Chapter 26: Rising With Dragons
"This is it!" Angelina exclaimed the next day as they left the Pokemon Center. Togetic was perched on her shoulder as she and Jeremy now stood outside the Blackthorn Gym. It was a large tan-colored building with blue-tinted glass windows and a large red roof. Angelina was a little nervous, as this would be her last Gym battle before the Pokemon League, and she needed to win. Togetic, sensitive to her emotions, was making calming cooing noises from her shoulder, which steadied her nerves as they entered the gym.
"Wow," Angelina gasped at the statues of Dragonites and Gyarados lining the sidelines of the battle arena. "What an amazing gym."
"Why thank you," said a woman with light blue hair as she stood up from a throne made of stone in the shape of a Dragonair. She wore a long black cape with a black one-piece outfit and black boots. "What brings you to Blackthorn?"
"I'm Angelina Murakami from Pallet Town and I'd like a gym battle for the Rising Badge."
"Well you seem pretty confident. I happen to be Clair, the world's best Dragon Master. I can even hold my own against the Pokémon League's Elite Four. Do you still wish to challenge my Gym?"
"I sure do!" Angelina smiled in triumph.
While Angelina and Clair took their places, Jeremy and Togetic make their way to the bleachers. The stadium floor separates to reveal a large pool of water and the roof is retractable for their Pokemon to take flight during their battle.
"The challenge today," a short old man announced, he was the judge. "Will be held between the Blackthorn City Gym Leader Clair and Challenger Angelina Murakami from Pallet Town! Two Pokemon each, the challenger may switch one time, the leader can not! Begin!"
"Hope your ready to handle the power of dragons!" Clair smirked and threw a Pokeball, from the light merged a Pokemon that resembled an elegant sea-horse. The marine creature grunted as he landed in the pool and let out a powerful roar.
"What is that?" Angelina asked, taking out her Pokédex and pointed it at the Pokemon.
"Kingdra, the Dragon Pokemon. It lives at extreme ocean depths that are otherwise uninhabited. It has long been believed that the yawning of this Pokémon creates spiraling ocean currents."
"Wow, that's pretty strong," Angelina said after she puts away her Pokedex and threw out a Pokeball. "Sparkette, let's show 'em what we're made of!" the electric rodent appeared on one of the larger platforms.
"Kingdra!" Clair commanded to her Pokemon as he floated in the pool, "Use Hyper Beam!"
"Avoid with Agility!" Angelina countered.
Kingdra generated an orb of energy in its snout and fired an orange beam at Pikachu, who became a yellow blur and jolted to a smaller platform, dodging the attack.
"All right, now's our chance!" Angelina smiled and pointed, "Sparkette, use Thunderbolt!"
"Pika!" the rodent replied and scrunched her cheeks, static built around the red dots and became larger, "CHUUUU!" she released the yellow lightning into the pool, shocking Kingdra some, but not bad.
"Wha?" Angelina gasped, 'That should have fried it.…'
"A powerful attack," Clair replied, "But unfortunately for you and thanks to Kingdra's dragon lineage, electric attacks aren't going to be as effective as normal."
"Use Charge!"
"Chu!" the yellow mouse's red cheeks started to unleash more static, jump starting her voltage supply.
"It's about to attack!" Clair told her Kingdra, "Use Hydro Pump!"
"Agility!" Angelina retaliated.
Kingdra sprayed a powerful blast of crystal clear water at Pikachu, who became a yellow blur and appeared above Kingdra in a blink of an eye.
"Now!" Angelina smiled, "Thunder!"
The airborne mouse smiled, "Chu!" the static Pikachu had formed became a huge beam of lightning, coming from her body and flying towards Kingdra. The blue dragon closed his eyes as he took the powerful electric move, his dragon heritage couldn't save him this time.
"Kingdra!" Clair gasped.
"Dra.…" the dragon grunted with swirls in his eyes as Pikachu landed behind him smiling.
"Kingdra is unable to fight," the judge announced.
"That was an amazing combo, Angelina," Clair complemented as she withdrew Kingdra and thanked him softly. "But I'm just getting warmed up," she enlarged another Pokeball and threw it. From the white light appeared a serpentine creature with deep blue skin, wing-like fins on the sides of its head, a round silver nose, a white underbelly, a dot on its forehead, and deep purple-colored eyes.
"Whoa! What is that?" Angelina said, staring in awe as she whipped out her Pokedex.
"Dratini, the Dragon Pokemon. It sheds many layers of skin as it grows larger. During this process, it is protected by a rapid waterfall."
"Be careful," Angelina told Pikachu.
"Dratini, use Ice Beam!"
"Tiiii!" the Dragon Pokemon cried out as she released a baby blue ray of ice at the small yellow mouse, hitting the platform she was on and freezing it.
"No!" Angelina said and got worried. "Thunderbolt!"
"Chu!" Pikachu tried to charge but slipped on the slippery ice, falling to her back.
"Now Dratini, Flamethrower!"
"Tini!" the tiny dragon nodded and struck Pikachu with an orangish-red fire.
"Ah!" Angelina shouted in fear.
"Finish it off with Iron Tail!" Clair smiled.
Dratini's tail glowed silvery steel as she slammed into Pikachu, causing the electric-type to cry in pain as her eyes became swirls and laid on her back.
"Pikachu is unable to continue!" the judge responded.
"Return!" Angelina withdrew her Pokemon and shrunk down the Pokeball, whispering words of thanks before enlarging another Pokeball and smiling. "Let's see how you play with Rocky," she threw the Pokeball, the huge four-armed rock head formed on the battlefield and growled.
"Ice Beam!" Clair ordered. Dratini cried out at she blasted out an icy white beam toward Graveler, but the Rock Pokemon moved slightly out of the way away from being hit.
"Rocky, use Magnitude!" Graveler struck the ground as Dratini lost her balance, giving Graveler a chance to attack.
"Now use Fire Blast!" Angelina knew that the attack wouldn't finish off Dratini, but hopefully it would burn the Dragon Pokemon. Angelina's luck had run out, and Dratini was still alive and kickin'.
"Dratini, finish it with Horn Drill!"
"Rocky, try to avoid it with Dig!"
Dratini dove at Graveler with its horn spinning and glowing red, but missed as Graveler dug a hole in the stadium. Graveler then came up underneath Dragonair, knocking it into the far wall.
"Good job, Rocky! Now, finish it! Earthquake!"
"Dratini, Blizzard attack!"
Dratini was a heck of a lot faster than Graveler, and blew tons of ice and snow at Graveler, and froze him. Graveler was stuck in a block of ice, but not for long, because beams of light came from the ice and then exploded!
"Rocky, use Explosion!" Angelina shouted.
Graveler growled and glowed white, there was a loud explosion and smoke filled the room. Everyone waited anxiously as the smoke cleared away, but just to see that Graveler and Dratini were both unconscious.
"Both Pokemon are unable to battle!" the judge replied as both pictures faded out, "The match will be con-!"
"Hey, look!" Jeremy pointed out. Everyone watched as Graveler started glowing and forming into a larger and rounder Pokemon.
"What is that thing?" Angelina pulled out her Pokédex.
"Golem, the Megaton Pokemon," the Pokédex said. "The final evolution of Geodude. This Pokémon sheds its skin every month. The shell is so hard that you cannot even drill through it."
"Awesome," Angelina said excitedly.
"So that means…." Jeremy began.
"Golem has regained consciousness," the judge re-corrected. "The winner is Angelina!"
"AWESOME!" Angelina jumped up and down, "Great job, Rocky!" she shouted to her Pokemon and smiled, Golem grunted back.
Clair withdrew Dratini and shrunk it down, "Good job," she whispered to it and latched it to her belt. "I lost…? I don't believe it. There must be some mistake…" she looked up when Angelina was walking towards her with pride, expecting to receive the Rising Badge. "I won't concede the Rising Badge. I might have lost, but you're still not ready for the Pokemon League."
"What?" Angelina exclaimed, just as Jeremy joined her. "Why not?"
"The road to the Pokémon League is tough. To get there you have to show courage, strength, and patience." Clair explained. "Behind this gym is a place called the Dragon's Den. Meet me there tomorrow, and I will admit you are a trainer worthy of a gym badge."
"Okay," Angelina said.
§To Be Continued§
*Angelina challenges Clair, the leader of the Blackthorn City Gym for the Rising Badge
*Clair's Pokemon for the gym battle are Dratini and Kingdra.
*Graveler evolves into Golem, the final evolved form of Geodude
*Clair will give Angelina the badge only if they meet at Dragon's Den.
Read on to the next chapter! Thanks!