Chapter 53: The Final Badge
That night, the kids went to the Pokemon Center to get everyone healed up. Once that was done, they all gathered in their assigned room. Caiseal and Perrine sat cross-legged on the floor, and Julia sat on her bed. Hikaru laid down next to her trainer, smiling contentedly as Julia stroked her head with one finger, reveling in the affectionate gesture. All three of them pondered their recent loss at the Blackthorn City gym.
"So we're definitely gonna need to change our strategy for our next battle with Clair," Julia began. "I know for a fact that if we try our electric tornado again, she'll find some way to counter it."
Perrine nodded in agreement. "For sure. We defeated her Gyarados, but Dragonair and Kingdra are the ones we need to focus on, since they're dragon types. Well, Kingdra being both water and dragon," She hastily added. "Since Gyarados is a water and flying type, we still need an electric Pokemon. Do you think we should use Hikaru this time around? Or should we stick to Chirin?"
Julia had given it some thought since their defeat. As much as she wanted to use Hikaru, she wasn't sure if sending her out would be the best option. All of Clair's Pokemon were big, strong, and had powerful attacks. As strong as Hikaru had gotten, she could only handle so much, and any non-electric attacks she had probably wouldn't work too well on Kingdra and Dragonair. She did have Disarming Voice, but that wasn't known to be a strong fairy type move. Tokiko was a potential option. Julia had planned on using her, had Tsubasa not popped out of her PokeBall.
"Actually, I was thinking of using Tokiko this time," Julia told her. "Tsubasa put a wrench in that idea before, so would that be okay?"
"I don't see why not," Caiseal said. "For sure I'm keeping Flippy out of the battle this time. Ice Beam is strong on dragon types, but not when said Pokemon are both part water type as well, and Dragonair and Kingdra are exactly that. Plus, she mostly knows water and ground attacks."
Over the course of the battle, Caiseal had come to regret sending out Flippy. She was physically strong and could handle a lot of attacks thrown her way, but relying too much on her Ice Beam attack and her small pool of non-water attacks didn't do much in battle. It didn't help that she was slow to move on land and wasn't able to dodge most attacks when needed. Caiseal figured it wasn't worth it to put her through a battle she wasn't equipped to handle. But who could he use against Clair? Apollo and Mallow weren't going to cut it, since all of Clair's Pokemon knew water type moves, putting them at a big disadvantage. Would Ravenclaw, Viole, or Heracles be able to handle Clair's Pokemon?
"I'm all for putting Tokiko in the battle. She's practically immune to dragon type attacks," Perrine raised her hand. "And I'm thinking of keeping Chirin in the battle. I forgot that he knows attacks like Light Screen, so I say we try and make use of that, since that can hold off special attacks."
Light Screen. Both Caiseal and Julia exchanged rueful looks. Why hadn't they thought of that before? Using defensive moves like that might have changed the outcome had they remembered. But there was no point in dwelling on it now. "I agree," Caiseal said, crossing his arms. "So we're gonna use Tokiko and Chirin this time, and making use of defensive moves more effectively. Now that just leaves who I'm gonna use."
Unbeknownst to her friends, Julia quietly pulled Tsubasa's PokeBall out from her bag. "Sorry, Tsubasa. I know you want to battle, but you're gonna have to stay out of this one. Okay?" She whispered. "I'll make it up to you."
Much to Julia's surprise, the PokeBall quivered in her hand, up and down, like she was nodding from inside. That was odd. Normally, Tsubasa would throw a fit if she wasn't allowed to battle. Maybe she recognized her limits this time around. Julia smiled. Tsubasa was growing up a bit and showing some maturity on her part. She wondered if this was what her mother felt when she learned Julia wanted to go on a journey. Reassured, Julia slipped Tsubasa's PokeBall back into her bag.
"You know what?" Caiseal suddenly announced, cutting Julia's train of thought. "I'm gonna go with Heracles. He's got good attack power and endurance, and he has a larger variety of attacks in general."
Julia held three fingers up. "So to confirm, we're using Tokiko, Chirin, and Heracles for our next battle. We start training first thing in the morning. We good?"
Both Perrine and Caiseal nodded. "We're gonna win it this time!" Caiseal added, his voice firm with determination.
The girls hoped that the next battle would go better.
After a good night's sleep and a hearty breakfast that morning, the kids left the Pokemon Center and went straight to an empty clearing in the woods to begin their training for tomorrow's battle. For now, they just had the Pokemon focus on perfecting their attacks.
"Tokiko, use Fairy Wind!" Julia cried out.
Tokiko began beating her small wings, generating a sharp gale of glittering dust that shot right towards Chirin.
"Chirin, Light Screen!"
The orb on Chirin's tail glowed yellow as the light Pokemon let out a cry. In an instant, a cube made out of light materialized from nothing, encasing Chirin in an enclosed space. The Fairy Wind brushed against the shining cube around Chirin, but didn't do much else. Over time, the gust dissipated, and Chirin opened his eyes as the Light Screen he created melded into his body.
Perrine ran over to Chirin, beaming with pride as she stroked his head with one hand. "Good job, boy! You're getting better at this!"
"Ampaaa!" Chirin cooed back in return, flapping his stubby arms.
"Do you guys want to keep going for a little longer?" Julia asked Tokiko and Chirin. As of right now, they had been going at it for two hours straight. Caiseal sat on a rock nearby, and Heracles was clinging to the base of a tree, helping himself to some juicy tree sap, paying no heed to anything around him. He had already spent quite a bit of time perfecting his moves and practicing, so the big horn Pokemon felt it was time for a well deserved break. Chirin and Tokiko held their hands to their mouths, stifling some giggles, as they found the sight to be pretty funny.
"Ampa!" "Chokki!" Even so, they both composed themselves enough to wave their arms at their trainers, eyes gleaming with determination. The training wasn't too hard, and they weren't even a little bit tired. Why not keep going?
"Alright, then!" Perrine pumped her fists. "Let's try polishing some of their other moves, just in case," She suggested.
As the girls talked amongst themselves for a brief moment, Chirin and Tokiko happened to meet each other's eyes. But something flickered in the corner of Tokiko's eye. The happiness Pokemon leaned closer to get a better look. "Chokki!" She chirped, pointing to Chirin's tail. Surprised, the light Pokemon turned his head around to see what was up. "Paaa?" The red orb on his tail was glowing, but the light wasn't red or white. Instead, the light on his tail was glowing a soft purple color, with a touch of blue and green mixed in. Chirin and Tokiko exchanged surprised looks. What was going on?
"Hm? What's up, guys?" Perrine noticed their flummoxed expressions before her jaw dropped at the sight of Chirin's tail. "Huh? Whaaa? Chirin!" She yelped like she saw a ghost. "Why's your tail glowing purple?!"
"Whoa! You're right, it is!" Julia exclaimed, more curious than anything.
Caiseal ran over to get a better look. "Has this happened before?" He asked.
Perrine shook her head. "No. Never."
Just then, the light on Chirin's tail finally dimmed, disappearing altogether. A warm rush of relief flooded over all of them. Still, their curiosity was piqued. "I wonder what that was?" Julia asked.
"Maybe he learned a new move or something?" Caiseal wondered aloud.
Chirin could only scratch his neck, just as confused as everyone else. "Ampaaaar…"
"Well, let's just get back to training for now," Perrine suggested once more, hoping to diffuse the tension a bit.
With that, Tokiko and Chirin returned to their positions on the clearing. Perrine decided to go first this time. "Chirin! Use Power Gem!"
"Deflect it with Ancient Power!"
Both Pokemon made an army of rocks appear out of thin air, lobbing them at each other like they were in a snowball fight. Rocks and stones collided in the air, breaking apart upon contact, with some disappearing just as quickly as they materialized. In that moment, Chirin's tail glowed purple again. Something swelled and coiled deep in Chirin's stomach. But what? What was this? All Chirin knew was that the swelling turned into a sharp burning sensation. It was rising up from his stomach and into his throat, setting it on fire.
"Now use-!" Perrine tried to call out another attack, but the sight of Chirin's tail glowing again stopped her from doing so. His tail shone purple again.
Then, Chirin's mouth flew open, and a stream of purple, blue, and green energy sailed forward and struck Tokiko head on. The fairy had no time to react, as she was frozen with shock as the attack landed a direct hit on her. Oddly enough, she barely felt anything save for a strange warmth on her skin, and the energy around her didn't hurt. The kids' jaws fell right open, and still hung open even after the energy wave dissipated. Chirin landed on his rear and took in huge breaths, like he had run a marathon. His tail stopped glowing.
"Whoa! What in the world was that?!" Caiseal ran over as soon as Chirin fell down. Perrine, Julia, and Tokiko were quick to run to his aid.
Concerned, Perrine put a hand on her friend's shoulder. "You okay?"
"Paro!" Chirin warbled before letting out a quick cough. He held his hands to his neck, as the burning sensation still lingered on his throat.
"I wonder what that was?" Julia wondered. Then her eyes lit up. "Perrine, try checking Chirin's moves on your PokeDex! I think he might have learned a new attack!"
Perrine wasted no time pulling her PokeDex out. She punched in a few buttons as Caiseal handed Chirin a bottle of water to drink. In an instant, all of Chirin's moves were displayed on the screen, all of them she recognized...except for one at the very bottom.
"Dragon Pulse?!" All three of them shouted in unison.
Were they seeing things? The kids each looked over Perrine's PokeDex, wondering if it had made an error. The new move that was listed didn't change, even as they refreshed the page. How could an Ampharos manage to learn Dragon Pulse? And when did Chirin learn it? Just now, or a lot earlier than this? Gradually, their shock morphed into joy. Perrine flung her arms around the light Pokemon's neck, beaming as she nuzzled his face with her own.
"That's so awesome, Chirin! You learned a new attack just now! You know Dragon Pulse!" Perrine cheered, snuggling her electric friend like no tomorrow.
So that was what happened. Tokiko smiled and gave him a pat on the shoulder. Chirin's yellow cheeks burned red, wondering if this whole thing was worth all the hubbub. He sheepishly scratched his neck, averting everyone's gaze, abashed by the sudden attention he was getting. Julia stroked his head affectionately, and Caiseal flashed a grin in his direction.
"As great as this is, I don't think Chirin's got the hang of it just yet," Julia pointed out. "It didn't seem as strong as the Dragon Pulses Kingdra and Gyarados used. How about this? How about we spend most of the day helping Chirin with his new attack?"
Perrine and Caiseal nodded in agreement. "Good idea. If Chirin can master Dragon Pulse by the end of the day, we might be able to stand a chance against Clair and have another trick up our sleeve," Perrine added.
Julia liked the idea. Suddenly, the cogs in her brain were turning. The electric tornado flashed back in her mind. What if they did something else with it? She gasped and slammed her fist on her palm. "Ohhh! I have a brilliant beyond brilliant idea!" She gestured for everyone to gather around, telling them about the plan she hatched in her mind just now. Tokiko and Chirin saw them nodding to themselves and giggling. What could they be up to? Hopefully something good. Heracles continued to eat tree sap without a care in the world.
With this new development, the kids were going to give Clair a run for her money.
After a whole day of training, the kids went to sleep, excited for tomorrow. Morning came, and everyone gathered at Blackthorn City gym once more. This time, the match was at nine, and everyone was wide awake. Like before, the kids stood on one side of the gym and Clair on the other. She wasted no time sending Dragonair, Gyarados, and Kingdra back out onto the field.
"I wonder what surprises you kids have for me this time," Clair said. "Here's to a good match," She flashed a thumbs up.
The kids sent their Pokemon out in order: Tokiko, Chirin, and Heracles. Clair raised an eyebrow. "Hm. Switching your Pokemon around, huh? I can't say I'm surprised."
"You guys ready?" Julia asked. Again, Caiseal and Perrine nodded affirmatively.
Like the day before, Uraku was the referee, and he raised two flags into the air. "Is everyone ready? Let the battle begin!"
Caiseal called the first move. "This time, we're going first!" He cried out with passion. "Heracles, use Aerial Ace on Dragonair!"
Quick as he was, Heracles' wings beated quickly as he ascended into the air. Dragonair attempted to dodge by ducking under water, but before it could completely submerge, Heracles rammed his horn right into its neck. Dragonair let out a cry as the beetle removed himself from his position, his neck throbbing from the pain.
"Yeah!" Caiseal cheered. "The good thing about Aerial Ace? It never misses!" He thanked his lucky stars that Heracles managed to learn that move when he did. In his heart, Caiseal knew it wouldn't be completely effective, but if it meant landing hits, then that was fine with him.
"Good choice! But see if you can handle this!" Clair waved her arm outward, pointing right at Chirin. "Gyarados! Use Hydro Pump!"
"Chirin! Light Screen!"
"Paaa!" On cue, Chirin let out a sharp cry as the light on his tail glowed white. In no time at all, walls of light encased all three Pokemon in transparent, cube like spaces. Hydro Pump landed a direct hit on Chirin, soaking him to the bone, but he stood his ground, enduring the attack with grace.
Now was a good chance for a surprise attack. "Tokiko! Fly in front of them and use Dazzling Gleam!" Julia commanded.
The happiness Pokemon flitted right in front of all three dragons, glowing in a harsh pink light, blinding them. Dragonair and Kingdra winced from the attack, recoiling backwards as the light caused a burning sensation to run through their bodies. Gyarados merely held its head down to avoid the light shining right in front of it.
"It's working!" Julia exclaimed.
"Alright! Now's our chance!" Caiseal cried out. "Heracles, Close Combat on Dragonair!"
Both of Heracles' arms glowed in a harsh, orange light as he charged right at Dragonair. Once he got close enough, he began pummeling Dragonair with a flurry of hard hitting blows, punches, and kicks in all directions. Dragonair was still reeling from Tokiko's attack earlier, so it didn't compose itself enough to dodge or attack back. Heracles didn't let up, even as Dragonair made no attempt to fight back.
"Gyarados, help Dragonair!" Clair yelled. "Use Thrash!"
As ordered, Gyarados began throwing its body all around. At one point, its tail knocked Heracles right off of Dragonair, sending him flying. Thankfully, the blow wasn't so strong that it knocked him right out. Heracles managed to use his wings once he got high enough and quickly recovered from the blow. But Gyarados kept slamming his tail and waving his head in all directions. Even Dragonair and Kingdra had to keep their distance when its tail nearly smacked the latter on the snout. Tokiko attempted to fly away, but Gyarados threw his head outward, headbutting the happiness Pokemon.
"Tokiko!" Julia screamed in horror. Tokiko was knocked right out of the sky, and she was falling. If she hit her head or broke a bone...
Having seen the impact, Heracles flew towards Tokiko, arms outstretched. It took seconds for Tokiko to fall right into his arms, the impact of her fall softened. The blue beetle descended to the ground, with Tokiko in his arms, safe and sound. Julia let out a sigh of relief.
"Oh, thank goodness!" Julia said.
"Don't relax just yet!" Perrine told her. "That Gyarados is still thrashing!"
"Kingdra! Use Bubblebeam!"
"Duuuuura!" Kingdra inflated its snout before firing a barrage of bubbles.
"Chirin, pop 'em with Thunderbolt!"
Chirin wasted no time firing lightning bolts at the bubble barrage coming his way, popping every single one of them with his electricity. At one point Gyarados' tail nearly slammed right on top of Heracles and Tokiko.
"Dodge it, boy!" Caiseal commanded. Heracles didn't need to be told twice. He flew away right as Gyarados' tail made contact with the ground, sending a brief tremor throughout the battlefield.
Tokiko fluttered out from Heracles' arms, thanking him for saving her before getting right back into battle. "Tokiko! Are you okay?" Julia asked. The happiness Pokemon gave a chirp and a nod. "Alright then! Use Fairy Wind!" Tokiko's wings glowed light blue for a brief moment. With a high pitched trill, she fluttered them at a fast pace, generating a gust of sparkling pink wind that blew right onto all three of Clair's Pokemon.
"Everyone! Use Dragon Pulse!" Clair shouted.
All three of Clair's Pokemon fired streams of purple and green hued flames at their opponents. Chirin attempted to run, but one of the attacks caught up with him, and he was swallowed up in the flames. Tokiko endured the attack, barely feeling a thing. Heracles attempted to fly away as well, but the Dragon Pulse consumed him with its flames. It didn't take long for the attack to dissipate, but the kids could see burn marks on their Pokemons' skin, sans Tokiko.
"Are you guys okay?" Caiseal asked. One Dragon Pulse attack was hard enough to deal with, but three at once? That was too much, even for Chirin and Heracles. The two Pokemon in question got back on their feet, giving their trainers reassuring nods before trotting back to the battlefield.
Julia gently elbowed Perrine, pointing towards Gyarados and Dragonair. Perrine turned to look. Gyarados kept swaying from side to side, and its eyes were crossed. On its left, Dragonair had bruises all over its body, and it kept taking labored breaths. It didn't take long for Perrine to see it. Gyarados was confused from using Thrash so much, and Dragonair was getting tired, probably from all of the hits it took. There was a chance that they could take them both down. Perrine nodded right back. This was their chance to turn the tables on Clair.
One or two attacks were all they might need. Perrine knew they had to act fast.
"Guys. You better brace yourselves," Perrine whispered to both Julia and Caiseal before shouting at Chirin. "Chirin! Use Discharge! Give it all you've got!"
"Paaaaa!" With a loud, shrill cry, Chirin raised his head into the air, firing off a flurry of lightning bolts in all directions. Heracles crouched on the ground, and Tokiko hid behind a nearby rock to keep from getting hit by Chirin's lightning. Kingdra ducked into the water. The only ones who couldn't dodge the attack were Dragonair and Gyarados. Electricity shot through their already battered bodies, and with every movement they tried to make, their muscles tensed right up. A burning sensation wracked them from the inside out, and the pain overwhelmed the two giant serpents.
Clair held her arms up in front of her face, blinded by the onslaught of flashing thunder that raged through the battlefield. Gyarados was the first to go down, its upper body slamming onto the ground, with the rest of it still in the water. Dragonair followed suit, unable to stand upright anymore. The dragon Pokemon landed right on top of Gyarados, its whole body supported by the atrocious Pokemon's body weight. Uraku walked over to their position and examined them briefly. Both Pokemon were unconscious, their bodies rising and falling in tune with their silent breaths. In that moment, Kingdra popped back out from the water.
"Dragonair and Gyarados are unable to battle!" Uraku announced before returning to his position. "The gym leader Clair now has one Pokemon left!"
"Yes! It worked!" Perrine exclaimed, throwing her fists into the air.
Julia crossed her arms. "I have to admit, that was rather reckless, but I can understand why you had Chirin use Discharge," She said. Discharge was an attack that could hit every Pokemon on the field, even allies. Julia wished Perrine had given a better warning, or at least mentioned it during their training yesterday. But it was an all or nothing shot, a risk that needed to be taken, even if it meant potentially losing one or both allies in the process. It worked out, so Julia wasn't particularly angry about it.
The battle was still going on, so they couldn't rest on their laurels just yet. Caiseal called the next attack this time. "Heracles, use Megahorn!"
As ordered, Heracles charged right at Kingdra, his large horn glowing in a pale green light.
"Kingdra! Agility!"
Like before, when Heracles tried to land a hit, Kingdra swiftly dodged the attack. The giant seahorse turned into a blue blur as it sprinted across the battlefield-on land again, no less. It seemed like Kingdra disappeared and then reappeared, like it had turned invisible, moved to one spot, and made itself visible again. Heracles tried to keep up, but the seahorse never stayed in one place, and the big horn couldn't land a decent hit on it.
"Now use Dragonbreath!"
Kingdra wasted no time. It spat out a green beam of light right from behind, hitting Heracles on the spot. The big horn was blasted across the battlefield, only landing right in front of Caiseal's part of the trainer box. The attack dissipated right afterward.
"You okay, Heracles?" Caiseal got down on one knee to see if his friend was alright.
Heracles got back on his feet right away, but Caiseal could tell he had been hit pretty hard. Dirt marks speckled the big horn's body, and he could see his legs were shaking. Should he have Heracles forfeit? He was standing, but Heracles didn't look like he could take much more. The big horn Pokemon shook his head, knowing Caiseal was having his doubts. Heracles attempted to run back towards the field, but a sharp, numbing pain shot through his legs. Unable to carry his own weight, the big horn crumpled to the ground, laying face down.
"Heracles!" Caiseal cried.
This didn't make sense. How had Heracles gotten hurt so bad? Julia squinted her eyes to see if there was anything she missed. Then it hit her. "I think Dragonbreath must have paralyzed him!" She exclaimed. It explained Heracles' inability to move after the attack hit him.
Clair smirked as she held one of her arms akimbo. "The show's over for you! Kingdra, finish it with Hyper Beam!" She announced.
An orange ball of energy formed in front of Kingdra's snout, slowly growing larger with each passing second. The kids' eyes widened. If Heracles was hit, he'd be out of the battle. They had to do something.
"Chirin! Hold it off with Signal Beam!" Perrine shouted, her voice rising several octaves in desperation.
Before Julia could make Tokiko call out an attack, the Hyper Beam shot out from Kingdra's mouth, so fast that the kids and Pokemon had no time to react. Chirin wasn't able to produce his Signal Beam in time, as he barely jumped away from the oncoming blast. The orange, pressurized beam of light soared across the battlefield, landing a direct hit on Heracles. An explosion of light and smoke covered the field. The kids covered their faces with their arms in an attempt to keep debris from getting into their eyes. Chirin pulled Tokiko into his arms and curled into a ball, protecting her from the aftershock. Eventually, the smoke dissipated and the kids opened their eyes. Heracles was on the ground, covered in burn marks, completely unconscious.
"Heracross is unable to battle!" Uraku announced, pointing a red flag in Clair's direction. "The winner is Kingdra!"
Without another word, Caiseal put Heracles back in his Pokemon. All he could do was flash a sad smile at the PokeBall in his hands. "Good job, Heracles. You were awesome. After this, I'll let you eat all the tree sap you want."
The girls sighed. Just like the day before, Caiseal's Pokemon was the first to go down. Still, there was a silver lining. Chirin and Tokiko were left, and they had managed to defeat two of Clair's Pokemon. That was much better than their previous battle. All they had to do was defeat Kingdra and they had a Rising Badge on their hands. Of course, Kingdra by itself had proven how strong it was. Taking it down wasn't going to be easy. Julia and Perrine exchanged determined looks. If they were going to win this battle, they needed to put everything they had into it.
Clair crossed her arms. "Not gonna lie, you kids really have me on the edge of my seat," She told them with a smile. "I haven't been this fired up in months."
"Dra!" Kingdra warbled in agreement, nodding.
Perrine balled one of her hands into a fist. "Well, we didn't get this far for nothing! Here's to a great battle!"
"A great battle, indeed!" Clair brushed some hair behind her before sending one of her arms outward. "Kingdra, use Hydro Pump!"
"Block it with Light Screen!"
The jewel on Chirin's forehead glowed, producing a wall of light. Kingdra fired a highly pressurized stream of water that hit Chirin head on. Because of the Light Screen, Chirin wasn't badly hurt, but the blast was strong enough that he skidded across the battlefield, his feet firmly planted into the ground, making lines the further he was soaked.
"Dazzling Gleam, Tokiko!" Julia cried.
Tokiko flew right in front of Kingdra's face and let her whole body glow in a bright light. Kingdra recoiled at the blinding sight, hopping back into the water, squeezing his eyes shut.
"Now use Signal Beam!" Perrine shouted.
Noticing that Kingdra was still reeling from Tokiko's attack, Chirin's chance to attack had presented itself. The gem on his forehead glowed green, and Chirin fired a green and red beam of light. Kingdra had only just opened its eyes before the attack hit it straight on its torso, as it had no time to react. Kingdra fell on its side, but it quickly hoisted itself back up.
"Don't give up, Kingdra! You can do it!" Clair exclaimed. "Use Twister!"
"Duuuura!" Kingdra lifted its snout into the air, generating a fast moving cyclone that reached up to the stadium's ceiling. Chirin wasted no time planting himself firmly into the ground, but cried out when he saw Tokiko get sucked into the funnel of air. Sure, she wouldn't be physically affected by the attack, since fairy types are immune to dragon moves, but that didn't mean she wasn't in any danger.
Julia held her hands to her chest. She was sure she could feel her heart thundering from inside her. How was she going to get Tokiko out of this? There was no way a Pokemon as small as Tokiko could get out of that tornado easily. Tsubasa was one thing, being a flying type Pokemon who could adapt to situations like that easily. Wait a minute…if Tsubasa could go with the tornado's flow and use it to her advantage, why couldn't Tokiko? She wasn't as fast or strong as Tsubasa, but at this point, there was no time to second guess herself. She needed to do something, and she needed to do it now.
No more wasting time.
"Tokiko! Fly with the tornado's path and use Fairy Wind!" Julia cried.
Despite the roar of the wind that battered her from all directions, Tokiko could hear her trainer loud and clear. With a determined grin, Tokiko beated her tiny wings as fast as she could muster, following the wind currents and becoming one with the tornado. All the while, a pink, sparkling gust of wind trailed behind her, dyeing the draconic cyclone bright pink and white. Kingdra snorted in terror as it lost control of its Twister attack.
"Now ram it into Kingdra!" Julia commanded in an oddly authoritative voice, swiping her hand outward. "Show no mercy!"
With the tornado now under her control, Tokiko let out a shrill cry as she directed it towards Kingdra. The giant seahorse attempted to hop out of the water and across the land, but it tripped on a stray rock, falling flat on the dirt. Clair gasped as the sparkling cyclone swallowed Kingdra whole, spinning him round and round in a grand spectacle. Even Caiseal and Perrine found themselves in awe of the display. It was the electric tornado all over again, except with Tokiko's Fairy Wind this time. Kingdra flailed its fins left and right, writhing in a pitiful attempt to break free, to no avail. Eventually, the fairy cyclone dissipated, and Kingdra fell to the ground, limp as a rag.
"Kingdra, no!" Clair cried, her eyes glistening with concern.
Tokiko fluttered back to her side of the field, beaming with pride. But it was short lived, as Kingdra got back on its curled tail, standing straight up despite being covered with dirt and scratches.
Clair's smile returned. "Now that's more like it! Think you can manage a Hyper Beam?"
Kingdra's only response was firing an orange beam of light right at Tokiko.
"Dodge it, Tokiko! Hurry!" Julia pleaded.
But despite Tokiko's best efforts, her tiny wings, weak from flapping so much, were unable to carry her out of the Hyper Beam's range. The beam struck her from the front, and she was thrown into one of the left walls, leaving a circular hole far bigger than she. When the Hyper Beam dissipated, Tokiko simply fell to the ground, limp and unable to move any further.
"Tokiko!" Julia cried.
Uraku raised a red flag in Clair's direction. "Togetic is unable to battle! The winner is Kingdra, and now both sides only have one Pokemon left! Who will emerge victorious?" He announced.
Julia gave Tokiko a sympathetic look as she returned her to her PokeBall. "Thanks, girl. You take a good rest," She put a hand on Perrine's shoulder. "It's all up to you now."
Perrine's determined look didn't change. "You got it."
"I admire your resolve. But this battle isn't over yet!" Clair reminded them.
The orange haired girl got a good look at Kingdra. The giant seahorse was gasping for breath and his whole body was trembling, speckled with fresh cuts and scratches from Tokiko's fairy tornado earlier. That meant Kingdra was getting tired. Plus, it needed to recharge after that Hyper Beam. On the flip side, Chirin was still on his feet despite having taken a few blows earlier. If Perrine timed it just right, they could win this together.
"Alright, Chirin! This is our last shot, so let's do this!" Perrine exclaimed. Chirin nodded in agreement, ready to continue. "Finish it with Dragon Pulse!"
"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Clair bellowed. "Kingdra! Counter it with Hydro Pump!"
The burning sensation in Chirin's stomach blazed in his stomach before climbing up his throat, making it sear in pain. Unable to keep it in anymore, Chirin let out a piercing howl as a purple, green, and blue beam of light soared from his mouth. The energy eventually sprouted a set of wings and the end of it morphed into a dragon's head. Kingdra attempted to shoot water out of his snout, but all it could manage to spit out was a tiny sprinkle of it. The heavily damaged Kingdra attempted to spit more water, but none of it was strong enough to even be considered an attack. Clair gasped. Kingdra was a sitting Psyduck.
Not long after, the Dragon Pulse attack hit Kingdra head on, pushing the seahorse right into the water. The impact of the attack made an explosion of water billow out from the pool and then rain down in all directions, turning the earth around it into mud. It didn't take long for the attack to dissipate, and Chirin could only fall down on his rear, taking in deep breaths, both from exhaustion and to soothe the burning pain in his throat. Everyone's eyes widened as they waited for Kingdra to come back up. Would it be able to battle, or was it defeated? Julia shivered, hoping the attack didn't kill it. That was the last thing she wanted. She hoped Kingdra was alright. Seconds later, an unconscious Kingdra floated back to the surface, completely out cold. That could only mean one thing.
Uraku raised a flag in the kids' direction. "Kingdra is unable to battle! The winner is Ampharos, and the victory goes to the challengers!" He announced.
The kids exchanged confused looks. Were their ears playing tricks on them? Did they actually win? Kingdra didn't move an inch. The kids found themselves quite shocked. They won? Finally, their brains managed to register what had happened, and their faces broke into wide, goofy grins. They really did win this time! They had defeated Clair, the most powerful gym leader in Johto, and they did it together. Julia was the first to glomp both Caiseal and Perrine.
"WE WOOOOOON!" She shouted loud enough to blow out her friends' poor ear drums, her excitement bubbling out like soda fizz. She just couldn't contain herself any longer. But nobody cared. They were all just as happy as she. The kids wrapped their arms around each other, jumping up and down with glee. Chirin joined them not long after. "We won we won we won we wooooooon!"
"You did great out there, Chirin!" Perrine freed one arm to wrap it around Chirin, who was warbling with joy. "You and everyone else, too!"
"Paaaaa!"
As the children rejoiced in their glorious victory, Clair returned Kingdra to its PokeBall, giving it a sympathetic smile. "Good job, Kingdra. You battled hard. You can take a rest now."
"We rock!" Caiseal bellowed cheerfully. "We actually beat all eight gyms now!"
"We sure did!" Perrine agreed.
When they saw Clair and Uraku approach them, they stopped cheering and celebrating, waiting to hear what they had to say. "That was an amazing battle," Clair complimented them, smiling with pride. "My grandfather's assessment was correct. You three really are not just great Pokemon trainers, but great friends to each other, too. You all worked together as a team, even when things were tough, and you treat your Pokemon with respect."
"Indeed. Trainers like you kids don't come around very often," Uraku added, scratching his eyebrow with one of his fingers. "Don't ever forget the qualities you possess as Pokemon trainers. It's what helped you win this battle today."
"We won't," Caiseal said. "Thank you both."
Clair rummaged through her pocket and opened her fist. Three badges shaped like dragon's heads rested in her palm. "These are for you. Three Rising Badges. Proof that you've beaten me. You've earned them fair and square, so you better wear them with pride."
Each child took their Rising Badge gingerly into their hands. A deep black badge with menacing red eyes, like a dragon stalking its prey. How fitting for a dragon type trainer like Clair. But the kids knew these weren't just badges. With this, they now had eight badges. This badge symbolized the kids' friendship and all they had gone through just to get this far. Now that they had eight of them, they were now eligible to participate in the Pokemon League if they so chose.
"We got Rising Badges!" Perrine cheered, jumping up and down.
But a thought crossed Julia's mind right then and there, and it prompted her to stop cheering. "Oh! I almost forgot!" She quickly approached Clair with an inquisitive look on her face. "Thanks for battling us, Miss Clair. But can I ask you something real quick?"
"Sure. What is it?" Clair cocked her head to one side.
"You didn't happen to see a girl named Amara around, did you?" Julia asked. If Amara was going to try and get into the Pokemon League, the chances were good that she'd try to battle Clair, or get a Rising Badge by any means necessary. "She has long, light brown hair in a ponytail and light blue eyes and is about this high," Julia raised her hand just a few inches above her own head to indicate Amara's height. She wished she could show Clair a picture of her, as that would be more helpful than just a general description, but she didn't have one on her.
Clair shook her head. "Nope. I haven't seen anyone like that, and the trainer who battled me before you guys was a boy with black hair," She explained.
Curiosity turned into disappointment. Julia was so sure Amara would be here. Maybe she hadn't come here yet? But she was way ahead of the other kids, so she should have gotten here long before they did. "Oh. I see. But if you do see her, don't battle her. Report her to the police," Julia told her. "She's on the blacklist for abuse of Pokemon, and she's been doing a lot of stuff she shouldn't, like stealing gym badges and using Pokemon to beat people up."
"Oh my," Clair put a hand on her chin. "Thanks for telling me. I'll definitely keep an eye out."
Perrine put Chirin back in his PokeBall. "On that note, we should probably take Chirin, Tokiko, and Heracles to the Pokemon Center," She reminded them. "They're pretty zonked out after today's battle."
"Good idea," Caiseal and Julia replied in unison.
Clair smiled again. "It was great to meet all of you. Take care on your journey, and I hope you all succeed at the Pokemon League," She waved to them as they bolted out the door. But they did wave right back at her, happy to have finally won their eighth and final badge.
A vast blue sky greeted Pokemon Hunter J as she steered her airship through the clouds. Her visor blocked its beauty from the outside, which was good for her, since she had no interest in admiring the endless blue before her. Then again, she had never been one for appreciating nature's gifts and bounties. Her steel eyes remained focused on the scenery in front of her. She only had one thing on her mind, and that was the thing she was searching for at this very moment.
"It should be out here by now," She muttered to herself. "Where could it be?"
She had been planning for this for weeks. After months of research and planning, she finally found something she could really put to good use. It was her first lead in what seemed to be forever. Plus, today was the day of its appearance. She was careful to activate her airship's invisibility cloak, so whatever she was looking for didn't see her. There was no way she was going to risk ruining her great plans for today by doing something so reckless. After a brief moment, she saw a trail of sparkling yellow dust in the clouds. Orange, white, and green wings, illuminated by the afternoon sunlight, grazed the white clouds surrounding it. Yellow tail feathers produced the sparkling dust that trailed behind it like a daytime comet.
J smirked. "Ho-Oh...I finally found you. You will be mine! You and Lugia both!"