AUTHOR'S NOTE: Greetings, readers! Here is chapter 103 of the continuing adventures of Tristan, Hillary, and Pikachu as they continue their journey through the Johto region. I decided to have Sunny, the last of the Week Siblings in this chapter. I hope you enjoy.

TEASER: Tristan and Hillary help a girl named Sunny, the youngest and littlest of the Week Siblings, realize her dream of climbing to the top of Mount Silver. Of course, for a little girl like her, climbing by herself is no easy task.

Chapter 103: MOUNT SILVER

(Music Cue: Opening Title (as heard at the beginning of "Takin' it on the Chinchou"))

Well, our heroes are well on their way to their final destination, the Johto League Silver Conference. And under the escort of Entei, they've stopped at a Pokémon Center at the base of Mount Silver.

"Thanks for the ride, Entei," said Tristan as he and Hillary climbed down. "We enjoyed it very much."

"Yeah, that was so much fun," added Hillary. "We hope to see you again."

Entei nodded. Then it ran off as Tristan, Hillary, Pikachu, and Togepi waved to it.

"Bye, Entei!" called Tristan and Hillary. "See you soon!"

"Well, Tristan, what do you say we turn in?" suggested Hillary. "After that big battle with Team Rocket and making friends with Entei, I'm ready to call it a day."

"Me, too," agreed Tristan. "But first, let's eat."

"Good idea," said Hillary. "I'm starving."

And they went inside.

"Tristan! Hillary! Long time, no see!" It was Professor Elm on the video phone.

"Hi, Professor Elm!" said Tristan. "It's been a while."

"I hear you got all eight of your Gym Badges, and now you're on your way to the Silver Conference. Is that right?"

"Yes," answered Tristan. "How are things with you?"

"Great," replied Professor Elm. "Hey, I have some great news for you."

"What?"

"I spoke with Ash just the other day, and right now, he and his friends are taking a Larvitar up to the Pokémon Preservation Center on Mount Silver."

"What? Ash is going there?" Tristan could barely contain his excitement. "When can I see him?"

"Well, I'm afraid you just missed him," answered Professor Elm.

Tristan's heart sank.

"However, he's also competing in the Silver Conference," continued Professor Elm. "So if you're lucky, your paths just might cross."

"I can't wait to meet Misty and see Brock again," said Hillary. "Those three seem to be almost unstoppable when they're together."

"Well, you never know. It could happen, kids. Well, I have to go. I have some things that I need to do at my lab. Good luck, and be safe."

The video screen turned off.

"Come on, Tristan, let's eat!" said Hillary. "I'm hungry enough as it is. As soon as morning comes, we'll head straight for Silver Town."

"Yeah," agreed Tristan as he and Pikachu followed Hillary and Togepi to the cafeteria.

(Music Cue: Arrival in the Orange Archipelago (as heard in the Japanese version of "Revelation Lugia"))

Tristan, Hillary, Pikachu, and Togepi all slept soundly that night, and the next morning, they woke up refreshed, and were ready to hit the road.

"Today's a big day!" said Tristan. "I have a feeling that we're gonna make it to Silver Town before the day is over!"

"Let's not go overboard here," reminded Hillary.

They walked out of the Pokémon Center a few minutes later and started off, but as they left, they couldn't help but notice the other Trainers gathering in droves.

"Wow, look at them all!" said Hillary. "There must be a thousand Trainers here, all wanting to compete in the Silver Conference!"

"Well, I'm sure they'll want to win it," replied Tristan. "But we'll beat them all, won't we, Pikachu?"

Pikachu heartily agreed. It was excited to battle strong Trainers as Tristan was.

Just then, Tristan and Hillary saw a little girl in the middle of climbing Mount Silver.

"Wow, look at that little girl go!" said Hillary. "She must be very brave and strong, wanting to climb to the top of the mountain all by herself.

"Well, if she's heading where we're heading, I say we follow her," suggested Tristan.

"Good idea," agreed Hillary.

And they started following the girl up the mountain.

But as the girl went higher, she found it more difficult to keep her balance. Then suddenly, she lost her footing and started tumbling down the mountain.

"Oh, no!" cried Hillary.

Quickly, Tristan and Pikachu came to the girl's rescue and stopped her descent.

"Are you okay, little girl?" asked Tristan.

The girl opened her eyes and replied, "I am now."

"What happened?" asked Hillary as she and Togepi rushed over.

"I think she had some trouble on the slope," answered Tristan.

"I wanted to prove to my family that I can be just as capable as they are," explained the girl. "But they always ignore me, and that upsets me."

"You have family?" asked Hillary. "We didn't know that."

(Music Cue: Golden Silver (full version)

The girl nodded. "I have several brothers and sisters. My brothers and sisters are Monica, Tuscany, Wesley, Arthur, Frieda, and Santos. And they're all older than me." In spite of her troubles, she had to let off a chuckle.

Tristan and Hillary were surprised. "We've met them before!"

The girl was pleased that Tristan and Hillary knew them. "Wow, I'm glad you were able to see them! They sometimes get on my nerves, but they're extra nice. They say I'm the sunniest of them all. You can call me Sunny. And Sundays are extra-special days for me."

"Hi, Sunny, it's nice to meet you," smiled Tristan. "I'm Tristan, and this is my partner, Pikachu."

Pikachu greeted Sunny warmly.

"Hi, I'm Hillary, and this is Togepi," added Hillary.

Togepi trilled happily.

"So what got you interested in mountain climbing, Sunny?" asked Tristan.

"Ever since I found out that I was the youngest, I wanted to do something that my brothers and sisters couldn't do," explained Sunny. "And I was interested in seeing the world from the top of each and every mountain in the Johto region. Of course, they didn't believe me, and who could blame them. So one day, when no one was looking, I left the house and started off to climb Mount Silver. I've been at this for two whole days. It seems like forever, though."

"That sounds like a tremendous feat, Sunny," remarked Tristan. "I know just what you mean. I've wanted to prove that I can be the very best Trainer I can be by being friends with every Pokémon I meet. And I know that when I do that and become number one, I'll be a Pokémon Master."

"That's great, too, Tristan," smiled Sunny. "I know you have what it takes, just like I know I have what it takes to get up to the top of Mount Silver."

"Aren't your brothers and sisters worried about you?" wondered Hillary.

"I suppose they might be, but I'm sure they'll understand," replied Sunny. "The only trouble is, I don't know which way is home, nor do they know where I'm at."

"Tell you what," said Tristan. "Why don't we climb to the top of Mount Silver together. Then we'll try to reunite you with your brothers and sisters. Is that a deal?"

Sunny nodded. "You got it."

"Great, then let's start climbing," agreed Tristan.

"But I don't want to do this alone," said Sunny. "If I have problems, would you carry me?"

"I'd be happy to," replied Tristan.

"There's no time to waste," said Hillary. "So let's go."

And they started up to the top of Mount Silver with Sunny confidently leading the way.

Little did they know that looking through the bushes, just out of sight, was Taz, Tristan and Hillary's old nemesis, scheming something as usual. "Climbing a mountain this time today, eh? Well, I'm gonna go climbing, too, but to fame and fortune. Now let's see...what should I attempt to steal this time?" And he pondered the problem for what seemed like hours.

Three hours later, Tristan, Hillary, and Sunny made it halfway up the mountain.

Sunny sat down on the ground. "I need a break."

Hillary sat down with her. "Me, too," she sighed.

"I think we could all use a break, so let's take this time to have some lunch," suggested Tristan.

"Good idea," replied Hillary. "I'm starving, and your cooking is awesome!"

"Yes, please, Tristan, could you make something for us?" asked Sunny.

"I'd be happy to," agreed Tristan. "I'll whip us up some fresh homemade stew."

(Music Cue: Surf 1999-2001)

A few minutes later, Tristan got the fire going, and the stew was heating up nicely. While he was waiting for the stew to boil, he took the opportunity to feed his Dratini, who could now eat solid Pokémon food.

"Wow, Tristan, that's a cool Dratini you have there," remarked Sunny. "Where'd you get it?"

"I got it from the Dragon Master in Blackthorn City not too long ago," answered Tristan. "He saw that I cared a lot about Pokémon, and treated them as friends and family. Pikachu understands that, don't you, pal?" And he gently stroked Pikachu on the head, causing it to smile.

"That's amazing," said Sunny. "My brothers and sisters could tell just by meeting you that you and Hillary are kind Trainers. And I know that, too, just by watching you and your Pokémon, experiencing things and playing along together."

"Tristan's taught me a lot ever since I started my journey with him," added Hillary. "He showed me things that you could do just by being with Pokémon. Although I do admit that holding Togepi all day can be a hassle for me, I'm not afraid to care for it just like a mother would, isn't that right, Togepi?"

Togepi trilled in agreement.

Presently, the stew started boiling.

"Ah, the stew's just about ready," said Tristan. "It'll be served in a few minutes."

"Great!" replied Sunny and Hillary together.

Tristan, Hillary, Sunny, and the Pokémon spent the next hour enjoying the stew.

Tristan's Dratini had its fill and soon fell fast asleep in his lap.

His Meganium, Typhlosion, Feraligatr, and Pupitar ate along with Pikachu and Togepi.

Hillary's Cyndaquil, Squirtle, Pichu, Eevee, and Lapras ate alongside Tristan's Pokémon.

"This is great, Tristan!" smiled Sunny. "Great friends, great food, and good times equal a whole lot of fun."

"See, Sunny? I told you Tristan's a great chef," reminded Hillary.

"I learned this recipe when Hillary and I met a Pokémon Breeder named Brock," explained Tristan. "It was easy, and his cooking is first-rate, too."

"You sure are lucky to have a friend like him," said Sunny. "I wish I could meet him."

"I think everyone who's heard of him wishes that, too," replied Hillary.

"We're planning to see him, along with Ash and Misty at the Silver Conference," added Tristan. "So when we see them, we'll be sure to say hello to them for you."

"That'd be great," smiled Sunny. "Thanks, you guys."

"Well, shall we clean up and head out soon?" suggested Tristan.

"You bet!" agreed Hillary and Sunny together.

Pikachu and Togepi also nodded.

(Music Cue: Team Rocket's Theme (as heard in the Japanese version of "The Lord of the Unknown Tower: Entei"))

Meanwhile, not too far away, Taz spotted the sleeping Dratini in Tristan's lap. "Aw, what a sleeping beauty. It looks so peaceful and content. Heh! Too bad it'll be for naught when I snatch that baby up and sell it on the Poké Market! That Dratini will fetch a nice price!" And he snickered evilly as he prepared to implement his latest plot.

Ten minutes later, Tristan, Hillary, Sunny, and the Pokémon started climbing Mount Silver again.

Dratini, who was still sleeping, was riding comfortably on Tristan's head.

"Ever notice that it gets harder as we climb higher?" grunted Hillary.

"That's because the slope gets more vertical the higher up we go," replied Tristan. "Boy, this is quite the grade."

But Sunny was having the most trouble. She could barely keep up. Suddenly, she slipped and started falling down.

Tristan quickly reached out and grabbed Sunny's hand. "Don't worry, I've got you."

"Thanks, Tristan," said Sunny.

He pulled Sunny back up. Then he took off his backpack and gave it to Hillary. "Here, hold this."

"Great, more heavy stuff," grumbled Hillary. "Not that I blame you. You have to be prepared, right?"

It wasn't long before they continued their long climb.

This time, however, Sunny was riding on Tristan's back, just as he promised.

"If we continue at this pace, we should reach the top of Mount Silver in about ten minutes," said Tristan.

"Great, I can hardly wait." Hillary was clearly feeling very tired.

"Don't worry, sis, we're getting close," Tristan assured her. "Just hang in there."

(Music Cue: Team Rocket Appears (as heard in "Espeon...Not Included."))

Suddenly, a mechanical arm swooped down from the air and snatched Dratini, much to Tristan and Hillary's surprise.

"Dratini!" cried Tristan.

"Who did that?!" demanded Hillary.

"Surprise! Guess who?"

Tristan, Hillary, Sunny, Pikachu, and Togepi turned around to see Taz gloating high above them in his hot-air balloon.

"We should've known it was you, Taz!" grumbled Hillary.

"Who's Taz?" asked Sunny.

"He's the guy we keep running into wherever we go," explained Hillary. "He's a poacher who likes to steal and poach things just for the fun of it."

"Give back my Dratini!" ordered Tristan.

"Never," retorted Taz. "This Pokémon's gonna be a huge money maker. And I can't afford to give up a future life of luxury just 'cause youse told me to. So, bye-bye, and good riddance!" And he started piloting his balloon away from them.

"You won't get away with this, Taz!" shouted Tristan.

"We have to find some way to stop him!" advised Hillary.

"Say bye-bye, Dratini! Bye-bye!" mocked Taz as he waved to Tristan, Hillary, and Sunny with Dratini's tail and laughed profusely

Just then, a flock of avian Pokémon with pinkish-red wings made an appearance, and headed straight for the balloon.

(Music Cue: Real and Copy! Which are the Strongest? (as heard in "Pikachu Re-Volts"))

"Hey, that's a flock of Spearow!" exclaimed Tristan.

Then, Pikachu pointed up to something else in the sky.

Sure enough, a larger, avian Pokémon with brown wings and a sharp beak also made its appearance.

"Look out! That's a Fearow!" warned Hillary.

"We must've invaded their territory!" trembled Sunny.

"Nonsense!" Tristan implied. "Why would Fearow and a flock of Spearow live on a place like Mount Silver?" Then he gasped. "Unless..." He then remembered his experiences with Fearow and the Spearow back in New Bark Town where they attacked Chikorita just before the start of his Johto journey. "They must've come looking for me to take their revenge."

Hillary and Sunny were surprised. "You've seen them?!"

Tristan nodded. "That Fearow must've thought I was somebody else because it was provoked by the person who looks like me in the past."

Suddenly, Fearow squawked, signaling the flock of Spearow to start their attack.

The Spearow flew straight for Taz's balloon.

"Hey! Whatcha doin', fellas?" asked Taz.

The Spearow started pecking Taz's head as he tried to shield himself from the attacks.

"Hey! Get offa me, boid brains!" barked Taz. "Shoo! Go away! Don't make me come after youse, too!"

But the Spearow ignored him and pecked a hole in his hot air balloon, which started flying off.

The sudden rush of air caused the balloon to fly in different directions at once, causing Taz to lose his grip on Dratini, sending it careening.

Taz, however, was sent blasting off higher and higher into the air. "I won't forget this!" he yelled as he disappeared in the sky.

DING!

Dratini was still falling at frightening speed.

"It's gonna hit the ground hard!" gasped Sunny.

"I've got you, Dratini!" shouted Tristan as he ran as fast as he could to save it.

But the flock of Spearow flew in and intercepted them, stopping them from getting closer to Dratini. They pecked at Tristan, Hillary, and Sunny mercilessly.

"Hey, stop that pecking!" grunted Hillary.

While they were occupied, Fearow swooped down low, and caught Dratini in its talons.

"It got Dratini!" cried Tristan.

Dratini cried out helplessly as Fearow started to fly lower and lower.

"All right, that's it!" Tristan managed to break through the flock of Spearow. Then, just as Fearow flew low enough, Tristan jumped as high as he could and grabbed onto Fearow's talons.

"Tristan!" yelled Sunny and Hillary together.

Pikachu, who was extremely worried for Tristan's safety, rushed forward and grabbed onto Fearow as well.

"I won't let anything bad happen to you, Dratini," promised Tristan. "I'll get us out of this somehow."

Dratini was touched by Tristan's compassion and braced itself for what was to come.

Tristan saw Pikachu hanging on to Fearow. "We've gotta drive that Fearow away! Quick, Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu was surprised. It didn't want Tristan to get hurt by its attack, too.

"I'll be all right," said Tristan. "Just do it."

Pikachu nodded and proceeded to electrocute Fearow using Thunderbolt, per Tristan's order.

Sure enough, Tristan and Dratini were hit by the blast, though they didn't mind.

Fearow, on the other hand, couldn't stand the shock, and squawked loudly out of pain. It was forced to let go of Dratini.

Dratini let out a yell as it fell.

(Music Cue: Lugia Appears! (as heard in the Japanese version of "Revelation Lugia"))

Tristan and Pikachu jumped off of Fearow and dove after Dratini.

"I'm coming, Dratini!" shouted Tristan as he did his best to catch it in his hands, even though he and Pikachu were falling from a great height at breakneck speed.

"Tristan! Dratini!" shrieked Sunny.

"Quick, we've gotta save them!" cried Hillary as she and Sunny raced after them.

Tristan managed to catch Dratini safely in his hands, even while falling. "Don't worry, Dratini," he assured it as he held on tightly to it. "I won't let you get hurt. I promise."

Dratini, seeing the lengths Tristan went to to protect it from harm, suddenly began glowing in a bright white light.

Tristan and Pikachu gasped in surprise.

(Music Cue: The Day is Conquered! (full version as heard in "The Fire-ing Squad"))

Sunny, Hillary, and Togepi were just as surprised as they were.

"Whoa, check out that light!" exclaimed Sunny.

"That could mean only one thing," added Hillary. "I think Dratini's starting to evolve!"

Sure enough, Dratini grew longer and more slender. When the light stopped, it had two crystal orbs at the end of its tail and one crystal orb on its neck. Its wings looked more beautiful.

Tristan and Pikachu were seen safely on the newly evolved Pokémon's back.

"Tristan's Dratini just evolved into a Dragonair!" Sunny cried out.

"And it saved Tristan at the same time!" added Hillary.

Sure enough, Tristan looked at the smiling Dragonair, who looked back at him.

"Wow! Dragonair!" admired Tristan. "You evolved to save me just as I wanted to save you!"

Dragonair nodded.

Tristan looked proudly at his newly evolved friend. Then suddenly, he looked to see Fearow and the Spearow flying straight toward them.

"Look out!" cried Sunny. "Here they come again!"

But Dragonair's crystal orb on its neck began to glow, and as it did, dark clouds covered the sky.

Seconds later, blue lightning shot out of the clouds and struck the flock of Spearow.

"Check it out!" gasped Hillary. "I wonder if this is Dragonair's true power." She scanned Dragonair with her Pokédex.

"Dragonair, the Dragon Pokémon. Dragonair has the ability to manipulate the elements as it wishes."

Dragonair's crystal orb on its neck glowed even more brightly.

Then the biggest blue lightning bolt yet shot out of the clouds and struck Fearow head on.

Pikachu turned to Tristan and readied itself.

"Yeah, let's take care of that Fearow once and for all," agreed Tristan. "Go, Pikachu, finish 'em off with Thunder!"

Pikachu leaped off of Dragonair and unleashed a powerful yellow bolt of electricity from its body to combine with the blue lightning bolt in the sky.

Sure enough, both bolts scored direct hits on Fearow, causing a tremendous explosion that drove it and the flock of Spearow away for good.

"Wow, Dragonair and Pikachu drove Fearow and the Spearow off with just one attack!" marveled Hillary.

"That's so awesome!" added Sunny.

Tristan, Pikachu, and Dragonair watched proudly as the sky cleared up.

"You were great," commended Tristan. "Both of you were." And he gently stroked Pikachu and Dragonair as they slowly flew lower to where Hillary and Sunny were.

"Way to go, guys!" cheered Hillary.

"Three cheers for Tristan, Pikachu, and Dragonair!" cried Sunny. "Hip hip..."

"HOORAY!"

"Hip hip..."

"HOORAY!"

"Hip hip..."

"HOORAY!"

"That Dragonair seems pretty gentle compared to that Fearow," remarked Sunny as she, Tristan, and Hillary resumed their climb some time later.

Tristan nodded in agreement.

"And it went out of its way to save you after you went so far to protect it," added Hillary. "That shows that you really care about Pokémon. And once every Pokémon we meet sees that, they'll know it, too."

"You're right, sis," replied Tristan. "And that'll get me one step closer to becoming a Pokémon Master."

"Hey, everybody, check it out!" called Sunny. "I think we've reached the top!"

(Music Cue: ...Such Sweet Sorrow (full version))

Sure enough, they had reached the highest point on Mount Silver, and could see for miles.

"Wow, what a view!" said Hillary. "I can see Silver Town from here, although it does look small from up here."

"Yeah, and that's where the Silver Conference will be held," added Tristan. "And we'll win the whole tournament, right, Pikachu?"

Pikachu agreed excitedly as everyone looked at the view for the next several minutes.

"Hey, thanks for taking me up here," said Sunny.

"We're glad we could do it, Sunny," replied Hillary. "Well, shall we begin our climb down?"

"You bet," agreed Sunny.

And together, they began their long climb down the mountain.

When they got down, six familiar faces were waiting.

"It's my brothers and sisters!" cried Sunny excitedly as she ran over and embraced them.

Sure enough, Monica, Tuscany, Wesley, Arthur, Frieda, and Santos had anxiously been waiting for Sunny all day.

"Where have you been, young lady?" asked Wesley. "We were so worried about you."

"We thought you'd disappeared from us," added Tuscany.

"We're just so happy you're safe," said Frieda.

"We missed you," put in Santos.

"I was out climbing Mount Silver," explained Sunny. "I didn't mean to make you worry."

"Well, as long as you're safe, that's all that matters," put in Arthur.

Monica came to Tristan and Hillary. "Thank you both for taking care of our little Sunny. I hope she didn't cause you any trouble."

"Trouble? We had a blast with her!" replied Tristan.

"That's a relief," sighed Monica. "She can be hard to deal with at times, but we all love her just the same."

"We hope you do well in the Johto League, Tristan," said Wesley.

"Yeah, good luck," added Arthur.

"Thanks," replied Tristan. "I'll do my best."

Pikachu agreed with him.

"Well, we'd better get going," said Hillary.

"Okay," replied Monica. "Be careful out there, guys, and thanks for everything! Come and see us anytime you want to!"

"Bye, Tristan! Bye, Hillary!" called the other siblings as they waved to them. "Take care!"

"We will!" replied Tristan and Hillary as they, Pikachu, and Togepi waved back and said their goodbyes as well.

Our heroes have had a big day: Tristan's Dratini evolved into Dragonair, and our heroes helped Sunny realize her dream of climbing to the top of Mount Silver. Now that she's been safely reunited with her brothers and sisters, our heroes can resume their journey to Silver Town and the Johto League!

► TO BE CONTINUED