While on a walk in the park one morning, Pikachu notices something shiny in the grass...closer inspection reveals the shiny object to be a rare card, making Ash both surprised and elated!
However, Ash is not the only one who wants the rare card...Team Rocket returns and vacuums up all the cards in an attempt to steal all the rare cards...but a strange and clever plan literally blows Team Rocket away, returning the stolen cards to their owners.
Relieved to have his deck back, Michael decides to challenge Misty and see just how good our friends have gotten at playing the Pokemon Trading Card Game!
Can Misty survive the duel? Find out!
The Heart of the Cards, part 22: Rolling Down the River
"Come on over here..." Michael led Misty over to an arena overlooking a pier and made himself comfortable at the Ruby platform. As he shuffled his cards, the scoreboard flashed his deck information: RUBY FLAMING WARRIORS
Okay...I have Staryu and Poliwag... Misty thought as she organized her cards. ...and I can't forget Abra... She was about to lay out her cards on her bench when Ash called to her. "Hey, Misty!" He began to frantically wave a card in the air, desperately trying to get Misty's attention.
"What?" Misty asked, looking up from organizing her deck.
Ash walked up to the platform and handed a Meowth lv. 14 card to Misty. "I already have one of these...so why don't you take this one?"
"Thanks!" Misty replied, taking the card from Ash and placing it on her bench, causing the scoreboard to flash her deck information: SAPPHIRE PSYCHIC RAIN.
"Ready over there?" Michael asked, smiling confidently as the scoreboard displayed his stats: RUBY 3 3 4 48 210
"Almost..." Misty called back as she made some last minute preparations to her bench.
"Take your time, I'll wait." Michael assured his friend and opponent. He turned to one side and leaned against his platform, catching a glimpse of the scoreboard as it flashed Misty's stats: SAPPHIRE 2 3 4 48 190....
"Good luck, Misty!" Ash called as the referee arrived to toss the coin...
"She'll need it..." Brock sighed as he filled in his bracket: TOURNAMENT ROUND 4: MICHAEL VS. MISTY....
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"Ruby plays first!" the ref announced to the cheering crowd. "And begin!"
"Seedot, go!" Michael commanded, flipping up his active card. A Seedot spun its way into the arena and sat down, awaiting its orders.
"Go, Meowth!" Misty commanded, smirking wryly as a Meowth scampered into the arena.
"Ruby's turn!"
Michael started by attaching a Grass Energy to Seedot. "Seedot, Surprise Attack!" His command was then interrupted by a whistle.
"Coin toss!" the ref announced. "If heads, Ruby's attack will have no effect!" The coin went up...
Misty swallowed hard as the coin fell back down to earth. "Maya told me that Surprise Attack does major damage...and I don't want to lose the card Ash gave me... She wistfully glanced up at the scoreboard, anxious as to how the coin had landed. Her worried glance soon turned to joy as an O appeared on the scoreboard, signaling that the coin had landed on heads!
"Sapphire's turn!"
"Meowth, Cat Punch!" Misty commanded. The Meowth bounded up to Michael's bench and struck one of the cards, causing Michael's HP to go down by 20.
"Ruby's turn!"
"What the..." Michael looked up at his stats, confused as to which of his Pokemon had been attacked. "Oh well, that's nothing a Potion couldn't fix." he mused as he placed a Potion on the damaged card, boosting his HP back to 210. "Seedot, try again to use Surprise Attack!" he commanded. The coin went up...and landed on tails!
Misty winced as the Seedot flashed a bright light in the Meowth's face, blinding it and causing her HP to drop by 30. "That had to hurt..." She reached for the Potion she had just drawn and placed it in the arena as the ref announced "Sapphire's turn!".
The Meowth rubbed its eyes for a moment, then spotted the small blue bottle in the arena. After consuming the contests, it bounced back in front of the Seedot, awaiting its next order.
"Meowth, Cat Punch!" Misty commanded. The Meowth bounded up to Michael's bench and again struck a card, dropping Michael's HP to 190 again.
"Ruby's turn!"
"Seedot, retreat!" Michael commanded, recalling the Seedot to his bench. "Eevee, your turn!"
"Ev!" the Eevee barked as it romped into the arena.
"Now, use Quick Attack!" Michael commanded, watching confidently as his Eevee, now only a small brown blur, slammed into the Meowth, knocking Misty's HP to 180.
"Sapphire's turn!"
Misty attached a Pluspower to Meowth, then commanded. "Meowth, Cat Punch with Pluspower!" A red aura formed around the Meowth as it bounded up to the Eevee and punched it in the stomach! It fell, defeated.
"Well, aren't you clever?" Michael chuckled as Misty took a prize. He clamly set Seedot back in the arena, then slipped a card on top of one of his benched cards, engulfing it in bright light.
"Ruby's turn!
"Seedot, Surprise Attack!" Michael commanded. motioning to the ref. Another bright flash consumed the room, making Misty's HP go down by 30.
"Sapphire's turn!"
"Meowth, Cat Punch!" Misty commanded as she attached a Water Energy to her waiting Staryu. The Meowth again bounded to Michael's bench and struck a card, dropping Michael's HP down by 20.
"Ruby's turn!
"Seedot, you almost have him!" Michael called, motioning to the ref again. The coin went up...and landed on heads.
"Sapphire's turn!"
Misty attached her other Pluspower to Meowth, then commanded "Come on! Cat Punch with Pluspower!" The Meowth ran to the Seedot and struck it in the head, making Micheal's HP go down by 30.
"Ruby's turn!"
"Seedot, finish off that Meowth with Surprise Attack!" Micheal commanded, watching expectantly as the coin went up...and landed on tails!
Misty gritted her teeth as her Meowth floated out of the area. "So, that's his little game, is it..." she grumbled as she placed Staryu in the arena. "It's payback time..."
"Sapphire's turn!"
"Staryu, Swift attack!" Misty commanded. The Staryu began hurling stars at the Seedot, defeating it.
Michael sighed as he placed his next card in the arena. "So, she has a water Pokemon, too...two can play at this game..." he thought as a Lapras majestically swam into the arena.
"Ruby's turn!"
"Lapras, Water Gun!" Michael commanded. The Lapras sprayed the Staryu full blast, knocking the Staryu backwards...but Misty's HP only went down by 10.
"Sapphire's turn!"
"Staryu, Swift attack!" Misty commanded. Another barrage of stars went flying at the Lapras, dropping Michael's HP by 20.
"Ruby's turn!"
Michael smiled as he overlaid a Blaziken card onto his bench, engulfing the card in light. "If she thinks she's going to win this easily, wait until she sees THIS..." he thought, then turned back to his Lapras. "Lapras! Icy Mist!
"Pras!" The Lapras blew out a blast of white air, causing the crowd to shiver in the sudden cold.
"Accuracy is down!" the ref announced. "Sapphire's turn!"
Misty overlaid her next card, Starmie lv. 30, on top of her Staryu, making a Starmie appear in the arena. "Starmie, Star Freeze!" she commanded.
The Starmie began to fire star shaped snowflakes at the Lapras. The sheer cold proved to be too much for the weakened Lapras to bear, so the mighty Pokemon fell, defeated.
"You think those Pokemon were easy?" Michael called with a grin. "I've saved my best for last!" and with that, he laid Blaziken lv. 50 into the arena.
"Ruby's turn!"
"Blaziken, Blaze Kick!" Michael commanded, attaching a Defender to the hefty bird Pokemon.
"Ken!" the Blaziken cried, delivering a flaming foot into the Starmie's center. The Starmie reared back, dazed from the pain. Misty's HP went down by 20.
"Sapphire's turn!"
"Starmie, Star Freeze!" Misty commanded. However, she was shocked when she found that the star snowflakes were bouncing off a blue shield, leaving the Blaziken unharmed.
"Ruby's turn!"
"Blaziken, Blaze Kick again!" Micheal commanded. The Blaziken delivered another powerful blow into the Starmie, but only managed to do 20 damage.
"Sapphire's turn!"
"Starmie, Star Freeze!" Misty called, smiling as she gave a Super Potion to her Starmie. The Blaziken was unprepared for the shower of stars, which sent it tumbling to the floor.
"Come on, Misty!" Ash cheered from the sidelines.
"You can do it!" Maya agreed. Brock whistled in encouragement.
"Ruby's turn!"
"Blaziken, Blaze Kick!" Although it was heavily weakened, the Blaziken still had enough strength to deliver another kick to the Starmie. Misty's HP went down by 20.
"Sapphire's turn!"
"Go for it, Starmie! Star Freeze!" Misty triumphantly smiled as the Blaziken finally succumbed to the cold stars.
The ref blew her whistle. "Game Set! Sapphire wins!"
"YEAH!!!!" Ash joyfully tossed his cap in the air.
"OH YEAH!!!!" Brock agreed, whistling triumphantly as Michael and Misty stepped down from the platforms and shook hands.
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"Wow...you were stronger than I thought you were!" Michael began as the group returned to their room that evening. "I never dreamed I'd one day face someone who would defeat my Blaziken! He's always come through for me before..." he mused.
"Like we've been proving to duelists time and again, dueling isn't about sheer power alone, there's got to be strategy too." Misty explained.
"You know, Misty..." Michael put a shoulder around Misty. "Thank you...you've sure taught me about strategy this afternoon."
"Thanks, I think..." Misty stammered.
"Well, earning the Rainbow Crest now puts us at the halfway point, and from here, things will start getting harder..." Michael cautioned as he turned to leave. "All the same, we'll face these challenges together!" With that, he turned the lights out as he left. "See you in the morning, guys."
What awaits our heroes now? Stay Tuned!