AUTHOR'S NOTE: Greetings, readers! Here is chapter 104 of the continuing adventures of Tristan, Hillary, and Pikachu as they continue their journey through the Johto region. You may recall having Blue from the first Fanfiction story I wrote, so I decided to have Red from the Gold, Silver, and Crystal version games in this chapter. Red doesn't say much at first, but he starts speaking more and more as the chapter progresses. And I was inspired to write this chapter because when I beat the game on my Pokémon Yellow Version 20 years ago, I didn't know what else to do except challenge the Elite Four over and over again. Please feel free to read and review responsibly at your leisure.
TEASER: Tristan, Hillary, and Pikachu encounter a strong Pokémon Trainer named Red, who scares Silver out of his wits after a battle, causing them to rush to his rescue. However, Red may not be as scary as Silver thinks he is. Meanwhile, Hillary wants to fulfill her dream of catching a Larvitar. Will she succeed?
Chapter 104: THE MOST POWERFUL TRAINER
(Music Cue: Opening Title 1999-2001 (as heard at the end of "A Shadow of a Drought"))
Our heroes have been getting a daily workout climbing up and down Mount Silver. Now with the opening of the Johto League Silver Conference just days away, our heroes decide to climb up the mountain one more time. Today, they're stopping by the Pokémon Preservation Center along the way.
"I heard that there was a wild Larvitar living somewhere around here," said Hillary. "I've been wanting one ever since you hatched one at Purity Canyon."
"Well, Larvitar are rare Pokémon," replied Tristan. "And the only place I could think of that they live around here is Mount Silver. So we must be on the right track."
Pikachu and Togepi agreed.
Tristan and Hillary came to a bridge a minute later. Just then, they saw a pair of green Pokémon on the other side of the bridge. One was a small Pokémon with rocky green skin and a spike on top of its head. The other was a much bigger bipedal dinosaurian Pokémon with rock-hard armor covering its body. It also had spikes surrounding the end of its tail.
"Look over there, sis!" said Tristan excitedly. "A Larvitar!"
Sure enough, it was a Larvitar. It was minding its own business while playing with the big Pokémon.
"But who's that other Pokémon?" wondered Hillary as she scanned it with her Pokédex.
"Tyranitar, the Armor Pokémon. Tyranitar has a heavily armored body that can withstand powerful attacks, and is able to crush a mountain with one hand."
Suddenly, they noticed a thick, black scar on Tyranitar's chest.
"Whoa, look at that scar!" exclaimed Tristan.
"I wonder if that Tyranitar went through some hard times," replied Hillary sadly.
Larvitar suddenly saw Tristan and Hillary, and was so startled by their appearance that it jumped into Tyranitar's arms.
Tyranitar held Larvitar close and comforted it.
"Poor thing," whispered Hillary. "It must be afraid of us. I wonder why."
"Hey, sis, take a look at what this sign says," said Tristan.
The sign read: "NOTICE! THIS IS THE MOUNT SILVER POKÉMON PRESERVE. THIS AREA IS STRICTLY OFF LIMITS TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC. LARVITAR AND TYRANITAR ARE HEREBY PROTECTED BY FEDERAL LAW. POACHING IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED. NO CATCHING OR BATTLING ALLOWED. VIOLATORS WILL BE PROSECUTED."
"Aww, that's too bad," sighed Hillary sadly. "I really wanted to catch a Larvitar."
"We'll find one, sis," promised Tristan. "But right now, we should move along. I think Larvitar and Tyranitar are getting a little nervous."
Hillary silently agreed as she and Togepi slowly followed Tristan and Pikachu away from the bridge.
Larvitar and Tyranitar watched them leave.
Tristan and Hillary had reached Mount Silver some time later.
"Boy, Tristan, with the amount of walking and climbing we've been doing for the past two months, you should be ready for the Silver Conference in no time," remarked Hillary.
Tristan nodded in agreement. "We've been training really hard, and I think we can do it. I can't wait to compete in the tournament."
Pikachu shared in Tristan's excitement.
"Yeah, that's the spirit," said Hillary. "With an attitude like that, there's no way you can lose."
Togepi trilled happily in agreement.
Suddenly, they heard a scream from further up.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! HEEEEEEEELP!"
(Music Cue: The Rockets Unveiled (full version))
"What was that?" asked Hillary worriedly.
"Sounds like someone in trouble!" exclaimed Tristan. "Come on!"
And they ran up to the source of the scream as fast as they could.
Little did they know that a little green Pokémon with a horn on its forehead was secretly following them. It was attracted to something, but wasn't sure what; however, it did like how they'd come to someone's rescue without hesitation, so it curiously continued on.
A red-haired Trainer was trying as best he could to tend to his Feraligatr. Yes, it was Silver, Tristan and Hillary's bitter rival, whom they had run into in the past. "Feraligatr, say something!" he pleaded as he tried to nudge it awake. "Feraligatr!"
But his Feraligatr remained motionless.
Tristan and Hillary arrived on the scene a minute later.
(Music Cue: Strange Weather)
"Whoa, it's Silver!" whispered Hillary to Tristan.
"Yes," replied Tristan. "He must've been in a tough battle, and it appears that he lost."
Hillary came up to Silver. "What happened?" she asked.
Silver turned to Hillary. "I should've known you'd show up," he replied. He was half-upset, half-relieved.
"Let's see your Feraligatr," said Tristan as he walked over to it.
Sure enough, Feraligatr had many wounds and bruises all over its body.
"I don't need your help," grumbled Silver.
"I don't care," retorted Tristan. "Feraligatr needs help, whether you like it or not." And he quickly took out his first-aid kid, and immediately sprayed Full Restore medicine on Feraligatr's injuries. "Believe me, Silver, this is for your own good."
A few minutes later, Feraligatr slowly opened its eyes and looked at Silver, much to his relief.
"Feraligatr, you're awake!" cried Silver excitedly. And he happily embraced it, much to Tristan and Hillary's surprise.
Feraligatr was surprised, too.
"I've never seen Silver act this way before," whispered Hillary.
"Nor have I," replied Tristan. "This is something brand new to us."
Silver and Feraligatr turned to Tristan and Hillary. "Thank you for taking care of my Feraligatr. Now we'll leave." And he and Feraligatr started to leave.
"Wait, hold on, Silver!" called Hillary as she and Tristan stopped him. "You can't start leaving now!"
"Why not?" grumbled Silver impatiently.
Feraligatr felt a twinge of pain from its injuries and collapsed.
"Feraligatr's not back to full strength yet," explained Hillary. "It must still be feeling the damage from its battle."
"She's right," agreed Tristan. "What your Feraligatr needs is rest. And so do you."
"I don't need it," retorted Silver. But then, he noticed a sharp pain in his knee and collapsed into Tristan's arms.
"Take it easy, Silver," cautioned Tristan as he saw the cut on Silver's knee. "It seems to me like you need a little help, too. Hillary, could you grab my first-aid kit please?"
"Sure thing, big bro," agreed Hillary. And she dashed over with Tristan's first-aid kit, took out a fresh bandage, and gave it to Tristan.
Then Tristan applied the bandage to Silver's injured knee. "There you go. You should be feeling better in no time." He gently set Silver down on the ground.
Silver let off a small smile. "Thank you, Tristan. You're not such a bad person to hang around with after all."
Later, as Tristan, Hillary, Silver, and the Pokémon had lunch, they could tell that Feraligatr was having a happy time chowing down.
"Well, there's nothing wrong with Feraligatr's appetite," remarked Hillary.
Silver was impressed. He never knew that his Feraligatr could enjoy itself so much, especially when eating good homemade recipes that Tristan had made for the very first time.
"I've never really had the pleasure of eating good food before," said Silver. "You must be a really good chef. No wonder you and your Pokémon are so close together."
"I always like to treat my Pokémon as friends and family, not just something for endless battling," replied Tristan. "And I always do my best to respect their feelings. So I learned how to make great recipes and help my Pokémon grow strong."
This caused Silver to think very hard about what he'd been doing as a Trainer. Could it be true? What Tristan and Hillary possess and what I lack...is that what Lance has been telling me all along?
"So what happened, Silver?" wondered Hillary. "What happened to your Feraligatr?"
(Music Cue: Mystical Story (full version))
Silver closed his eyes. Then he spoke. "You know how I always look for strong Trainers to battle and dismiss the weak ones. I ran into this Trainer, who was probably my age, maybe a little older. He looked kind of like Tristan."
"Like me?" gasped Tristan.
Silver continued his story.
"I thought I'd take him on because I'm always looking for strong opponents to battle. Little did I know that I had gotten more than what I'd bargained for. He immediately accepted my challenge and brought out his Pikachu first. I thought it to be insignificant compared to what my Crobat could do. But boy, was I wrong. Pikachu's Thunder took out my Crobat in just one attack.
"None of my Pokémon even stood a chance against his Pokémon. They weren't just strong, they were scary! He also had a Charizard, Snorlax, Blastoise, and an Espeon with him.
"Feraligatr only lasted longer without faring any better. This Trainer used his Venusaur against my Feraligatr, which was no surprise, since he was journeying for a long time. He knew the strengths and weaknesses of all different types of Pokémon. He had a variety of strong Pokémon with him, not favoring one type over another.
"That was when I realized that I'd bitten off more than I could chew. His Venusaur had taken out my Feraligatr using SolarBeam without taking a single hit. I felt so helpless. I didn't know what to do.
"I guess that was when I panicked and yelled for help. And then you guys came along," concluded Silver.
"Tell us, Silver, what is the Trainer's name?" asked Tristan.
"His name...is Red," answered Silver.
"Red?" repeated Hillary. "I've never heard of that name before."
"Trust me," said Silver. "He's scarily good. I met up with a Trainer named Blue the other day, and he'd faced off against him, too. Red beat him easily without even batting an eye."
Tristan was surprised. "Red's tough." Then he grew excited. "Well, if he's that strong, then I wanna battle him myself!"
Pikachu eagerly agreed.
"Are you crazy?!" exclaimed Red. "He'll beat the pants right off of you! He'll scare you out of your wits! He'll..."
Presently, a male Trainer wearing blue jeans, a red shirt, and a red hat came over.
(Music Cue: A Devious Plot)
Silver saw him and instantly turned to flee. "Yikes! That's Red! Run for it!" he yelled, but he crashed to the ground before he could make his escape.
"That's Red?' asked Hillary nervously.
"He must've been attracted to the delicious aroma of the food here," added Tristan.
But surprisingly, Red didn't seem to be mean at all. Instead, he helped Silver back to his feet. He didn't say a word.
"Did you see that?" said Tristan, who was surprised. "He just helped Silver."
"Hey, you know what?" said Hillary to Silver. "Red isn't trying to hurt you. He just wanted to help you. Isn't that right?"
Red nodded.
"I bet Red was a little surprised by the reaction Silver gave when he felt that he was about to lose, and then ran off," said Tristan.
Red nodded again.
"He's very quiet for a Trainer who's very strong," remarked Hillary.
Tristan turned to Red. "Would you like to join us for some lunch?" asked Tristan. "It's really good."
Red was delighted with the idea.
(Music Cue: My Friend, Pokémon)
Everyone was enjoying the stew that Tristan made.
Red still said nothing.
"Is something wrong, Red? We noticed that you hadn't said a single word yet," said Hillary. "We could do something else if you want. It's totally up to you."
Red looked up. "Please, you must forgive me. Lately, I felt like I've been on this road lots and lots of times. And even though my Pokémon get stronger with each battle, I still seem like I'm at a loss. I don't even know where I should go next. I've been on Kanto's roads tons of times, but sometimes, I feel like there's nowhere left for me to go. I mean, I enjoy seeing familiar places again and again. But I just can't help but feel an emptiness inside. I feel as if Kanto has no new places for me to see. I know it does, but what I want to do is go out and see new lands, new adventures, and new Pokémon."
Tristan's face brightened up when Red mentioned new adventures. "Hey, why don't you explore the Johto region?" suggested Tristan. "It's loaded with history, and you'll get a chance to challenge new Gym Leaders. I managed to earn all eight badges for the Johto League Silver Conference." He showed his badges to Red.
"I'm impressed," smiled Red. "I never knew badges like those ever existed. Okay, you've just inspired me. Starting tomorrow, I'll explore all the Johto region. And I think I'll start in New Bark Town."
"That's the spirit, Red," said Hillary excitedly. "And we can give you information on the Pokémon you see in Johto if you want."
Red smiled. "Thanks for the offer, but I want to discover these things on my own. No offense, but I'd rather find out about these things without having to rely on other people. I hope you'll understand."
"Of course we do, Red," replied Tristan. "We respect your decision."
Even Silver nodded in agreement.
"Hey, Red," said Tristan. "Before you go, would you like to have a quick battle with me?"
Everyone was surprised, especially Silver.
"Don't worry, guys," Tristan assured them. "This'll be a good battle, and I don't scare easily against strong Trainers like him."
Red let out a smile. "I'd been wanting to battle someone as strong as you. Very well, then. I accept your challenge. But let's battle one-on-one outside."
"You're on!"
Tristan and Red faced each other on the terrain as Hillary, Pikachu, Togepi, and Silver watched.
"I sure hope Tristan knows what he's doing," said Silver nervously. "He doesn't know how strong his Pokémon really are. If I can't beat them, how can he expect to stand a chance against them?"
"The odds may be against him this time," replied Hillary. "But let's see if Tristan has a trick up his sleeve to pull him through."
Red threw a Poké Ball.
(Music Cue: Johto Champion Battle (full version as heard in "Dueling Heroes"))
Venusaur emerged from the white light that shot out of it.
"Now that's a powerful choice," remarked Hillary. "I knew Red would start out in a big way."
"That's just fine with me. Typhlosion, I choose you!" shouted Tristan as he took out his Fast Ball and threw it.
Typhlosion emerged from the white light that shot out of it. Its flame ignited on the back of its head.
"Are you ready for this?" asked Red.
"You bet!" answered Tristan. "I could use a good warm-up before the Silver Conference!"
"Then let's begin. Venusaur, start out with Giga Drain!" instructed Red.
Venusaur's leaves began glowing, and green energy beams shot out from them, wrapping around Typhlosion.
"What's Giga Drain?" wondered Hillary.
"Big trouble," answered Silver. "Giga Drain is an attack that drains energy from its opponent, making it weaker and the attacking Pokémon stronger. It's like Mega Drain, but much more dangerous. Even though it won't do much damage to Typhlosion, it could still cause problems."
"Be very careful, Tristan!" warned Hillary. "That Giga Drain attack has some serious power!"
"Don't worry, sis, I've got it covered," replied Tristan. "Typhlosion, battle back with Flamethrower!"
Typhlosion unleashed a powerful stream of fire at Venusaur's energy beams that were restraining it and scored a direct hit on it.
"Not bad," smiled Red. "But let's see how you handle this. Venusaur, let's warm the weather up with Sunny Day."
Venusaur unleashed a beam of energy from its flower into the sky.
Instantly, the sun grew warmer and brighter.
"Is it just me, or did it get hot all of a sudden?" asked Hillary.
"Typhlosion, confuse Venusaur with your Smokescreen attack!" ordered Tristan.
Typhlosion unleashed a thick, black cloud of smoke from its mouth, enveloping Venusaur in it.
Venusaur looked all over for Typhlosion.
"Stay calm, Venusaur. Now let's use SolarBeam," instructed Red.
"Why use SolarBeam now?" wondered Hillary. "Red should know that SolarBeam takes a while to charge up."
"Not with Sunny Day, it doesn't," replied Silver.
As he spoke, Venusaur instantly unleashed a powerful beam of energy from its flower and scored a direct hit on Typhlosion, sending crashing to the ground.
"Are you okay, Typhlosion?" asked Tristan.
Typhlosion quickly got back on its feet.
Red was a little surprised. He had expected Typhlosion to be knocked out in just one hit like many opponents he faced in the past, but instead, he saw that Typhlosion was even more fired up to battle. He let out a chuckle and said, "All right, let's continue! Show me what else you can do!"
"Okay, if you insist!" replied Tristan. "Typhlosion, Flamethrower!"
Typhlosion unleashed a powerful blast of fire from its mouth, but was supercharged thanks to the sun.
Typhlosion's Flamethrower struck Venusaur with a vengeance
"Wow, look at that!" exclaimed Hillary. "That Flamethrower did a huge amount of damage to Venusaur!"
"And Tristan managed to turn Sunny Day against Red at the same time. It's true that Sunny Day allows quick use of SolarBeam, but it also gives Fire attacks twice as much power. I hate to admit it, but your brother is a much stronger Trainer than I realize. I'm beginning to understand why I keep losing against him and you."
Venusaur crashed to the ground after taking major damage from Typhlosion's Flamethrower.
"Are you okay, Venusaur?" asked Red.
Venusaur strained and slowly struggled back to its feet, but gave a nod.
"Let's use Synthesis," instructed Red.
(Music Cue: The Copy Pokémon Awaken! (as heard in "A Tent Situation"))
Venusaur began to glow in a bright green light. Many of the injuries it had sustained from Typhlosion's Flamethrower instantly disappeared.
"It recovered?!" gasped Tristan.
"Did you see that? Venusaur's Synthesis reversed all the damage Typhlosion's Flamethrower did to it!" exclaimed Hillary.
"And not only that, but Sunny Day may have helped Venusaur restore its energy back to its maximum," added Silver.
"But it won't work forever!" replied Tristan. "Typhlosion, use another Flamethrower!"
Typhlosion unleashed another powerful blast of fire from its mouth at Venusaur, scoring another direct hit.
But Tristan didn't celebrate yet. He knew he had to win fast. "Quick, Typhlosion, finish it off with Fire Blast!" he ordered.
A powerful five-point flame formed in Typhlosion's mouth.
Typhlosion launched it with all its might right at Venusaur.
Now it was Silver's turn to be excited. "What power! If this attack hits, Tristan might actually win!"
"Quick, Venusaur, use SolarBeam!" shouted Red.
Quickly, Venusaur unleashed an incredible beam of energy from its flower to defend against Typhlosion's Fire Blast.
Both attacks collided with neither side giving an inch.
"Come on, Typhlosion, I know you can do it!" encouraged Tristan.
Typhlosion strained and attempted to push Venusaur's SolarBeam attack back.
"Don't give in, Venusaur, I believe in you, buddy!" encouraged Red.
Venusaur nodded and attempted to push Typhlosion's Fire Blast back.
The attacks were at the same level and neither Pokémon let up.
"They're evenly matched!" exclaimed Hillary.
"Incredible!" remarked Silver. "I've never seen such power!"
"Venusaur, full power now!" shouted Red.
Venusaur increased the power of its SolarBeam to its maximum.
"Let's turn up the heat, Typhlosion!" cried Tristan.
Typhlosion roared and turned up the velocity of its Fire Blast attack.
Both attacks were still perfectly matched.
Seconds later, the force of the attacks created a tremendous explosion, causing a cloud of smoke to form.
BOOM!
Everyone braced themselves and covered their faces.
When the smoke cleared, Typhlosion and Venusaur were still on their feet, eyeing each other warily.
Everyone anxiously waited for something to happen to either Typhlosion or Vernusaur.
Both Pokémon gave each other a big smile. Then they both collapsed at the same time, much to Silver and Hillary's surprise.
(Music Cue: I Got a Victory Badge (full version)
"Wow, a draw!" gasped Hillary.
"That was an awesome battle," added Silver. "I've never been so excited by a battle as intense as this one."
Tristan and Red quickly ran over to congratulate their Pokémon on a job well done.
"You were awesome, Typhlosion," commended Tristan.
Typhlosion gave a weak, but happy reply.
Red also congratulated his Pokémon. "Thank you, Venusaur."
Venusaur also gave an exhausted, but satisfied reply.
Red turned to Tristan. "Well, Tristan, I must admit, that was a great battle. You and that Typhlosion of yours were really hot."
"Thanks, Red," replied Tristan. "You and Venusaur were really strong, too."
"You know what?" said Red. "Battling you has gotten me even more inspired to travel. I'm going to watch the Johto League Silver Conference, and after that, I'll plan to start traveling again to compete in the Johto League myself."
"That's the spirit, Red!" said Tristan excitedly. "With an attitude like that, there's no way you'll lose!" He then shook hands with Red.
"What do you know?" said Silver. "You're not so scary after all. Once I work with my Pokémon and become stronger, I wanna battle you again someday. Will you do that?"
Red gave a nod. "I'm looking forward to it."
"See, Silver? I told you Red wasn't such a scary Trainer," Hillary teased.
"Who asked you?" retorted Silver.
Tristan and Red had to laugh after that heated but somewhat friendly exchange.
That evening, Tristan, Hillary, Silver, and Red were standing at the Pokémon Center at the base of Mount Silver.
"So I guess we'll see each other at the Silver Conference," said Silver. "I have a feeling we'll battle each other in the competition. And when we do, you'd better watch out, because I won't hold back."
"Right back at you, Silver," replied Tristan.
Pikachu excitedly agreed. It couldn't wait to battle Silver again.
"And I'll make sure he arrives safely at the stadium," added Red.
"Take good care, you two," said Hillary.
"We will," replied Red. "You two stay safe, okay? Come on, Silver. I'll see that you get to your destination." And he and Silver walked down the road to Silver Town on the other side of the mountain.
"Why don't we turn in, Tristan?" suggested Hillary. "I'm getting sleepy."
"Me, too," agreed Tristan. "Tomorrow, we'll get to Silver Town for sure."
Pikachu and Togepi agreed as well.
Just then, Hillary started feeling sad.
"What's wrong, sis?"
"I still haven't gotten a Larvitar yet."
Tristan had just remembered that when suddenly, a little green Pokémon showed up and tapped her leg. It had a green horn on its forehead.
Hillary turned around and gasped in surprise. "Whoa! A Larvitar all the way out here?! What's going on?!"
"It must've followed us here," replied Tristan.
"But why?" wondered Hillary. "I'm glad to see it, but I still don't get it."
Larvitar was saying something as it rubbed against Hillary's leg to show its affection.
"I'm not sure, but I think maybe Larvitar wants to come along with you."
Hillary was surprised. "Is that true, Larvitar? Do you wanna come with me?"
Larvitar nodded, but then it jumped back and made a pose.
"Now what?" wondered Hillary.
"Larvitar may want to come with you, but first you've gotta prove your strength," explained Tristan. "It's that simple."
"If you're talking about a Pokémon battle, then you've got a deal, Larvitar," agreed Hillary.
Larvitar nodded. That was what it wanted.
They came to a battlefield just behind the Pokémon Center.
Hillary and Larvitar stood on opposite sides.
"All right, ready, Larvitar?" asked Hillary. "Because I won't hold back."
Larvitar nodded.
(Music Cue: Johto Wild Pokémon Battle (full version as heard in "Here's Looking at You, Elekid"))
"Okay, Squirtle, let's go!" shouted Hillary as she threw a Poké Ball.
Squirtle emerged from the white light that shot out of it and readied itself for battle.
"Squirtle's a Water Pokémon, so it has a type advantage over Larvitar," remarked Tristan. "But I bet Larvitar has some tricks of its own, and Hillary has to be prepared for anything."
Pikachu nodded in agreement.
"Still," continued Tristan, "this should be a great battle."
"Let's do it, Squirtle! Water Gun!" commanded Hillary.
Squirtle shot a powerful blast of water from its mouth at Larvitar.
But Larvitar quickly jumped out of the way and did a full-body charge at Squirtle, scoring a direct hit using its hard horn.
"Squirtle!" cried Hillary.
"Wow!" exclaimed Tristan. "That Larvitar's not only fast, but powerful, too! The horn on its head must've hit hard!"
Larvitar waved the horn on its head and created a large tornado of sand that enveloped the battlefield.
"Now it's using Sandstorm!" remarked Tristan as he, Pikachu, and Togepi covered their eyes.
"Heads up, Squirtle!" ordered Hillary. "Use Water Gun to wash the Sandstorm away!"
Squirtle unleashed a blast of water that was so powerful, it washed away the sands of Larvitar's attack.
Sure enough, Larvitar's Sandstorm had subsided.
But Larvitar wouldn't give up so easily, so it dug in and emitted a loud, irritating cry.
"That's a horrible Screech attack!" bellowed Tristan as he and Pikachu covered their ears.
Togepi withdrew into its shell to block out the noise.
"Squirtle, use Rapid Spin!" shouted Hillary.
Squirtle spun round and round, faster and faster until it struck Larvitar and stopped the Screech attack.
"Perfect!" cheered Hillary. "Now finish it off with your Water Gun attack!"
Squirtle shot a powerful blast of water at Larvitar and scored a clean hit on it, sending it careening to the ground, seemingly unable to battle.
"Now's your chance, Hillary!" shouted Tristan.
"Right!" replied Hillary as she took out a Poké Ball. "Poké Ball, go!" She then threw it.
The ball hit Larvitar, causing Larvitar to transform into red energy and disappear inside. Then it fell to the ground and wiggled as a red light flashed on the button.
Everyone waited anxiously to see what would happen as seconds passed.
Squirtle prepared to strike again should Larvitar break free.
Hillary watched, hoping that Larvitar would be caught after she and Squirtle battled as hard as they did.
Tristan, Pikachu, and Togepi were just as hopeful as Hillary was.
The Poké Ball continued to wiggle and the red light continued to flash. But just as it looked like it was going to go on forever, the red light stopped and the Poké Ball stopped wiggling and emitted a sound, indicating that it had been caught.
(Music Cue: Ending 1997-1998 (full version as heard at the end of "Round One: Begin!"))
Hillary was overjoyed as she picked it up. "Yes! We caught a Larvitar!" she cheered as she and Squirtle posed.
"Pi-Pikachu!" added Pikachu as it and Togepi celebrated along with her.
"Congratulations, sis," smiled Tristan. "You have another new friend to play with."
"Thanks, big bro," replied Hillary.
Suddenly, Hillary's Poké Ball shrunk down.
"Hey, that's weird," said Hillary. "What happened?"
"I see," replied Tristan. "You already have six Pokémon, so you'll have to send one of your Pokémon to Professor Oak."
"I should've known there'd be a catch to catching a Pokémon," grumbled Hillary. "But at least I have a Larvitar now."
"That you do," agreed Tristan. "And now we can rest up for my victory in the Silver Conference!"
"Yeah!" smiled Hillary. "Let's eat first and then we'll turn in. That battle worked up an appetite, didn't it?"
Pikachu, Togepi, and Squirtle agreed.
Just then, an idea struck Tristan. "Hey, sis, maybe we don't have to send one of your Pokémon to Professor Oak after all."
"What do you mean?"
"Just follow me." And he took her by the hand inside the Pokémon Center.
"You want to send your Eevee to play with me?" asked Veronica, Tristan and Hillary's grandmother, on the video phone. She was, to Tristan and Hillary's surprise, at Professor Elm's lab in New Bark Town, and was obviously excited about the news of playing with another Eevee, at least temporarily.
Hillary nodded. "Just think of it as a way of thanking you for all the support you've given Tristan and me on our journey together." And she put Eevee's Poké Ball on the transporter and pushed the button.
Seconds later, the Poké Ball arrived on Veronica's end.
Veronica gently held Eevee's Poké Ball in her hand. "I promise to take good care of your Eevee. And whenever you need it, it'll be right here to help you."
"Thanks, Grandma, you're the best," replied Hillary.
Thanks to our heroes, Red gets the inspiration he needs to continue his Pokémon journey. Not only that, Hillary manages to catch a Larvitar. And now, with the Johto League Silver Conference one day closer, our heroes look forward to their arrival in Silver Town.
► TO BE CONTINUED