AUTHOR'S NOTE: Greetings, readers! I had a lot going on these past few weeks, but finally, here is chapter 114 of the continuing adventures of Tristan, Hillary, and Pikachu as they continue their journey through the Johto region. Some parts of this chapter feature clips from the Pokémon: Master Quest episodes: "Playing with Fire" and "Johto Photo Finish," where Ash battles Harrison. This chapter is action-packed, so please feel free to read and review responsibly at your leisure.
TEASER: Tristan begins his long-awaited faceoff against Shen!
Chapter 114: TRISTAN VS. SHEN, PART 1
(Music Cue: Movie Title 1998: "The Beginning of the Counterattack"))
Tristan and Silver continued their long and heated battle in the first round of the Johto League Silver Conference Victory Tournament. The final battle in the match came down to Tristan with Meganium and Silver with Feraligatr. Meganium and Feraligatr went head to head, but when it began to get frozen by Feraligatr's Ice Beam, it was reminded of the time it was nearly stolen from Professor Elm's laboratory! But with some encouragement from Tristan, it managed to defeat Silver and Feraligatr, giving Tristan the win!
And now, Tristan prepares to face off against Braden's longtime friend, Shen, for the chance to be in the semifinals of the Johto League Silver Conference!
"Where'd Tristan go?" asked Hillary as she and her brothers, Evan and Braden prepared to leave for the stadium. "He's missing a great match between Ash and Harrison."
"I think he left to prepare for his match against Shen," answered Braden. "Shen's probably doing the same thing. He knows that Tristan's a serious competitor, but I know Shen will give it his all, too."
Sure enough, they saw Ash's Pikachu go head to head against Harrison's first Pokémon on the TV inside the Pokémon Center.
The Pokémon was partially invisible, but a red zigzag line could easily be seen, and it was moving at a breakneck pace on the Grass battlefield.
"Who's that Pokémon?" asked Evan.
"I'm not sure," answered Braden. "I've never seen that Pokémon before. If only Tristan was here, he'd be able to tell us what kind of Pokémon Ash was up against."
"I don't think he knows either," replied Hillary. "Tristan's probably just as clueless as the rest of us are. Hey! Now that Professor Oak upgraded my Pokédex, we might have a clue on who that Pokémon is after all."
"Quick, let's see what it says!" said Evan excitedly.
Hillary took out her Pokédex and looked up the entry.
"Kecleon, the Color Swap Pokémon. Kecleon is able to blend into its surroundings by changing the color of its body."
"Like camouflage," remarked Braden. "I wonder if it has any other forms."
Braden took a closer look at Kecleon's picture.
Kecleon was a green reptilian Pokémon with yellow frills on both sides of its head, connecting to lines to its yellow lips and rings around its eyes. It had a long, skinny tail, which was curled into a spiral.
They then saw Kecleon appear on the TV screen and use its long tongue to slice the grass, but then it stopped suddenly, and sure enough, there was Ash's Pikachu hanging on tightly to Kecleon by the tongue.
"Wow, look at that!" exclaimed Hillary.
(Music Cue: S.S. Aqua (as heard in "The Fire-ing Squad"))
Sure enough, Pikachu had stopped Kecleon in its tracks, and it quickly delivered a Thunderbolt at close range, knocking Kecleon out.
"Kecleon is unable to battle...Pikachu wins!" declared the referee as he raised his green flag in the air.
"Kecleon has tasted defeat," said the announcer. "Kecleon's special abilities made it a difficult battle for Pikachu, but a Thunderbolt at just the right moment turned things around to give Ash the first victory."
"I wonder what Pokémon Tristan will use his match against Shen," said Evan.
"I think Tristan wanted to reconnect and battle with the Pokémon he first used on his journey in Kanto," replied Braden. "If I recall, they never really had the chance to battle in the closing rounds at the Indigo Plateau because the rest of that competition had been called off. He really wants to see how far he's come as a Trainer since starting on his journey, and how much more work he still needs to do."
"Yeah, that makes sense," agreed Hillary. "Let's cheer really loud for Tristan, Togepi. He's gonna need all our support."
Togepi excitedly trilled in agreement.
"What an exciting match that is," remarked Veronica as she, Eric, Rachael, and Stuart arrived. "That long tongue is incredible. And that Thunderbolt is top notch. I just can't get enough of this amazing battle. Where's Tristan?"
"Getting ready for his match," replied Evan, Braden, and Hillary together.
"Well, we have a bit of a hike to the stadium, so let's get going," said Veronica. "We have people who need a little extra time getting where they need to be unlike the rest of us."
Hillary, Evan, and Braden groaned; they were going to be missing a lot of Ash's battle against Harrison, but they understood why they needed to take it slow for their great-grandparents, Rachel and Stuart.
Sure enough, inside the locker room, Tristan was focusing on his next match as the battle continued in the stadium.
Pikachu was next to him.
"Well, this is it, Pikachu," said Tristan. "This battle won't be easy, but we'll do our best and work as a team."
Pikachu nodded in agreement.
"Venusaur, Charizard, Blastoise, Lapras, and Pidgeot never had the chance to battle in the full tournament at the Indigo Plateau," he continued. "So I wanted to give them the chance. And even if we lose, we're always winners."
Pikachu nodded again.
"Shen's going to be really tough. I could tell that he's raised some really good Pokémon. But we're really good, too, and we'll give it our best shot. So, Pikachu, are you ready?"
Pikachu leaped onto Tristan's shoulder and eagerly nodded in agreement.
"All right, let's go!" said Tristan excitedly as he and Pikachu left the locker room.
(Music Cue: Ash's Decision: Ash Appears!)
Meanwhile, Hillary and the others had arrived inside the stadium just in time to see Ash's Charizard going up against another Fire Pokémon, one they'd never seen before.
The new Fire Pokémon had bipedal chicken-like features, including beige, yellow, and gray accents over its mostly red body, hair-like feathers behind its head, and a small red face with a V-shaped crest on its head.
"Whoa, what's that?" gasped Evan.
"Whatever it is, it sure looks strong," remarked Braden.
"I know what it is, kids," replied Veronica. "It's a Blaziken."
"A Blaziken?" repeated Hillary. "What's that?"
"It's a Pokémon that's been sighted only in the Hoenn region," explained Veronica.
"You mean like that Kecleon we saw on TV?"
"Yes."
"It's rare to see a Blaziken in these parts," added Eric. "I'm getting excited just thinking about it. Harrison sure has a pretty impressive collection of Pokémon. I'm sure he won't underestimate Charizard's strength and flying abilities. Your Aunt Amy and Uncle Greg in Littleroot Town would be very happy to see this battle right now."
Hillary took out her Pokédex and looked up Blaziken's entry.
"Blaziken, the Blaze Pokémon. Blaziken is able to easily leap over 30-story buildings with its great lower body strength."
"Thirty stories?!" gasped Rachael and Stuart together. "That's crazy!"
"Crazy, but true," replied Veronica. "With the power to jump that high, Charizard's flying won't be much of an advantage now."
Charizard and Blaziken first launched Flamethrower attacks at each other, creating a huge explosion, which cleared up in a matter of seconds.
"Only one Pokémon remains for each of our two competitors," said the announcer. "It's anyone's guess who will pull this one from the fire, but the anticipation hangs like a fog over the whole stadium."
(Music Cue: Ash vs. Entei (as heard in the Japanese version of "Emperor of the Crystal Tower: Entei"))
Charizard used another Flamethrower, but sure enough, Blaziken jumped high into the air, much higher than anyone anticipated.
"Whoa!" gasped Hillary. ""What a dodge!"
"I know," agreed Veronica. "Blaziken can jump so high into the air, it's almost like it can fly."
Charizard and Blaziken were battling with all they had; at times, they dodged the other's attacks; other times, they struck each other, but didn't do the damage needed to end the match. At one point, they both struck each other hard, but Charizard flew in and grabbed Blaziken, flying it high into the air.
"There's Charizard's Seismic Toss!" said Evan excitedly.
"I know," replied Braden. "If it works, Ash could win the match."
Charizard spun round and round in the air. Then it proceeded down toward the ground at a high rate of speed.
Just then, Blaziken yelled out, and just as both Pokémon hit the ground, a massive explosion of dust took place on the battlefield.
Seconds later, the dust cleared, and Blaziken appeared to be down while Charizard remained standing as the crowd cheered in excitement.
"Does this mean the match is over, Grandma?" asked Hillary.
Veronica didn't say a word, but wasn't sure if this was the finishing blow, for just as the referee was about to call the match, Blaziken opened its eyes and stood back up.
The referee raised both flags in the air to signal that the match was still on.
"Just when you think it's over, Blaziken's back in the game," said the announcer.
"No way!" said Rachael. "How did Blaziken survive that?"
"It was the force of the landing," explained Veronica. "You see, Mom, even though it looked like Seismic Toss worked, what I saw surprised me even more because Blaziken had released a Flamethrower attack to soften the landing."
"It seems that Seismic Toss has taken its toll on Blaziken," said the announcer. "Charizard's pretty worn out, too, for that matter."
(Music Cue: Danger! Pikachu! (full version)
Charizard and Blaziken continued battling hard as Charizard tried another Seismic Toss, but Blaziken jumped high into the air again.
"Blaziken's using that great jump again," said the announcer.
But the biggest surprise of all came when flames ignited from Blaziken's left foot, and it struck a hard, fiery kick on Charizard.
"That Blaze Kick is right on target," continued the announcer.
"Wow!" exclaimed Braden. "I've never seen that! What was that?"
"Blaze Kick," answered Veronica. "One of Blaziken's most powerful attacks."
"So what does Blaze Kick do?" asked Hillary.
"Blaze Kick is an attack that can sometimes land critical hits," explained Veronica. But what's even worse is that it can also cause an opponent to have a burn."
"Whoa a critical hit AND a chance to burn your opponent?" gasped Evan. "Between those two, it's hard to know which one of these scenarios is worse!"
Then Blaziken launched one last Flamethrower while Charizard unleashed its most powerful Dragon Rage attack, creating an explosion that shook the whole stadium.
"That collision of that Flamethrower attack combined with the Dragon Rage has created a huge explosion!" boomed the announcer. Then as the smoke cleared a moment later, he then said, "It appears that the force of that explosion has knocked out both Pokémon!"
Both Ash and Harrison encouraged their Pokémon to stand up as their friends, Brock and Misty and their Pokémon watched.
"Charizard and Blaziken are desperately struggling to get back on their feet," said the announcer. "Can either one manage to find the strength?"
(Music Cue: Lugia Appears! (as heard in the Japanese version of "Revelation Lugia"))
Everyone was on the edge of their seats, including the Legendary Pokémon who were watching the big screen just outside the stadium.
Gosh, how much more can they take? wondered Lugia anxiously. I can't stand the suspense!
Hey, if you can't take it, just think about how those two Trainers are feeling right now, replied Silveena.
Tristan and Pikachu were watching the battle from the waiting room waiting to see who would emerge victorious.
Slowly, but surely, both Pokémon managed to stand up as the announcer boomed, "Both Blaziken and Charizard are up! The battle continues!"
But seconds later, just as Charizard was about to unleash another Flamethrower, it felt the pain of the serious damage it took in its battle and slowly fell back down to the ground.
"And Charizard has collapsed once again!" boomed the announcer. "Will this be it?"
Charizaard struggled to lift its head up, but collapsed back on the ground, knocked out.
"Charizard is unable to battle...and Blaziken wins!" declared the referee as he raised his red flag in the air. "The winning Trainer is Harrison from Littleroot Town!"
The crowd roared in excitement as the battle ended.
"Harrison has defeated Ash and will now move on to the semifinals," said the announcer. "So it's the end of the road for Ash Ketchum after making it to the Final Eight."
Harrison, surprised with his victory, gave a smile while Ash, shocked at the loss, bent his head low in disappointment.
"Too bad for Ash," sighed Evan. "That was a good battle, though."
Eric nodded in agreement. "And it just came down to Charizard taking on more hits than Blaziken."
"That was a fine battle," replied Veronica. "Tristan will be disappointed. But he needs to focus on his upcoming match, and I know he'll do his best."
"Ladies and gentlemen," said the announcer, "the match between Tristan and Shen will begin in just a few minutes as we change the battlefield back to normal."
"I'm not sure who to root for," said Braden. "I want Tristan to win, but Shen's a good friend of mine."
"It's always hard to pick a side, dear," reminded Veronica. "But two Trainers who enter the same tournament and win will be matched up at some point. And when that happens, you always have to give it your all and then some."
In the waiting room, Tristan saw Ash, Misty, and Brock enter. "Hey, guys. Sorry about your loss. That was a tough battle."
"Thanks, Tristan," replied Ash. "We gave it all we had out there, but Blaziken's Blaze Kick was what helped clinch the match for Harrison." He then cheered up. "Harrison and Blaziken make a really strong team, but Charizard and all of my Pokémon did a great job, too, and I had a great time battling in the Silver Conference. I certainly couldn't have made it this far without Squirtle coming back to help me out."
"Yeah, that's the spirit," agreed Misty. "Being in the Final Eight is very impressive, and we know you want to do better. And you will."
Ash nodded as Misty's Togepi trilled in agreement.
"So, you're up next," put in Brock. "We'll be at the Pokémon Center watching your match and rooting hard for you. And win or lose, you're a winner to us."
"Thanks, guys," replied Tristan. "I'll do my best." And he walked out onto the battlefield with Pikachu by his side.
(Music Cue: Ash's Decision to Fight (Decision))
"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the second match of the second round of the Silver Conference Victory tournament!" boomed the announcer as the crowd roared in excitement. "It's Tristan from New Bark Town versus Shen from Silver Town! Whoever emerges victorious will move on to the Final Four! Let's see what field will be in use this time!"
A digitally lit wheel spun round and round until it stopped at a snow emblem.
"And it's an Ice field!" said the announcer as the battlefield opened up, and a field of ice and slippery obstacles emerged from below. "Now we'll see who takes the first move."
Another digitally lit wheel with green and red lights spun round and round until it slowed and stopped on one of the red spaces.
"And Shen from Silver Town will make the first move," said the announcer. "Tristan from New Bark Town will follow. What Pokémon will Shen bring out first?"
"I'm going to start out with my Nidoking!" shouted Shen as he threw his first Poké Ball.
(Music Cue: Johto Rival Theme (full version))
Nidoking emerged from the white light that shot out of it.
"That's just fine with me! Lapras, I choose you!" shouted Tristan as he threw his first Poké Ball.
Tristan's Lapras emerged from the white light that shot out of it. It looked happy to be battling in a major competition again.
"All right! Lapras is up first!" said Hillary excitedly. "Looks like Tristan made a good decision."
"True," agreed Veronica. "Lapras has the advantage, plus its Ice-type characteristics will help it and Tristan along the way. But still, Tristan had better be on his guard."
"Right," put in Braden. "I've seen Shen battle many times on my journey, and he's supposed to be good. We'll have to see how well Tristan does against him."
"Come on, Tristan! You can do it!" yelled Rachael and Stuart together.
"Let the match begin!" declared the referee as he raised both flags in the air.
"Go, Nidoking, use Earthquake!" instructed Shen.
With a mighty stomp, Nidoking caused the very ground to shake.
Tristan and Lapras were taken by surprise.
"Nidoking gets things rolling in a big hurry with an Earthquake attack!" boomed the announcer. "This action is intense right from the start!"
"Quick, Lapras, use Hydro Pump now!" commanded Tristan.
Lapras unleashed a powerful blast of water from its mouth, scoring a direct hit on Nidoking.
"Lapras strikes back with a highly effective Hydro Pump attack!" boomed the announcer.
"Not bad," smiled Shen. "But wait till you see this! Nidoking, Thunderbolt!"
Nidoking unleashed a powerful bolt of electricity from its big horn and it struck Lapras, giving it major damage.
"Lapras!" cried Tristan.
"Unbelievable!" boomed the announcer. "Nidoking's Thunderbolt scores big time! I bet Lapras wasn't expecting that!"
"This is big trouble," said Veronica nervously. "Electric attacks are super-effective against Water-types like Lapras."
"Wow!" remarked Evan. "Who would've thought that Nidoking could use Thunderbolt? I hate to admit it, but Shen's a great Trainer."
"Yeah," agreed Braden. "Shen has a pretty unique collection of Pokémon that can use different kinds of attacks. His strategy is to have his Pokémon's attacks to cover for their weaknesses."
"Hang in there!" shouted Hillary.
Togepi trilled loudly, cheering for Tristan.
"Lapras continues to get zapped by that powerful Thunderbolt!" boomed the announcer. "Will Tristan be able to turn this around?"
"Lapras, Ice Beam attack now!" ordered Tristan.
Lapras, still being hit by Thunderbolt, unleashed an ice-cold beam of energy from its mouth at Nidoking, scoring a clean hit on it and cancelling it out.
Seconds later, Nidoking became encased in a block of solid ice.
"Whoa! No way!" exclaimed Shen.
"Nidoking gets frozen solid by that Ice Beam attack," said the announcer. "Nidoking has been completely immobilized."
"Now that's what I call frozen assets," chuckled Rachael.
"Yes, Mom," agreed Veronica. "Now Tristan can really help warm things up by cooling Nidoking way down."
"All right, Lapras, finish it off with Hydro Pump!" commanded Tristan.
Lapras shot another blast of water from its mouth at the frozen Nidoking, scoring a direct hit on it that sent it flying high into the sky.
A moment later, the frozen Nidoking fell earthward and crashed into the icy surface. The impact knocked it out instantly.
"Nidoking is unable to battle...Lapras is the winner!" declared the referee as he raised his green flag in the air to a roaring crowd.
"And just like that, Shen loses his very first Pokémon!" boomed the announcer. "Nidoking's attacks made it a difficult battle for Lapras, but Ice Beam allowed Tristan to turn things around."
"I see," said Braden.
"See what?" wondered Evan.
"It's the same-type attack bonus."
"Same-type attack bonus?" repeated Hillary. "What's that?"
"If a Pokémon uses an attack with the same type as itself, then it will have just a little bit more power," explained Braden. "It's true that Shen may have taught his Pokémon attacks that counter their weaknesses, but if there's a Pokémon with a same-type attack bonus, like Tristan and his Lapras' Water and Ice-type attacks, then it may have more of an advantage than the Pokémon that uses their moves to counter them.
"You know what I think?" said Eric. "I think Tristan may have found a glitch in Shen's battle strategies."
"True," agreed Veronica. "But remember, Shen still has five Pokémon remaining, so there's a long way to go. And Lapras has taken on a whole lot of damage from its battle with Nidoking. We'll have to wait and see what Shen will do next."
Shen returned Nidoking to his Poké Ball and held it close. "You did a great job, Nidoking. You deserve a nice, long rest." He turned to Tristan. "You're as good as I expected, Tristan. But now let's see you defeat this Pokémon. I choose Nidoqueen!" He then threw the ball.
(Music Cue: Real and Copy! Which are the Strongest? (full version))
Shen's Nidoqueen emerged from the white light that shot out of it.
"Are you okay to keep going, Lapras?" asked Tristan.
Lapras nodded eagerly.
"All right, let's bring it to 'em with Ice Beam!" commanded Tristan.
Lapras unleashed a powerful ice-cold beam of energy from its mouth at Nidoqueen.
"Nidoqueen, counter that with Flamethrower!" ordered Shen.
Nidoqueen unleashed a powerful stream of fire from its mouth to counter Lapras' Ice Beam.
Unfortunately for Lapras, it was growing tired from its earlier battler with Nidoking as Flamethrower broke through its Ice Beam and scored a clean hit, although it wasn't suffering too much from the damage.
"Lapras' Ice Beam gets cancelled out, and takes a direct hit from Flamethrower," said the announcer. "Maybe its earlier battle with Nidoking pushed it to the limit."
"Hang on, Lapras, don't give up!" encouraged Tristan.
"I was afraid this would happen," said Braden nervously. "Lapras is still carrying the damage from that Thunderbolt attack. Not even the same-type attack bonus will help it now."
"You're right," agreed Veronica. "Lapras could be in serious trouble."
"Now, Nidoqueen, finish it off with Hyper Beam!" ordered Shen.
Nidoqueen shot a powerful gold-colored beam from its mouth at Lapras, scoring a direct hit on it, sending it careening into one ice pillar after another, knocking it out instantly.
"Lapras!" cried Tristan.
"Lapras is unable to battle...Nidoqueen wins!" declared the referee as he raised his red flag in the air to a roaring crowd.
"Nidoqueen's Hyper Beam did the job," said the announcer. "And now both Trainers are tied at one to one."
"Good job, Nidoqueen," commended Shen.
Nidoqueen roared and flexed its muscles to show its strength in response.
"Thanks, Lapras, you were awesome," said Tristan as he held his Poké Ball close. Then he put it away and said to Shen, "You know, Shen, that Nidoqueen of yours is strong. And so was your Nidoking. But now it's time to turn this match around." He took out his second Poké Ball and threw it as he shouted, "Blastoise, go!"
Blastoise emerged from the white light that shot out of it.
"Tristan's second Pokémon is Blastoise," said the announcer. "This one looks strong."
"A smart choice," remarked Hillary. "Blastoise could defeat Nidoqueen with one Hydro Pump blast."
"True, but don't forget, Shen's in a league of his own," reminded Braden. "He's been on a journey longer than Tristan has. We'll have to see how this next battle plays out."
"Ah, yes, Blastoise," smiled Shen. "I remember that Blastoise. You used it during the competition at the Indigo Plateau. But it won't help you this time. Nidoqueen, hit it with Thunderbolt!"
Nidoqueen launched another bolt of electricity from its horn at Blastoise.
"Use Dig to dodge that!" instructed Tristan.
Quickly, Blastoise jumped up and burrowed underground to dodge Thunderbolt.
"Nidoqueen anxiously awaits for Blastoise's appearance," said the announcer.
"Be careful, Nidoqueen," advised Shen. "Blastoise could come up anywhere."
Nidoqueen frantically looked around and tried to sense where Blastoise was going to come up. But a moment later, Blastoise suddenly emerged from underground, scoring a direct hit on it, making it airborne.
"Look at that!" boomed the announcer. "Blastoise's Dig scored a huge direct hit!"
"Wow!" exclaimed Hillary. "Making a Nidoqueen jump like that is no small feat!"
"And Dig was super-effective, too," added Braden. "Poison-types like Nidoqueen against Ground-type attacks like Dig."
"Now, blast it with Hydro Pump, Blastoise!" commanded Tristan.
Blastoise launched two powerful blasts of water from its cannons and struck Nidoqueen with such force that it sent it careening down to the ground.
"Nidoqueen!" exclaimed Shen.
Nidoqueen fell to the ground with a dazed expression in its eyes. It had been knocked out.
"Nidoqueen is unable to battle...Blastoise wins!" declared the referee as he raised his red flag in the air.
"Awesome, Blastoise! Good job!" commended Tristan.
Blastoise smiled in agreement.
"Yup, there's no denying it," said Evan. "Blastoise is definitely strong."
"And to think, it was raised from a mischievous little Squirtle," added Hillary.
"Tristan has certainly trained his Blastoise well," put in Eric. "But he shouldn't chalk up the victory just yet. I'm sure Shen still has a few strong Pokémon of his own."
"Let's see. I know!" said Shen as he took out his third Poké Ball. "Go, Rhydon!"
(Music Cue: Flying Poké Ball Chaos (as heard in "The Lost Lapras"))
Rhydon emerged from the white light that shot out of it.
Tristan was surprised. "Rhydon? Why Rhydon?"
"What a surprising decision!" boomed the announcer. "Will Shen regret choosing Rhydon as his third Pokémon?"
"That's strange," said Braden. "Shen should know that Rhydon has a double weakness against Blastoise and its Water-type attacks because of its Rock-type and Ground-type characteristics."
"Maybe Shen's giving up?" suggested Evan.
"No, Shen wouldn't give up so easily," replied Hillary. "Why would he use Rhydon of all Pokémon against a Water-type like Blastoise?"
"Rhydon, Horn Drill!" instructed Shen.
Rhydon charged forward and spun its big horn like a drill in an attempt to score a one-hit knockout on Blastoise.
"Rhydon launches Horn Drill," said the announcer. "And if it lands, it's a guaranteed win."
"Blastoise, Hydro Pump!" shouted Tristan.
Quickly, Blastoise launched two powerful blasts of water from its cannons and inflicted serious damage on Rhydon.
"Uh-oh! That was a critical hit!" boomed the announcer. "Was that Pokémon the wrong choice?"
"Rhydon!" exclaimed Shen.
Rhydon collapsed and fainted from the damage on the spot.
"Rhydon is unable to battle...Blastoise wins!" declared the referee as he raised his green flag in the air again.
"Way to go, Blastoise!" commended Tristan.
Blastoise flexed its muscles and gave a happy reply.
"Rhydon, return," commanded Shen as he recalled it back into its Poké Ball. He then held it close. "Good work. You deserve a good rest." He then thought, Tristan has proven to be a formidable opponent. But this battle is far from over.
"This battle is intense right from the start," said the announcer. "Now that Shen has lost three of his Pokémon, we'll be taking a five-minute break."
Tristan used the time to stretch his muscles to avoid being stiff while everyone in the audience recovered from the excitement of the first half.
"How are you doing, Mom?" asked Veronica. "Are you hanging in there?"
"Yes, I'm fine," replied Rachael. "But I'm sure I can't take much more excitement than this."
"I've seen you in action before, and I know you've got plenty to look out for," chuckled Stuart.
"Do you think Tristan will win against Shen, Braden?" asked Hillary.
"Yeah, will he?" added Evan.
"Well, the odds may be in his favor right now," replied Braden. "But I'm sure Shen still has some tricks up his sleeve."
"You may be right, Braden," agreed Veronica. "Tristan had better keep his guard up."
"I'm sure he'll be fine, dear," put in Eric.
Still, thought Braden, I wonder why Shen would use a throwaway Pokémon like Rhydon.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we're back to begin the second half of this exciting match between Tristan and Shen," said the announcer. "Currently, Tristan has five Pokémon remaining while Shen has only three. What will they choose first to start the second half?"
"Charizard, I choose you!" shouted Tristan as he threw his Poké Ball.
Charizard emerged from the white light that shot out of it.
"Go, Tyranitar!" yelled Shen as he threw his ball.
(Music Cue: Johto Champion Battle (as heard in "Doin' What Comes Natu-Rally"))
A large dinosaurian bipedal Pokémon with a green armor hide emerged from the white light that shot out of it, and it gave a mighty roar.
"That Tyranitar could present a serious problem for our grand-sonny," remarked Eric.
"You're right," agreed Veronica. "Tyranitar's not only powerful, but it has a huge advantage over Fire and Flying-types like Charizard. Its Rock-type attacks could prove to be a very dangerous threat."
"Come on, Charizard!" shouted Evan and Hillary together as Togepi cheered loudly.
"Tristan has chosen Charizard while Shen chooses Tyranitar," said the announcer.
"Charizard, Flamethrower!" commanded Tristan.
Charizard unleashed a powerful stream of fire from its mouth at Tyranitar, scoring a hit on it.
However, Tyranitar barely noticed, and shook it off.
"As expected, Tyranitar's resistance to Fire attacks holds up strong," said the announcer. "Charizard's Flamethrower attack didn't seem to affect it at all."
"Too bad, Tristan," said Shen. "You should've known that Charizard's Flamethrower won't do much damage to Rock-types like Tyranitar."
He's right, thought Tristan. That Tyranitar has rock-hard armor that can withstand almost any attack.
"Tyranitar, Rock Slide!" ordered Shen.
Tyranitar created white sparkles in a ring around its head.
The sparkles turned into huge, gray boulders that Tyranitar thrust using its powerful arms.
"Tyranitar's launches a powerful Rock Slide attack at Charizard!" boomed the announcer. "Will it be able to dodge the rocks?"
"Charizard, fly in towards Tyranitar!" shouted Tristan.
Charizard flew in close toward Tyranitar, quickly dodging all the rocks along the way. But just as it drew within striking distance...
"Grab it!" commanded Shen.
Tyranitar reached out and pulled Charizard in by the arms, restraining it.
"Oh, no!" exclaimed Tristan.
"Unbelievable!" boomed the announcer. "Tyranitar manages to grab Charizard! Charizard is completely immobilized!"
"This is bad," said Rachael. "Charizard's in major trouble."
"Hyper Beam!" ordered Shen.
Tyranitar unleashed a powerful golden beam of energy from its mouth toward Charizard at close range, scoring a huge direct hit on it and sending it flying into one ice pillar after another.
"Hyper Beam scores a direct hit!" boomed the announcer. "This could be the end for Charizard!"
"Charizard, hang on!" encouraged Tristan.
But even the encouragement wasn't enough as Charizard fell to the ground from the damage from Hyper Beam and hitting the ice pillars. It had been knocked out.
"Charizard is unable to battle...Tyranitar is the winner!" declared the referee as he raised his red flag in the air to a roaring crowd.
"Tyranitar has put an end to Charizard's battling for the day," boomed the announcer. "And now, Tristan has four Pokémon remaining."
Tristan recalled Charizard to its Poké Ball and held it close to him. "Sorry about that, Charizard. I guess my strategy was a little off. Now you get a good rest in there, okay?" He put it away and took out another and threw it as he shouted, "Venusaur, let's go!"
(Music Cue: Kanto Gym Leader Battle (as heard in "One Trick Phony!"))
Venusaur emerged from the white light that shot out of it.
"Tristan's fourth Pokémon is a Venusaur!" said the announcer.
"A great choice against Tyranitar," remarked Braden. "Grass-types have the advantage against Rock-types like Tyranitar."
"True, but Tristan can't afford to underestimate its strength," replied Veronica. "That Tyranitar has been raised well, and it seems to be ready to deal with whatever attack he throws against it."
"Tyranitar, Sandstorm attack!" instructed Shen.
Tyranitar's eyes glowed blue, and it whipped up a sandstorm from its body.
"Tyranitar whips up one fierce Sandstorm," said the announcer.
"Venusaur, hit it with Razor Leaf!" commanded Tristan.
Venusaur unleashed a powerful flurry of razor-sharp leaves at Tyranitar, but the blowing sand made its attack miss its target.
"Venusaur's Razor Leaf attack had no effect at all," said the announcer.
"Now give it a Hyper Beam!" ordered Shen.
Another powerful golden beam of energy was unleashed from Tyranitar's mouth as it rushed straight toward Venusaur, scoring a direct hit on it and sending it sliding backward on the ice.
However, Venusaur managed to dig in and hang in there.
I have to get rid of the Sandstorm, or Venusaur's in big trouble, thought Tristan. Wait, that's it! "Quick, Venusaur! Use Sunny Day!" he shouted aloud.
Venusaur shot a powerful beam of energy from its flower up toward the sun, causing things to get sunnier.
An instant later, Tyranitar's Sandstorm disappeared.
"Here we go again, folks," said the announcer. "The sun is really shining down on Silver Stadium again today, and the shades will really be helpful."
"Very clever, Tristan," commended Shen. "Very clever, indeed."
"Quick, Venusaur, use SolarBeam while Tyranitar's immobile!" instructed Tristan.
Sure enough, Tyranitar couldn't move because of the recoil from Hyper Beam, and so there was nothing it could do as Venusaur launched another beam of energy from its flower, scoring a direct hit on it, sending it careening into one of the stadium walls, knocking it out instantly.
"Tyranitar!" exclaimed Shen.
"Tyranitar is unable to battle...Venusaur is the winner!" declared the referee as he raised his green flag in the air.
"Way to go, Venusaur!" commended Tristan. "You really showed him what you could do."
Venusaur nodded approvingly at its Trainer.
"The changing weather conditions gave Tristan the opening he needed," said the announcer. "And now, Shen has two Pokémon remaining."
"You're really good, Tristan," smiled Shen. "Braden was right about you all along. But this is far from over." He took out his fifth Poké Ball and threw it as he shouted, "Go, Umbreon!"
(Music Cue: A Fight! Real vs. Copy Pokémon (full version as heard in "The Underground Round-Up"))
Umbreon emerged from the white light that shot out of it.
"Shen's fifth Pokémon is an Umbreon," said the announcer.
"This could be a problem," remarked Veronica nervously.
"What do you mean?" wondered Rachael.
"Umbreon has such strong defenses that it's going to be hard to defeat," explained Veronica. "Tristan could have a rough time dealing with Umbreon this time."
"Let's bring it to 'em Venusaur! SolarBeam!" shouted Tristan.
Venusaur quickly unleashed another powerful beam of solar energy from its flower at Umbreon thanks to the bright sunlight, and it managed to score a clean hit on it.
"Venusaur starts the battle with another SolarBeam!" boomed the announcer.
However, Umbreon managed to shake off the damage.
"But the attack seems to have had very little effect," continued the announcer.
"Way to hang in there, Umbreon," smiled Shen. "Now use Moonlight."
A beam of moonlight, even through the bright sunlight, shone down from the sky and right onto Umbreon, who glowed just as brightly. An instant later, its wounds had completely disappeared.
Tristan gasped in surprise, for he never expected Moonlight to work as well as it did.
"Moonlight restores Umbreon's stamina!" boomed the announcer.
"What...what was that?" asked Evan nervously.
"That was Moonlight," answered Eric. "One of Umbreon's signature moves. When used, it restores the health of the Pokémon using it."
"It gets worse," added Veronica. "Thanks to the bright sunlight, Umbreon was able to reverse all the damage that Venusaur's SolarBeam did to it."
Hillary gasped in shock. "Wait, so does that mean that Sunny Day will work to Shen's advantage, too?"
"Yep," replied Braden.
"That's no problem," said Tristan as he regained his composure. "Venusaur, use Vine Whip!"
Venusaur unleashed multiple vines from its flower, whipping Umbreon with them, but they were only doing very little damage to it at all.
"I'm afraid Venusaur's the one who's gonna get whipped," said Hillary nervously.
"Well, it's certainly whipping Umbreon into shape, that's for sure," added Stuart.
Sure enough, Venusaur was panting for air, as it had used up a lot of energy during its battle with Tyranitar and Umbreon.
"Umbreon, use Confuse Ray!" instructed Shen.
Umbreon's eyes glowed purple, and Venusaur looked directly into them.
Venusaur became dizzy as a result.
"Venusaur, hang in there!" shouted Evan.
"Don't give up!" added Hillary.
"Umbreon's Confuse Ray has done its job," said the announcer. "Will it be able to turn things around for Tristan?"
Venusaur can't last much longer in the current condition it's in, thought Tristan. I have to cure its confusion. "Venusaur, return!" he commanded aloud as he tried to recall it back into its Poké Ball.
"Mean Look," instructed Shen.
Umbreon's eyes glowed red this time, and its Mean Look went into effect, causing Tristan's attempt to recall Venusaur to fail.
"Umbreon's Mean Look forces Venusaur to stay in the battle," said the announcer.
"This is bad," said Veronica nervously. "Venusaur won't be able to win in the state that it's in now."
"You're right," agreed Eric. "Tristan's in real trouble this time because that combo could cost him."
"Finish it off with Shadow Ball!" ordered Shen.
Umbreon unleashed a black ball of energy from its mouth and hurled it straight at a very confused Venusaur, scoring a clean hit on it and sending it careening backward.
"Umbreon's Shadow Ball scores a direct hit!" boomed the announcer.
"Venusaur, hang on!" shouted Tristan.
But Venusaur had suffered enough damage from Shadow Ball to knock it out on the spot.
"Venusaur is unable to battle...Umbreon wins it!" declared the referee as he raised his red flag in the air.
"Well, that was fast," said Evan sadly.
"That combo attack that Shen used is a force to be reckoned with," replied Braden. "Tristan really has his work cut out for him this time."
"Now Tristan has three Pokémon left while Shen still has two," said Rachael.
(Music Cue: Johto Trainer Battle (as heard in the Japanese version of "From Ghost to Ghost"))
Pikachu stood beside Tristan with sparks crackling from its cheeks and asked him if it could battle.
"Okay, Pikachu," agreed Tristan.
Pikachu quickly leaped onto the battlefield and prepared to face Umbreon.
"Tristan's fifth Pokémon will be Pikachu," boomed the announcer.
"Yes, there's our little yellow star!" cheered Veronica. "Show them what you can do, Pikachu!"
Togepi cheered loudly for Pikachu as well.
"Be careful of the ice, Pikachu," cautioned Tristan. "It's very slippery."
Pikachu nodded, for it knew ice fields were always going to be tough to maneuver.
"Ah, yes, Pikachu," smiled Shen. "That's the very Pokémon that you started with, if I recall correctly. Let's see how strong it is."
"Oh, you'll see, all right, Shen," replied Tristan. "Pikachu, give Umbreon a Thunderbolt attack!"
Pikachu unleashed a powerful yellow bolt of electricity at Umbreon, scoring a direct hit, but Umbreon easily shook it off.
"Pikachu scores a clean hit with Thunderbolt," said the announcer. "But as we've seen before, Umbreon has taken very little damage."
"If you think you can win by using attacks on Umbreon like that, then you're kidding yourself," smiled Shen. "Let's give it a Shadow Ball, Umbreon."
Umbreon unleashed another black ball of energy from its mouth toward Pikachu.
"Dodge, and jump onto Umbreon!" ordered Tristan.
Pikachu quickly dodged Shadow Ball and leaped onto Umbreon's back.
"What an impressive dodge!" boomed the announcer. "Pikachu avoids Umbreon's Shadow Ball and is now on its back!"
"Quick, shake it off!" commanded Shen.
Umbreon tried, but Pikachu held on so tightly that it never lost its grip.
"Pikachu can't last much longer at this rate," said Braden worriedly.
"Then Tristan had better act fast, because this could be his only chance," agreed Veronica.
"Okay, Pikachu, Thunder attack!" shouted Tristan.
Pikachu quickly unleashed a powerful yellow bolt of electricity from its body onto Umbreon while still on its back, giving it serious damage.
"Pikachu delivers a Thunder attack at close range!" boomed the announcer. "This could be serious trouble for Umbreon!"
"Umbreon, no!" cried Shen.
Umbreon collapsed on the ground just as Pikachu finished its attack and jumped off; it had been knocked out.
"Umbreon is unable to battle...Pikachu wins!" declared the referee as he raised his green flag in the air."
"Awesome, Pikachu!" commended Tristan.
Pikachu smiled approvingly at Tristan.
"Despite Umbreon's strong show of attacks, Pikachu has managed to put an end to them with one powerful close-range attack," said the announcer. "And now, Shen is down to his final Pokémon. And now the question that remains is this: what will that Pokémon be?"
"Well, Tristan, you've proven to be a most worthy opponent," smiled Shen. "And even though I'm down to my final Pokémon, this Pokémon will be the key to my victory."
Tristan gasped, for he knew that he'd been in tough battles before, but he knew that this would be especially tough.
Pikachu sensed the power of Shen's last Pokémon as sparks crackled from its cheeks.
"Dragonite, I choose you!" shouted Shen as he threw his final Pokémon.
(Music Cue: Movie Title 2000 (as heard in the Japanese version of "Emperor of the Crystal Tower: Entei"))
A draconic bipedal Pokémon with wings and a pair of antennae emerged from the white light that shot out of it.
"Shen's final Pokémon is Dragonite," boomed the announcer. "Folks, this Pokémon has won many battles in the Silver Conference. Will Tristan and Pikachu be able to defeat it?"
"That thing looks strong!" gasped Evan.
"And that's not all," added Braden. "If I recall correctly, that Dragonite is Shen's ace."
"That's true, dear," agreed Veronica. "Dragonite is the most powerful Pokémon Shen has."
"You'd better be careful, Pikachu," cautioned Tristan. "There's no telling how powerful that Dragonite is."
Pikachu nodded in agreement as it prepared to face Dragonite in battle.
And so, Tristan is up against Shen's strongest Pokémon, Dragonite. And even though it's Shen's last Pokémon, Tristan knows that facing a Dragonite will be no easy task. Will he be able to defeat Dragonite and move on to the quarterfinals of the Johto League Silver Conference? Stay tuned and find out!
► TO BE CONTINUED