all her heart," replied Lara. "So it evolved to help her in return."
"All right! Go, Hillary!" shouted Tristan.
Pikachu and Togepi cheered for Hillary and the newly evolved Rapidash as loudly as they could.
"Dodrio, go faster!" ordered Dario.
"You can do it, Rapidash!" cried Hillary.
Both Pokémon headed for the finish line as fast as their legs would carry them.
With a final burst of speed, Rapidash made another high jump into the air and soared over the finish line just inches ahead of Dodrio.
Mr. Shelby waved his flag and said, "We have a winner! The winner of the race is Hillary and the newly-evolved Rapidash!"
"She did it!" cheered Tristan excitedly.
Pikachu and Togepi were just as excited for Hillary's come-from-behind win.
"That was amazing," remarked Lara. "Even through a peck of trouble, Hillary still managed to come out on top with her spirits flying high."
"I bet Dario's feeling pretty low right about now," added Tristan.
Sure enough, Dario was feeling low and sore. "How dare you make me lose a second time! All right, Taz, it's time for plan "B!"
(Music Cue: Desperate Situation 1997-1998 (as heard in "Two Hits and a Miss"))
Hillary exclaimed in shock as she saw two high steel bars come out of the ground and seal the entrance to the Shelby ranch. "What's going on?"
Tristan and Lara gasped.
"Oh, no!" cried Lara.
"What's going on?" asked Tristan in alarm.
"Come on, we'd better get down there," advised Lara as she and Tristan made their way to Hillary as fast as they could. "That cheat will do anything to get his way."
Down below, Dario smirked at Hillary, who was still on Rapidash. "If I can't have a victory here, you can't either. Good luck gettin' outta here!"
"That's right."
Hillary was surprised to see Taz on the other side of her. Then she saw the high steel bars.
"There's no way out this time," chuckled Taz. "These bars are escape-proof."
"They've got us surrounded," grunted Hillary.
"Here's the deal," said Dario. "You can keep riding that Rapidash, but you'll never leave the ranch." And he laughed profusely along with Taz.
Hillary looked around to see what she could do. Then she whispered, "All right, Rapidash, we can do this. I believe in you."
Rapidash slowly backed away from Dario and Taz.
"What's the matter, partners?" taunted Taz. "You don't have the courage to even try to escape?"
"Yeah, just admit that there's nothing you can do, and surrender," added Taz.
Hillary lowered her head and quietly said, "Never."
Rapidash then gave a nod.
"Let's do it, Rapidash!" commanded Hillary.
(Music Cue: The Day is Conquered (full version as heard in "Hot Matches"))
Rapidash gave a loud neigh and started running for the gates as fast as it could as Hillary held on to the reigns.
"Now what's that girl up to?" wondered Dario.
"Who cares?" smirked Taz. "The girl doesn't stand a chance of escaping."
But the two allied villains reckoned without Rapidash's reserves of trust, agility, and great jumping skills, as it reached a top speed of 150 miles an hour with Hillary clinging tightly to it.
When Rapidash was close enough to the fence, it made a huge leap into the air and soared high over the tall fence, and escaped, much to their shock.
"Impossible!" exclaimed Dario. "It escaped over the fence!" Then he turned angrily to Taz. "You said these bars were escape-proof!"
"Well, that's what I thought," replied Taz. "I never counted on a Rapidash to jump that high before."
"All right, you're both through!"
Taz and Dario turned around to see Tristan, Lara, and Pikachu confronting them.
"I won't tolerate sore losers," said Lara sternly.
"Uh, I think it would be best if we just leave," suggested Taz.
"You're right, partner, let's skedaddle," agreed Dario as Taz hopped on Dodrio and seated himself behind him.
Dodrio started taking off like a shot.
"You're not getting off that easy," said Tristan. "Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"
Pikachu jumped into the air and unleashed a powerful bolt of electricity at Dario, Taz, and Dodrio, and scored a direct hit on all of them, creating a huge explosion that sent them all skyward.
BOOM!
Dario, Taz, and Dodrio all gave shrieks as they blasted off into the sky.
DING!
That evening, Tristan and Hillary said their goodbyes to Lara as they prepared to leave the Shelby Ranch.
"Hey, thanks for helping me out," said Lara. "If it hadn't been for all of you, Dario and Taz would've caused more trouble than I knew how to handle."
"Oh, don't thank us, Lara," replied Tristan. "Hillary and the Rapidash she befriended did all the work."
"I guess you're right, Tristan," chuckled Hillary.
The younger Rapidash nuzzled Hillary affectionately, making her chuckle again.
"I suppose you're on your way to competing at the Mahogany Town Gym, right?" asked Lara.
"That's right," answered Tristan. "I plan to get my seventh badge so that I can be one step closer to entering the Johto League."
"Well, I wish you all the best in your ambition," smiled Lara.
"Well, we're gonna get going, Lara," said Hillary as she and Tristan started to leave.
"Thanks so much, guys, and take care!" called Lara as she waved to them.
Tristan and Hillary waved back to Lara as they said their goodbyes.
With a little help from Hillary and the Rapidash she befriended, Lara's rival, Dario, has been defeated once again. Now our heroes can pick up where they left off on their way to Mahogany Town as their journey to the Johto League resumes once again.
► TO BE CONTINUED