AUTHOR'S NOTE: Greetings, readers! Here is Chapter 112 of the continuing adventures of Tristan, Hillary, and Pikachu as they continue their journey through the Johto region. This battle is based off the final time the player faces off against Silver in the Gold, Silver, and Crystal version games. But we're going to try and make this as evenly matched as possible, just to be fair. This is a shorter chapter, but the next one will be just a little longer. I hope you enjoy this battle in this two-part epic slam fast! As always, please feel free to read and review responsibly at your leisure.
TEASER: Tristan competes in the first round of the Johto League Silver Conference Victory Tournament against Silver, his longtime rival!
Chapter 112: TRISTAN VS. SILVER
(Music Cue: Movie Title 1998 The Start of the Counterattack)
Last time, Tristan and Hillary, along with their friends and family, watched the epic battle between Ash and Gary, who gave it their all right from the start.
It all came down to Ash with Charizard and Gary with Blastoise. Thanks to Ash's unique battle strategy, he was able to defeat Gary and move on in the tournament.
Now it's Tristan's turn to see if he'll be able to do the same thing, as his battle against his and Hillary's longtime rival, Silver, is about to begin!
(Music Cue: Ash's Decision to Fight B (Ash Appears))
Tristan and Silver faced each other warily on the battlefield as Hillary, Veronica, Eric, Braden, Evan, Rachael, and Stuart looked on.
"Will Tristan be able to beat Silver?" asked Evan nervously. "I mean that guy is all kinds of mean."
"Yes, I know," agreed Braden. "He seems intent on defeating Tristan no matter what it takes."
"He's just blaming Tristan and me for what happened to Giovanni," put in Hillary. "Why can't he understand that he's pure evil?"
"I'm sure Tristan will open him up to the truth and wipe that smirk off his face," Veronica assured her.
"Go get him, Tristan!" cheered Rachael and Stuart together as Togepi shouted encouragingly.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the next battle is about to begin!" boomed the announcer. "The battle between Tristan from New Bark Town and his opponent, Silver, is about to begin! Now we'll see which battlefield they'll be fighting on."
The digital wheel lit up with the four different emblems until it slowed and stopped on the Water emblem.
"And this time, it's a Water field!" said the announcer.
Instantly, the field opened up, and a pool of water with floating platforms rose from below, moving into place.
"And now to decide who moves first," said the announcer as another digitally lit wheel spun round and round.
Then it slowed and stopped on one of the green emblems with Tristan's picture on it.
"And Tristan from New Bark Town will go first," said the announcer. "Silver will follow. What Pokémon will Tristan use to start our match?"
"I'll start with Feraligatr!" shouted Tristan as he threw his Lure Ball.
(Music Cue: Johto Rival Theme (full version))
Feraligatr emerged from the white light that shot out of it.
"A smart choice," remarked Eric. "Feraligatr should have an easy time moving around in the water.
"Sneasel, battle mode!" ordered Silver as he threw his first Poké Ball.
Sneasel emerged from the white light that shot out of it.
"Tristan has chosen to start out with Feraligatr, and Silver with Sneasel," said the announcer.
"Let the match begin!" declared the referee as he raised both flags in the air.
"Sneasel, go, Quick Attack now!" ordered Silver.
Sneasel charged in and sped toward Feraligatr as a white line streaked behind it. It scored a hit, but Feraligatr's mass prevented it from doing much damage.
"Sneasel's Quick Attack gets bounced off," said the announcer. "Feraligatr's size is defending it from the damage."
"Feraligatr, Hydro Pump attack!" commanded Tristan.
Feraligatr shot a strong stream of water from its mouth at Sneasel, and struck it hard.
"Feraligatr's Hydro Pump is doing some damage!" said the announcer.
Silver was not looking happy as Sneasel fell in the water. "Stay strong, or else!" he barked.
Sneasel struggled onto one of the floating platforms.
"Quick, Feraligatr, use Slash attack!" shouted Tristan.
Feraligatr used its sharp claws to deal massive damage to Sneasel.
"Feraligatr's Slash attack makes a direct hit!" boomed the announcer.
Sneasel fell into the water with a dazed expression in its eyes. It had been knocked out.
"Sneasel is unable to battle...Feraligar wins!" declared the referee as he raised his green flag in the air to a roaring crowd.
"Incredible!" boomed the announcer. "Feraligatr was able to beat Sneasel with ease! Will it go that way all that easily for Tristan?"
"Yes!" said Evan excitedly. "That's one down and five more to go!"
"True, but there's a long way to go," reminded Braden.
Silver returned Sneasel to its Poké Ball and put it away. He looked up at Tristan. "I hate to admit it, but your Feraligatr's been raised well. But now it's time to defeat it. Crobat, battle mode!" He threw his second Poké Ball.
Crobat emerged from the white light that shot out of it. It had four purple wings.
"Silver's second Pokémon is a Crobat!" said the announcer.
"Wow, I never figured that Silver's Golbat had evolved," said Hillary nervously as she scanned Crobat with her Pokédex.
"Crobat, the Bat Pokémon. The evolved form of Golbat. With its two additional wings, Crobat is able to fly much faster than Golbat.
Just outside, Lugia and Silveena, along with all the other Legendary Pokémon Tristan and Hillary had befriended, were watching intently.
Come on, Tristan, thought Lugia. I know you can beat him.
"Crobat, Wing Attack, let's go!" ordered Silver.
Crobat's four wings glowed as it flew in for the attack.
"Crobat charges in with a Wing Attack," said the announcer.
But just as Crobat got within striking distance...
"Grab it now!" commanded Tristan.
Quickly, Feraligatr used its hands to grab Crobat before it could land a hit.
"Crobat gets stopped by Feraligatr!" said the announcer. "And now, Crobat is completely immobilized!"
"Grrr!" grunted Silver.
"Yeah, way to go, Feraligatr, hang on tight!" said Tristan excitedly.
"Tristan's doing quite well so far," remarked Braden. "His Pokémon are a lot stronger than I thought they were."
"Maybe because Silver's Pokémon are weaker?" wondered Evan.
"Well, I wouldn't go that far," replied Braden.
"What do you mean?" asked Evan.
"Come on, Crobat, get yourself free!" shouted Silver.
Crobat struggled and strained, but it was powerless thanks to Feraligatr's tight grip.
"Hydro Pump, Feraligatr!" commanded Tristan.
Feraligatr unleashed a powerful blast of water from its mouth at Crobat at close range, scoring a huge direct hit.
"Crobat gets pummeled by that Hydro Pump, and it's unable to dodge any attacks," said the announcer.
"Finish it off with Ice Beam!" instructed Tristan.
Feraligatr unleashed an ice-cold beam of energy at Crobat, again at close range, and froze it solid. It then let the frozen Crobat drop to the ground.
Crobat had a dazed expression in its eyes. It had been knocked out.
"Crobat is unable to battle...Feraligatr wins!" declared the referee as he raised his green flag in the air.
"Feraligatr has beaten two of Silver's Pokémon, leaving Silver with four remaining," said the announcer as the crowd roared in excitement.
"Crobat was no match for Feraligatr's size and reflexes," remarked Veronica. "Tristan and his Pokémon must've trained really hard for this moment."
"Well, that explains why he scored two quick victories," replied Hillary. "Do you think he could win this tournament?"
"We'll have to see," said Eric.
Just then, Shen arrived. "Hi, everyone. Sorry I'm late."
"Hey, Shen," smiled Braden. "I saved you a seat."
Shen sat next to Braden.
"So how's the battle going?" asked Shen.
"It's going well for Tristan," replied Braden. "He just easily defeated two of Silver's Pokémon."
"My match will be coming up after his," explained Shen. "And if Tristan and I both win our matches, then he and I will go up against each other in the quarterfinals."
"Well, this ought to be interesting," said Braden. "I'm not sure whom I'd root for."
"Well, I'm rooting for Tristan all the way," said Hillary. "He's an awesome Trainer."
Togepi trilled in agreement.
"Magneton, battle mode!" shouted Silver as he threw his third Poké Ball.
(Music Cue: Raid! (full version))
Magneton emerged from the white light that shot out of it. It looked like it was composed of three Magnemite together.
"Silver's third Pokémon is Magneton," said the announcer. "Will Feraligatr make this next battle three for three?"
"This could be trouble," said Shen. "Feraligatr's a Water-type, and Magneton's Electric attacks will give it some serious problems."
"I'm not too worried," replied Hillary confidently. "Tristan has beaten Silver in the past, and he can easily do it again."
"Feraligatr, Hydro Pump!" commanded Tristan.
Feraligatr unleashed a powerful blast of water from its mouth at Magneton.
"Magneton, dodge it and use Thunder Wave!" instructed Silver.
Magneton floated above Feraligatr's Hydro Pump and unleashed blue bolts of electricity, which surrounded Feraligatr, causing it to stop in its tracks as it yelled out in pain.
"Oh, no!" exclaimed Tristan.
"Magneton's Thunder Wave has paralyzed Feraligatr," said the announcer. "Feraligatr now appears to be immobilized."
"Well, this is not good," said Evan worriedly. "I never knew that a Thunder Wave could cause so many problems."
"Paralysis is the big concern here," replied Veronica. "It not only slows the opponent down, but it can also prevent a Pokémon from moving."
"Hang in there, Feraligatr!" shouted Hillary. "Don't give up!"
"Now, Magneton, use Thunder!" ordered Silver.
It was then that Magneton unleashed powerful blue bolts of electricity from the ends of its magnets high into the sky. Seconds later, a huge blue bolt of lightning fell from the sky and struck Feraligatr full-force.
"Magneton's Thunder attack scores a direct hit!" said the announcer. "The attack is proving to be super-effective!"
"Hang on, Feraligatr!" encouraged Tristan.
But Feraligatr fell into the water with a dazed expression in its eyes. It had been knocked out.
"Feraligatr is unable to battle...Magneton wins it!" declared the referee as he raised his red flag in the air to a roaring crowd.
"Feraligatr's impressive winning streak comes to an end," said the announcer.
"Well, Electric attacks are super-effective against Water-types, and this proves it," said Shen.
"Yeah, but Tristan's not one to let that setback get him down," replied Braden.
"That's right," agreed Veronica. "And as long as Tristan never gives up, he's always going to come out on top."
"Thanks a lot, Feraligatr. Great work," commended Tristan as he held his Lure Ball close to him and then put it away.
"Tristan still has five Pokémon remaining," continued the announcer. "What will Tristan's second Pokémon be?"
Tristan took out his Fast Ball and threw it, shouting, "You're up next, Typhlosion! I choose you!"
(Music Cue: Cross the Stormy Sea (full version as heard in "The Fourth Round Rumble"))
Typhlosion emerged from the white light that shot out of it and landed on one of the floating platforms.
"Tristan's second Pokémon will be Typhlosion," said the announcer.
"Now that's a much better matchup," remarked Evan. "Typhlosion's Fire attacks should be good because Magneton's also part Steel-type."
"You're right," agreed Hillary. "This battle should be a piece of cake for Tristan."
"Maybe," said Braden. "But keep in mind that Tristan still has to deal with the water on the battlefield. And water conducts electricity. Tristan's gonna have to be on his toes to avoid Magneton's Electric attacks."
"Magneton, use Swift, let's go!" instructed Silver.
Magneton fired a flurry of speeding stars at Typhlosion.
"Typhlosion, use your Swift attack, too!" commanded Tristan.
Typhlosion fired a flurry of speeding stars to counter Magneton's.
Both attacks created a huge explosion.
"Typhlosion and Magneton's Swift attacks are perfectly matched," said the announcer.
"Now, Magneton, use Thunder Wave!" ordered Silver.
Magneton unleashed blue bolts of electricity from the sides of its magnets at Typhlosion.
"Dodge and use Flamethrower!" instructed Tristan.
Typhlosion nimbly jumped out of the way of Magneton's attack and unleashed a powerful stream of fire from its mouth at Magneton, making it super-effective.
"Typhlosion scores a direct hit with Flamethrower!" boomed the announcer.
"That was a very smart move by Tristan," remarked Shen. "He certainly knows how to battle."
"Yep, he sure does, Shen," agreed Braden. "Looks like you're gonna have your hands full with him should you face him in battle tomorrow."
"All right, then, if you won't get hit by Thunder Wave, we'll settle for this: Magneton, Thunder!" ordered Silver.
Magneton unleashed blue bolts of electricity from the sides of its magnets toward the sky. Seconds later, a huge blue bolt of lightning came out of the sky, just like it did when it struck Feraligatr.
"Watch out, Tristan!" shouted Evan. "That Thunder attack could cause a lot of damage!"
"We're not falling for that again," said Tristan.
Typhlosion nodded and quickly jumped out of the way, moving from platform to platform just as Magneton's Thunder was about to hit.
"I must admit, that wasn't a bad dodge at all," smiled Silver. "Your Typhlosion's fast, but we'll see how fast it really is. Okay, Magneton, hit it with Thunder one more time, and this time, make it a bullseye!"
Once again, Magneton unleashed blue bolts of electricity from the sides of its magnets into the sky, but this time, they were more powerful. Then seconds later, a powerful blue bolt of electricity, much larger than the last two, came crashing down out of the sky straight toward Typhlosion.
Tristan knew that this Thunder was too big and too fast for Typhlosion to dodge, so he did the only thing he knew how to do best: fight back. "Typhlosion, Fire Blast!" he shouted.
Typhlosion unleashed a five-pointed flame from its mouth at the incoming bolt of lightning and collided with it. It poured its heart and soul into building its fire as much as it could.
Seconds later, the intensity of both attacks caused them both to collide, creating a huge explosion, causing a huge cloud of smoke to envelop the battlefield.
Everyone was on the edge of their seats, feeling the shock of the explosion.
"Fire Blast and Thunder collide with a vengeance!" boomed the announcer. "Who will emerge from this?"
The smoke slowly cleared up, and it revealed Typhlosion and Magneton staring at each other warily. Then seconds later, they both collapsed at the same instant.
"Typhlosion and Magneton are both unable to continue the battle!" declared the referee as he raised both flags in the air to a roaring crowd.
"What a shocker!" boomed the announcer. "Typhlosion and Magneton are both out of this competition!"
Tristan and Silver both recalled their Pokémon.
Only Tristan congratulated his as he held his Fast Ball close. "Thanks, Typhlosion. You were awesome. You deserve a good rest." Then he thought, Silver has proven to be a formidable opponent. But I won't let that stop me.
Silver was thinking to himself, too. There he goes again, thanking his Pokémon, even though he didn't win the round. Could I have been wrong? About him and Giovanni? There's something I don't get. Am I just destined to lose after treating my Pokémon so harshly? Or is he just a better Trainer?
"Ladies and gentlemen, we'll be taking a five-minute intermission here, giving Silver time to plan his next battle strategy after losing three of his Pokémon," said the announcer.
Tristan used his time to stretch and rest on the bench, thinking of strategies to use on the water battlefield.
"Gosh, I never knew that having a full battle can take so much concentration," said Hillary. "The last time Tristan had a full battle was in the Orange League competition."
"Yeah, long battles can take a lot out of you," agreed Braden. "But they can be fun, too, especially when you're wanting to battle all the time like he does."
"Well, there are plenty of full battles to go before any champion is decided," said Shen.
Veronica and Eric nodded. They knew that win or lose, Tristan was a champion in their book.
Five minutes later, the buzzer sounded.
"It's now time for the second half of our match," said the announcer. "As of right now, Tristan has four Pokémon remaining while Silver has three. Which Pokémon will they choose next?"
"I choose Pupitar!" shouted Tristan as he threw his next Poké Ball.
Pupitar emerged from the white light that shot out of it as it landed on the platform. It didn't feel comfortable around water at first, though.
"That was a bad idea," smirked Silver. "Let me show you how well this Pokémon can handle water." He then threw his fourth Poké Ball.
(Music Cue: Pikachu and Charizard vs. Unown Wall (as heard in the Japanese version of "Emperor of the Crystal Tower: Entei" and the episode: "Curbing the Crimson Tide"))
His Gengar emerged from the white light that shot out of it.
"Tristan chooses Pupitar while Silver has chosen Gengar," said the announcer.
"This could be trouble for Pupitar," said Shen nervously. "Pupitar has a huge disadvantage near the water."
"You mean because of its weakness against Water attacks?" asked Hillary.
"That and it's on a Water battlefield," replied Shen.
"I'm sure Tristan has a plan, Shen," smiled Eric. "He wouldn't have chosen Pupitar if he knew it couldn't handle situations like this one."
"Gengar, Mean Look, let's go!" instructed Silver.
Gengar's eyes glowed purple, causing Pupitar to be intimidated by it.
"Don't give in, Pupitar!" encouraged Tristan. "Use Crunch attack!"
Pupitar leaped off the platform and flew at Gengar as it prepared to bite down hard on Gengar with its hidden teeth.
"Pupitar launches itself at Gengar with a Crunch attack," said the announcer, "and if it lands, watch out."
"No you don't!" retorted Silver. "Now, Gengar, Confuse Ray!"
On Silver's command, Gengar's eyes glowed bright red.
Unfortunately, Pupitar looked directly at it, and it soon became disoriented and fell into the water.
"Pupitar!" exclaimed Tristan.
"Gangar's Confuse Ray is doing the job," said the announcer. "Silver's strategy is working perfectly."
"This is big trouble," said Braden nervously. "With Mean Look, Tristan can't recall Pupitar until the battle between Gengar and Pupitar is decided. And with Pupitar confused and sinking fast, I'm afraid it's really in deep water."
"I had a hunch you'd use Pupitar, Tristan," smirked Silver. "So I was more than ready to handle this. Now, Gengar, finish it up with Shadow Ball!"
Gengar's hands sparked with blue electricity as it prepared to launch a black ball. It then hurled the ball at the water, creating a tremendous splash of water.
"Pupitar, look out!" shouted Tristan.
And so, Tristan and Silver engage in a heated face-off in the first match in the Victory Tournament of the Johto League Silver Conference! Will Tristan win against his longtime rival? The winner of this battle has yet to be decided, so stay tuned!
► TO BE CONTINUED