AUTHOR'S NOTE: Greetings, readers! Here is the 90th chapter of the continuing adventures of Tristan, Hillary, and Pikachu as they continue their journey through the Johto region. I decided to add the Rocket Scout from the anime into this chapter. You may recall her appearance in the Pokémon: Master Quest episode: "Dues and Don'ts." Also, I had decided to have Tristan and Hillary venture through the Ice Path due to one of the episodes being banned from the main series in 2003. As always, please feel free to read and review responsibly at your leisure.
TEASER: Tristan and Hillary's nemesis, Taz, has decided to join Team Rocket to gain more fame and power. Of course, when he decides to give Tristan and Hillary a good soaking and steal Togepi, Hillary catches a nasty cold, and has to stay in bed! It's then up to Tristan and Pikachu to rescue Togepi, but they know they can't confront Taz alone!
Chapter 90: ONCE OR ICE
(Music Cue: The Caves of Mount Moon (as heard in "The Mystery Menace"))
Today, our heroes are only one step away from reaching Blackthorn City, but that final step, the Ice Cave, is one of the coldest caves in the Johto region.
Tristan, Hillary, and Pikachu shivered as they stared at the entrance of an icy cold cave.
"I'm not sure about this, Tristan," shivered Hillary. "Are you sure we should take this shortcut? I'm getting awfully cold just thinking about it."
"Oh, come on, sis," replied Tristan impatiently. "If we get through this path, we should reach Blackthorn City in no time."
"I still think we should go another way," said Hillary. "I'll go with your decision, but I'm not a big fan of it."
And so they entered the icy-cold cave.
Inside, the temperature dropped like a rocket. It felt as cold as a freezer.
"Brrr!" shivered Hillary. "I haven't been this cold since we went to the icy cold mountains to hatch Togepi."
Togepi shivered in agreement.
"Me, too," agreed Tristan. "I thought this would be a great shortcut to get to Blackthorn City."
"Well, there was another path we could've taken, Mr. Don't-Ask-For-Directions!" shouted Hillary. "But no, you insisted that we take this cold path and then..." But suddenly, she had to rub her hands together. "I'm too cold to argue. Let's just get through here as quickly as we can before we freeze to death."
"Good call," replied Tristan.
And so they pressed on.
Not too far away, Taz had been silently following them. "Looks like I'm finally wearing them down. They're getting too cold to travel. Luckily for me, I'm wearing one of those parkas." And he continued to follow them, but suddenly, a red penguin-like Pokémon flew in front of him, causing him to slip and fall on the icy surface. "Hey, what's the big idea, you little birdbrain?!" he demanded.
"Now what's all the fuss about?" asked a voice. An elderly lady with peach-colored hair came in front of her Pokémon. "And what are you doing here, young traveling stranger?"
"Who, me?" wondered Taz. "Oh, of course, I was just following a couple of kids around, trying to ask for directions."
"Oh, I know better than to fall for that lie," replied the woman. "Besides, in a cave like this, falling on ice is a constant hazard here!" And she gave a good laugh.
Taz was most offended. "Hey, watch it, Granny!" he barked. "I could easily take you on in a battle!
(Music Cue: Goofball Alert (full version as heard in "Tricks of the Trade"))
"Take it easy, young man," said the lady. "I can tell that you're very strong, indeed. How would you like to join up with Team Rocket?"
"Team Rocket?" repeated Taz. "I don't know. I saw three other people not too long ago. They were Jessie, James, and Meowth. Even though I teamed up with those three, we still lost a battle against two meddling kids. And besides, I work alone. I don't belong to no team."
"Are you sure you want to pass this up?" asked the lady. "Because anyone who joins Team Rocket can work either with a partner or independently. Besides, I'm prepared to offer you this signing bonus that'll be enough for a week's worth of dinner!"
"Now wait a minute, why are you asking me this?" wondered Taz suspiciously.
It was then that the lady went into her explanation. "You see, young man, I'm a talent scout for Team Rocket. I'm always looking for promising new people to carry on in the tradition of evil. Our Boss, Giovanni has always said that it's necessary to look for promising evildoers to add to his evil team."
"That's a fine use of the word 'evil,' lady," chuckled Taz. Then he talked about all the defeats that Tristan and Hillary handed him, and as he did, he got more and more angry, and thirsted for revenge. "I used to be a Pokémon Hunter, and I still am, but I've been feeling like a laughingstock thanks to those two-good-for-nothing kids! They kept beating the pants off of me left and right! Okay, you've convinced me! I'll join Team Rocket!"
"I knew you'd come around," smiled the Rocket Scout. "Now that you've successfully joined Team Rocket, it's time to face a Trainer head-on." Then she saw Tristan and Hillary through a pair of binoculars. "Ah, there's your first target!"
"Is that who I think it is?" asked Taz nervously. "Give me those!" He snatched the binoculars and saw through them. Sure enough, it was Tristan and Hillary. "I knew it. It's those kids! Those are the same two people who've proven to be unbeatable time and time again!"
"I'll tell you what," said the Rocket Scout. "I'll let you use my Delibird and give those kids what for, and smack them into the next century. What do you say?"
"You're on, lady!" replied Taz. "I'll make you and Team Rocket proud!" And he quickly took out a pen and signed a contract that the Rocket Scout provided. "I'll take care of those kids once and for all!"
(Music Cue: Team Rocket's Boss Theme (as heard in "Ditto's Mysterious Mansion"))
Meanwhile, in a secret hideout far away, Giovanni, the leader of Team Rocket, got a call. "What is it?"
"Giovanni, this is Wendy from human resources. A scout from the Johto region has found a promising candidate to join our team. His name is Taz."
"Very interesting," smiled Giovanni. "I've heard of him. He's the infamous Pokémon poacher that people have heard so much about. All right, Give him this exam. If he puts up a fight against a group of Trainers, he's in."
"Yes, sir," answered Wendy. "The exam has already started, and is now in progress."
As Tristan and Hillary continued along, they encountered a red penguin-like Pokémon with a white hollow tail. Its face and chest were covered in white feathers and had a crest above its eyes.
"I wonder what Pokémon this is?" said Tristan as he scanned the Pokémon with his Pokédex.
"Delibird, the Delivery Pokémon. Delibird's most unique attack is giving presents."
"Giving presents?" repeated Hillary. "That sounds a little far-fetched to me."
Pikachu and Togepi were just as confused as Hillary was.
"If you're talking about Farfetch'd, you've got the wrong Pokémon," chuckled Tristan.
"You missed my point," replied Hillary.
Presently, Delibird took out two glowing rainbow-colored orbs from its tail bag and gave them to Tristan and Hillary.
"For us?" said Tristan excitedly.
"Hey, thanks, Delibird," smiled Hillary as she and Tristan happily accepted the gifts. "Hey, Tristan, looks like we got our Christmas presents after all."
A present was what it was, for just then, the orbs exploded in Tristan and Hillary's faces.
Tristan and Hillary were covered in soot and ash from the explosion.
"We got our Christmas presents, all right," grumbled Tristan. "They went boom." He then turned to his Pokédex again.
"However, some of these Presents have been known to explode."
"Oh, great, so now you tell me, Dexter," grumbled Tristan as he shook the soot off. Then he took out a Poké Ball. "Well, that does it! Pupitar, I choose you!"
Pupitar emerged from the white light that shot out of it.
"Blizzard attack!" commanded a voice.
Tristan and Hillary were startled and turned around to see who it was who ordered the attack.
(Music Cue: Team Rocket Appears (as heard in "Pop Goes the Sneasel"))
Suddenly, and without warning, Delibird flew into the air and unleashed a powerful blast of wind and snow at Pupitar, freezing it instantly.
"Pupitar!" cried Tristan.
"Whoa, did you see that?!" exclaimed Hillary. "That Blizzard attack stopped Pupitar cold just like that!"
"Pupitar, return!" ordered Tristan as he quickly recalled it back into its Poké Ball.
Suddenly, Tristan and Hillary heard a familiar laugh as a bearded man stepped forward. He had on a Team Rocket uniform, much to their surprise.
"It's Taz!" fumed Tristan.
"What do you want?!" demanded Hillary.
"I just came for a friendly battle," explained Taz. "So I joined up with Team Rocket, and now I'll have my revenge for all the defeats you've handed me. Now, if you wouldn't mind, hand over all your Pokémon."
"Never!" retorted Tristan. "You're never gonna get 'em!"
"Then you leave me with no choice," said Taz as he took out a Poké Ball and threw it. "Poliwrath, Hydro Pump!"
Poliwrath emerged from the white light that shot out of it and unleashed a powerful blast of water on Tristan, Hillary, and Pikachu, making them cold and wet.
There was worse to come, for the blast caused Hillary to drop Togepi.
"Togepi!" cried Hillary as she desperately tried to save it.
"Oh, yeah?" smirked Taz. "Delibird, shower those losers with your Presents!"
Delibird flew into the air and threw multiple rainbow-colored orbs, and they hit the ground, exploding on contact.
"Togepi! Togepi!" yelled Hillary in desperation.
"Come on, we have to get outta here!" implored Tristan as he dragged Hillary with him.
Delibird chased them as it threw barrage after barrage of Presents in their direction.
"I don't understand how Taz managed to join up with Team Rocket!" panted Hillary.
Suddenly, they heard a voice.
"Over here! Quickly!"
Tristan and Hillary rushed over to where the voice was coming from and escaped from Delibird and its Presents just in time.
As for Taz, he was very happy. He had managed to scare Tristan and Hillary off and claimed Togepi as his own. "Now this is what I call sweet revenge," he snickered evilly as he strolled off in triumph.
A little while later, Tristan and Hillary managed to catch their breath and changed their clothes at the nearby Pokémon Center, but they also caught colds as well thanks to Taz and Poliwrath.
"Thanks, Nurse Joy," shivered Tristan. "You saved us back there."
"You two are soaked to the skin," said Nurse Joy. "And so are those clothes. The fire should help you warm up and the wet clothes dry off. I'll make some nice, hot soup for you right now. I'll be right back." And she hurried away.
Sure enough, the fire was burning merrily, and Tristan and Hillary were warming up.
But Hillary still felt sad. "I sure wish Togepi was here right now."
"Don't worry, sis, we'll get Togepi back safe and sound," Tristan assured her.
"Yeah, but Taz just had to join Team Rocket and take it away from me!" Hillary was clearly getting more and more upset.
"Take it easy, sis, I promise that Togepi's gonna be fine."
"I can't stand the fact that Togepi is missing! I don't care how cold I get! I'm going back out there and getting Toge...pi..." It was then that Hillary's face suddenly turned red and she felt dizzy. She then collapsed into Tristan's arms.
"Hillary, are you okay?" asked Tristan. "Say something!"
Pikachu became concerned about Hillary as well.
"Nurse Joy! Nurse Joy!" called Tristan.
Nurse Joy heard Tristan shouting for her and quickly came back into the room. She felt Hillary's forehead, which was hot to the touch. "Let's get her in bed so she can rest."
(Music Cue: The Pokémon Castle)
A few minutes later, Tristan, Pikachu, and Nurse Joy kept a watchful eye on Hillary.
"Poor Hillary," said Tristan sadly. "This is all my fault. We should never have come through the Ice Path in the first place. If I'd been just a little quicker on what that Delibird was doing, we wouldn't be in this mess."
"Tristan you shouldn't blame yourself," replied Nurse Joy. "After some rest and a hot bowl of soup, she'll be just fine." She turned to a Jynx who was standing by. "Jynx, would you please make an ice pack for Hillary?"
Jynx nodded and gently froze a bag of water using its Ice Beam, creating an ice pack, which Nurse Joy promptly placed on Hillary's forehead.
"Thanks, Jynx," said Nurse Joy. "That should do the trick."
"But we still have to rescue Togepi," insisted Tristan. "I caused Hillary to get sick, so I have to make it up to her. I'm going back out there." And he started outside as Pikachu followed.
"You can't!" protested Nurse Joy. "It's too dangerously cold!"
But Tristan wouldn't listen. He and Pikachu went out before Nurse Joy could stop them.
"This is bad," said Nurse Joy with concern. "Tristan can't survive out there in the cold dressed like that." Quickly, she dug out a pair of long pants and a heavy winter coat, and gave them to Jynx. "Hurry, Jynx, take these to Tristan and help him out."
Jynx nodded and hurried out of the Pokémon Center after Tristan.
Back with Taz, he was still admiring his catch of Hillary's Togepi. "Now I just need to figure out where Team Rocket Headquarters is, and I can present this cute little Pokémon to present to my new Boss."
Togepi began to cry loudly, for it wasn't with Hillary like it was supposed to be.
"Hey, quit your crying already, you're giving me a headache!" growled Taz. "If there's anything I can't stand, it's a little big crybaby."
Togepi stopped crying and began to wave its arms back and forth. Seconds later, its arms glowed, and Togepi instantly disappeared into thin air.
"Aaah!" screamed Taz. "My prized catch is gone! Now I'll never get my big reward!" Then he realized that Togepi had used Metronome, which produced Teleport, allowing it to get away from him. "Someone's gonna pay for this!" And he darted off in a hurry.
Meanwhile, back at the Pokémon Center, Nurse Joy was keeping a watchful eye on Hillary when all of a sudden, Togepi appeared on the bed.
"Whoa, where did Togepi come from?!" exclaimed Nurse Joy.
Togepi nudged Hillary, who slowly opened her eyes.
Hillary saw that Togepi had come back. "Togepi, you're okay!" And she embraced it like a mother. "Oh, thank goodness!"
"How are you feeling, Hillary?" asked Nurse Joy.
"I feel a little better, I think," replied Hillary weakly. "Where's Tristan?"
"He went back out there and ran after Taz to try and get Togepi back," answered Nurse Joy.
"What?!" gasped Hillary. "I've gotta go after him!"
"Oh, no, you don't," insisted Nurse Joy. "You're staying right in bed. Let me go after him. You just lie back down and rest, and I'll make sure that he's fine. Besides, you shouldn't try to do anything in the shape that you're in."
"Okay, but please be careful," sighed Hillary.
"Don't worry, I'll be back." And quick as a flash, Nurse Joy ran out of the Pokémon Center after Tristan and Pikachu.
But secretly, Hillary was concerned for Nurse Joy as well.
Back with Tristan, he and Pikachu were still on the lookout for Taz.
"We've just gotta find Taz, Pikachu," said Tristan. "Hillary's counting on us. Who knows how far he might've carried Togepi?" Suddenly, a cold breeze blew past him. "Suddenly, I'm not feeling so good myself."
Then Jynx arrived with the long pants and heavy coat.
"Hey, Jynx, thank you," smiled Tristan. "These'll be perfect." And he slipped them on. "Ah, that's much better. Nurse Joy must've been worried about me."
Jynx gave a nod. Then suddenly, it noticed the air in the cave getting much, much warmer, causing it to sweat.
"What's the matter, Jynx?" asked Tristan with concern.
Then, Pikachu pointed up.
(Music Cue: A Formidable Opponent Appears (full version as heard in "Get Along, Little Pokémon"))
The ice crystals above were starting to drip at an alarming rate.
"Something's causing the ice to melt!" gasped Tristan. "We've gotta go see what's causing this, and fast!" And he, Pikachu, and Jynx hurried off.
Meanwhile, Taz had set up a score of heaters, which were blowing at full blast throughout the cave.
Poliwrath and Magmar were standing beside him as they eagerly watched with interest.
"Ha!" laughed Taz. "This is perfect. These heaters will weaken every Ice-type Pokémon inside this cave. And once they are, they'll be defenseless."
Sure enough, all the Ice-type Pokémon, including multiple wild Swinub, were sweating from the heat.
"It won't be long now before all those Pokémon belong to me," smirked Taz.
But Delibird was starting to sweat, too, and began to groan.
"Aw, quit complaining," retorted Taz. "It's not that bad. Poliwrath, give Delibird an Ice Beam, won't you please?"
Poliwrath fired an icy-cold beam from its chest and froze Delibird on the spot.
"See what happens when you complain to me?" smirked Taz. "You get the cold shoulder."
Meanwhile, Nurse Joy, who was on a sled that was driven by her Piloswine, was rushing to Tristan and Pikachu as fast as she could.
Then suddenly, she felt the cave getting warmer and warmer. This is not good at all, she thought. If this keeps up, all the Ice Pokémon inside the cave will be in danger! "Faster, Piloswine!" she shouted aloud. "We've got to find the source and shut it down before it's too late!"
And on Nurse Joy's command, Piloswine picked up the pace, despite the temperature of the cave at that moment. But a moment later, it started to slow down and collapsed from the intense heat.
"Piloswine!" gasped Nurse Joy. "Are you okay?"
Piloswine felt very miserable.
"This is bad," she said. "If this keeps up, Piloswine could be in major trouble."
Suddenly, an Ice Beam came from behind and struck the ice crystals, causing the surrounding temperature to go down.
(Music Cue: Opening M01B 1997-1998)
Nurse Joy turned to see that Hillary and her Lapras had come to her rescue.
"Hey, Nurse Joy, need some help?" asked Hillary.
"Ah, Hillary!" said Nurse Joy excitedly. "But what about...?"
"Sick or not, I'm going to help," insisted Hillary. "Please let me."
Piloswine eventually came to its senses. It felt stronger than ever thanks to Lapras.
Nurse Joy conceded. "All right, then, let's go."
And together, they raced to find Tristan, Pikachu, and Jynx as fast as they could.
(Music Cue: Desperate Situation (full version as heard in "Lights, Camera, Quack-tion!"))
Back with Taz, he had already started capturing all the weakened Ice Pokémon in sacks. "Now this is a hot idea," he smiled evilly. "Once I capture all these Pokémon, I'll sell them all for cold-hard cash."
"Not so fast, Taz!"
Taz turned around and saw Tristan, Pikachu, and Jynx confronting him.
"Turn off those heaters right now!" demanded Tristan. "And give back Togepi, too!"
Pikachu and Jynx agreed.
"You're too late," retorted Taz. "Togepi somehow got out of my hands and slipped away. But if you're so gung-ho about saving this cave, you're gonna have to get past me. Magmar, let's show them your Flamethrower."
Magmar fired a powerful stream of fire at Tristan, Hillary, and Jynx, causing a wall of fire to form.
Tristan and Pikachu tried to shield themselves from the intense heat as best they could.
But Jynx sweated more and more because of it.
"Hang in there, Jynx!" implored Tristan. "We'll think of something!"
"Well, as I always say, kid," smirked Taz, "if you can't stand the heat, get out of the cave."
Magmar continued to fire its Flamethrower, making the wall seemingly impassable.
Jynx continued to suffer more and more from the heat.
Jynx is in major trouble, thought Tristan. I've gotta think of something. And he slowly started to feel his way across, but the flame instantly burned his finger, causing him to hold it in great pain. Quickly, he blew the flame out. "That won't do at all."
"Tough luck, kid," chuckled Taz. "There ain't no way you're getting past my wall of fire. Now that I've joined Team Rocket, there's no way I can lose."
Just then, Delibird broke free of the ice and jumped high into the air, seemingly annoyed with Taz and his Poliwrath.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah, shaddup!" barked Taz. "Let's just make sure this party ends with a bang. Use your Present attack!"
Delibird tossed three rainbow-colored orbs into the air.
Tristan, Pikachu, and Jynx managed to catch the Presents in their hands, but when they realized that it was Delibird's Presents, they frantically tried to get rid of them, but in vain, until at last, they exploded.
BOOM!
"There, that's all she wrote," smiled Taz triumphantly.
But suddenly, Tristan, Pikachu, and Jynx all began to glow. Seconds later, the glowing stopped, and their bruises disappeared.
"What happened?" wondered Tristan. "Suddenly, I'm feeling stronger."
Pikachu and Jynx were also feeling stronger.
"Let's find out why," said Tristan as he looked up Delibird's entry in his Pokédex.
"Sometimes, Delibird's Presents can actually restore energy to its opponents."
"Well, that's a big relief," smiled Tristan. "Now if only Hillary was here to help us."
And just like that, a Hydro Pump attack came out of nowhere and extinguished Magmar's wall of fire.
"Hey, my wall!" cried Taz. "Who did that?!"
"Problem, Taz?"
(Music Cue: Opening Title 1999-2001 (as heard in "Chikorita's Big Upset"))
Taz turned around to see Hillary, Nurse Joy, Lapras, and Piloswine confronting them.
"What's the matter, did I make your plans all wet?" chuckled Hillary.
"Hey, sis!" said Tristan. "I'm glad you're feeling better. And Togepi's back with you, too."
"No sickness can keep me down for long, big bro," replied Hillary. "And Togepi suddenly appeared and helped me feel better. Now let's teach Taz that nobody messes with this cave and gets away with it."
"You got it," agreed Tristan as he took out a Poké Ball and threw it. "Lapras, go!"
Tristan's Lapras emerged from the white light that shot out of the ball.
"Magmar, Poliwrath, attack them now!" ordered Taz.
Magmar and Poliwrath charged forward as fast as they could.
"Lapras, Hydro Pump, go!" commanded Tristan and Hillary together.
Both Lapras shot powerful blasts of water from their mouths at Magmar and Poliwrath, scoring direct hits on both of them and knocking them out instantly.
"Return!" growled Taz as he quickly recalled them.
"Now's our chance to stop those heaters," said Hillary.
"Right," agreed Tristan and Nurse Joy.
And under Tristan, Hillary, and Nurse Joy's commands, Piloswine, Jynx, and both Tristan and Hillary's Lapras all proceeded to attack the heaters.
"No, you don't!" shouted Taz. "Go, Delibird, Blizzard attack!"
Delibird flew high into the air and charged at the Pokémon.
"Pikachu, stop Delibird with your Thunderbolt!" ordered Tristan.
Pikachu unleashed a powerful yellow bolt of electricity at Delibird, scoring a huge direct hit on it, sending it flying into Taz.
"Lapras, Ice Beam now!" commanded Tristan and Hillary together.
"Jynx, Piloswine, help them out with your Blizzard!" added Nurse Joy.
Both Lapras fired ice-cold beams of energy at the heaters while Jynx and Piloswine assisted them by unleashing powerful blasts of snow and wind.
All the heaters instantly froze solid, causing the motors to stop running.
Thanks to the combined attacks, the heaters' motors were so badly damaged that they overheated and caused a tremendous explosion, sending Taz and Delibird skyward.
BOOM!
"Now I'm burning with rage!" fumed Taz. "We won't forget this!" And he and Delibird were seen blasting off again.
DING!
The Rocket Scout, who was further away in the Ice Path saw everything, but she didn't seem at all unhappy. "Yup. I think Taz will make a great Team Rocket member."
Back at the hideout, Giovanni, had received the news of Taz's defeat from Wendy, but didn't seem at all unhappy. "Sounds to me like he put up an excellent fight. He should be a formidable force against anyone who comes against him. All right, tell him he's hired."
"Yes, sir," replied Wendy, and she hung up.
Giovanni seemed very pleased with the development. "You'd better beware, Trainers, for Taz isn't as easy to deal with as he looks." And he gave a quiet, but evil chuckle.
Meanwhile, Taz and Delibird had crash-landed outside the Ice Path.
"Boy, that was an amazing flight," smiled Taz. "I'm now in Team Rocket, and happy days are here again."
Just then, the Rocket Scout arrived. "Well Taz, it's time for Delibird to return."
"You mean it wasn't mine to begin with?" Taz had been enjoying himself with Delibird accompanying him.
"You already have an arsenal of rough, tough Pokémon to get you through any situation," answered the Rocket Scout. "Delibird was just here to help you in the fight against those kids, that's all."
"But I didn't win."
"You may not have won, but you were bad enough to pass our Team Rocket Exam. You're hired."
Taz could barely contain his excitement. "Yes!"
"Now there's just one little detail," added the Rocket Scout. "You must be able to pay your monthly dues in order to stay in Team Rocket."
"Anything," agreed Taz. And he and the Scout shook hands as Delibird watched.
(Music Cue: To the Hopeful Sky)
"Thanks for all your help, Nurse Joy," said Tristan as he and Hillary prepared to leave the Pokémon Center.
"Yeah," agreed Hillary. "I feel back to normal, thanks to you and your Jynx."
"Think nothing of it," replied Nurse Joy. "That's what I'm here for. Now, just keep on going straight through this tunnel, and you'll be a hop, skip, and a jump away from entering Blackthorn City."
"Awesome, I can't wait till we get there, so I can earn my last badge!" said Tristan excitedly. "Ready to go, sis?"
Pikachu eagerly nodded.
"How about you, sis?"
"You bet I am," answered Hillary as she, Tristan, Pikachu, and Togepi all waved goodbye to Nurse Joy.
"Be careful on the rest of your journey, kids!" called Nurse Joy as she waved back. "Thanks for your help today!"
"Bye, Nurse Joy!" replied Tristan and Hillary. "Take care!"
A few minutes later, Tristan and Hillary came out of the Ice Path and overlooked a large lake in the distance.
"That must be Blackthorn Lake," said Hillary. "That must mean that Blackthorn City is just on the other side of it."
This excited Tristan very much. "Let's go!" And he and Pikachu raced ahead.
"Hey, wait for me!" called Hillary as she raced after them.
After what appeared to be an icy encounter with their old nemesis, Taz, our heroes are just steps away from entering Blackthorn City. Will Tristan earn that eighth badge that he's worked so hard for? Stay tuned and find out!
► TO BE CONTINUED