AUTHOR'S NOTE: Greetings, readers! Here is Chapter 16 of the continuing adventures of Tristan, Hillary, and Pikachu as they make their way through Kanto. As always, please feel free to read, review, and provide any feedback, story, music cues, and all.

TEASER: Tristan and Hillary are forced to travel through the deep dark Rock Tunnel on the way to Lavender Town. To make matters worse, there are Rock Pokémon inside. Will our heroes make it through safely?

Chapter 16: A ROCKY ROAD

(Music Cue: Opening & Title Screen 1997-1998 (as heard in "Attack of the Prehistoric Pokémon"))

After spending a fun-filled day in Porta Vista, Tristan and his friends have now returned to Vermilion City; however, their directions for travel have been limited due to...

"A giant sleeping Pokémon?!" exclaimed Tristan and Hillary together. They were just getting the latest updates from Officer Jenny.

"That's right," she answered. "A giant sleeping Pokémon has blocked the entrance to the cave on Route 11, causing the road between here and Lavender Town to be closed off."

"Well, that stinks!" said Hillary.

"I thin you mean that sleeps," corrected Tristan.

"And not only that," said Officer Jenny, "as you may recall, all entrances to Saffron City are closed because of an impending threat."

"What threat?" asked Tristan.

"I'm not sure exactly," replied Officer Jenny. "But the guards all say that they're thirsty and won't let anyone pass through."

"So what do we do?" asked Hillary.

"The only way to get to Lavender Town is to go through the deep, dark Rock Tunnel on Route 9," explained Officer Jenny. "First, you'll need a light to help you get through."

"I don't know if we have any light with us." said Tristan.

"Don't be silly, Tristan," said Hillary. "Charmander's tail flame is the perfect source of light. It can help us get through the darkness."

"That's right!" said Tristan. "How could I forget that?"

"But that's not all," said Officer Jenny. "The Rock Tunnel is full of rough, tough Rock Pokémon. So be careful in there."

"Squirtle can keep us covered," said Tristan.

"Speaking of which, how is Squirtle doing?" asked Officer Jenny.

"It's doing well, Officer Jenny," answered Tristan. "It played along with my other Pokémon the other day and got along just fine."

"I'm so pleased to hear it," said Officer Jenny.

"So how do we get to Route 9?" asked Hillary.

"You'll have to go back to Cerulean City by way of the underground tunnel you took to get here," explained Officer Jenny. "Then go east of Cerulean City to Route 9 and you should be able to reach the Rock Tunnel."

Tristan took out his map. "That sure is a long detour," he said. "Hopefully, my Pokémon will hold out long enough until we get to Lavender Town."

"If you're that concerned, there's a Pokémon Center next to the Rock Tunnel," said Officer Jenny. "It should be on your map."

Tristan took a closer look at his map and sure enough, he saw that there was a Pokémon Center right next to the Rock Tunnel.

"Thanks for the directions, Officer Jenny," said Hillary.

"You're welcome, and good luck on your journey, kids!" replied Officer Jenny as she left to go back to the police station.

So Tristan, Hillary, and Pikachu left for Route 6 to retrace their steps to Cerulean City.


When they emerged from the underground entrance on Route 5 a little while later, it didn't take them very long to reach the city limits.

It was there that Tristan decided to give his Pokémon a quick checkup at the Pokémon Center. "Could you please take care of my Pokémon, Nurse Joy?" he asked.

"Sure, I'll take care of them," replied Nurse Joy happily. Taking care of Pokémon, even when they weren't injured, was one favorite part of being a nurse in her eyes. She took Tristan's five Pokéballs and Pikachu into the examination room.

Tristan then turned to Hillary. "Maybe we should give Grandma a call first," he suggested.

"That's a good idea," replied Hillary. "It's best that we tell them what we've been up to.

They hurried over to one of the video phones and called their grandmother, Veronica.

(Music Cue: Pokémon Center 1997-1998 M77B)

The video screen turned on and Veronica's face appeared. She seemed cheerful as usual.

"Hi, Grandma!" said Tristan. "It's us!"

"Well, hello, children!" said Veronica happily. "It's nice to see you again. How are things going?"

"So far, so good," replied Hillary. "We're taking a quick break in Cerulean City before we go through the Rock Tunnel."

"Hmmm..." said Veronica. "That will be an interesting adventure." She paused for a second to think. "Do you have a plan for getting past the Rock Tunnel?"

"We heard that it was dark in there," said Hillary. "So we thought we could use Charmander's tail flame as a source of light to get through it."

"And Squirtle can keep us covered with its Water Gun attack if any Rock Pokémon attack us," added Tristan.

"Those are very good plans," said Veronica. "But did you know that Grass Pokémon are also good sources for backup?"

"They are?" said Tristan and Hillary together. They were puzzled.

"Besides Water Pokémon, Grass Pokémon have a huge advantage against Rock Pokémon," explained Veronica. "So, if you have a Grass Pokémon with you, I'd suggest you have it ready for battle just in case your Squirtle runs into any problems."

"Hey, Tristan," whispered Hillary. "It sounds like your Bulbasaur might come in handy as well."

"All right," said Tristan. He was filled with determination. "As soon as my Pokémon are good to go, we will be, too."

"That's the spirit," said Veronica. "Once you reach the Pokémon Center next to the Rock Tunnel, give me a call."

"We will," said Tristan and Hillary together.

"Well, I'll leave you to it, kids," said Veronica. "I love you, and good luck."

"Thanks," said Tristan and Hillary together as the video screen turned off.

Presently, Nurse Joy came out of the examination room with Pikachu and Tristan's five other Pokémon. They were all very happy.

"Tristan, your Pokémon are all rested up and good to go," said Nurse Joy. "You've obviously been taking good care of them."

"Well, I try, anyway," replied Tristan. He turned to his Pokémon. "Are we ready to go through the Rock Tunnel?"

The Pokémon replied excitedly, ready for the challenge.

"Okay, here's the plan," said Tristan. "The Rock Tunnel will be dark, so Charmander, we will need light from your tail flame to help us get through."

"Charmander!" replied Charmander happily.

"There will be many Rock Pokémon in there as well," continued Tristan. "So, Squirtle and Bulbasaur, you two will be on standby in case any Rock Pokémon attack us."

Squirtle and Bulbasaur happily nodded.

"But first thing's first," said Hillary. "We should probably stock up on supplies."

"That's a good idea," said Tristan.

Tristan returned his Pokémon except Pikachu to their Pokéballs before he and Hillary set off for the PokéMart to get the supplies.


(Music Cue: Route 1: The Road to Viridian City M18A)

The PokéMart was full of items for travelling Trainers, from Pokéballs to medicine to groceries necessary for training Pokémon.

"I've never seen so many items in one store," said Hillary. "Is this the only PokéMart we know?"

"Of course not," replied Tristan. "Don't you remember all those times when Grandma went to Cherrygrove City to get groceries? There are PokéMarts almost anywhere, you know."

"Oh, yeah," said Hillary. She felt like she asked a dumb question.

"Don't worry about it," said Tristan. "We'll get our supplies, and soon, we'll be ready to take on the Rock Tunnel. Wanna help me pick some out?"

"Okay," said Hillary.

Hillary picked out some medicines from Antidotes to Paralyze Heals to Awakenings.

Tristan selected some Super Potions in case any Pokémon got injured.

"Brock suggested that we should get some medicine anyway," said Tristan. "You never know who's going to need it out there."

"I'm surprised we didn't get any medicine sooner," said Hillary.

"Well, it did slip my mind," laughed Tristan nervously. "But anyway, let's check out the supplies and we'll be ready to go."

It didn't take Tristan and Hillary very long to purchase the necessary items, and soon after, they left the PokéMart and Cerulean City behind.


Route 9 was a little tougher to manage than Tristan and Hillary anticipated because of the rough terrain, but they continued on, anyway.

"Boy, I've never felt so tired in all my life," grunted Hillary.

"Me, neither," added Tristan. "There are so many hills and cliffs."

"Are we ever going to reach the Rock Tunnel?" complained Hillary.

"We won't if we keep talking about it," retorted Tristan.

Just then, Pikachu, exhausted from all the walking, fell to the ground.

"What's the matter, Pikachu?" asked Tristan. He was getting concerned.

"Pika," replied Pikachu weakly. It was obviously tired.

"I'm sure it's just exhausted from all that walking on this rough terrain," said Hillary. "I suggest we take a break, and then start again.

Reluctantly, Tristan agreed with the idea.

"Besides," continued Hillary, "didn't we get some food to help us out?"

"As a matter of fact, we did," replied Tristan. "Maybe I should let out my Pokémon so they can chow down, too."

Tristan let out his five Pokémon, which materialized from the five white lights that came out of his Pokéballs. He explained the situation to them, which they understood.

"You just take it easy for a little while, Pikachu," said Tristan, patting Pikachu on the head.

Pikachu crawled into Tristan's lap and enjoyed the attention. Then, they both joined the others for lunch.


(Music Cue: All's Well That Ends Well)

A few hours later, Tristan and Hillary started again, feeling more refreshed and ready for action, despite the still rough terrain. Pikachu was enjoying the view from Tristan's shoulder.

"I'm glad that you suggested that we have lunch, sis," said Tristan. "I'm feeling a lot more cheerful, and Pikachu seems to be happy, too.

"Me too, Tristan," replied Hillary. "I was getting a little tired and hungry myself."

"As soon as we approach the Pokémon Center near the Rock Tunnel, we promised we'd give Grandma a call," said Tristan.

"Well, it looks like we won't begin our Rock Tunnel challenge today, anyway," said Hillary. "The sun will be setting soon."

Sure enough, the sun was sinking lower and lower in the sky.

Tristan took out his map and started to pinpoint their location. "Okay, according to my map, we should be on the edge of Route 10," he said, "provided that we were going east the entire time." He then took out his compass.

Sure enough, the needle pointed to the east. They were headed in the right direction toward the Rock Tunnel.

"I sure wouldn't want to get lost now," said Hillary.

"Don't worry about it," replied Tristan. "With our track record, we should be fine."

They kept moving forward and reached Route 10. They saw a river shortly thereafter.

"If I were a Pokémon Center, where would I be?" asked Tristan, who was looking around. "Officer Jenny said that there was a Pokémon Center somewhere next to the Rock Tunnel, but where is it?"

"Right there!" answered Hillary, who pointed to a nearby building. Sure enough, there was the Pokémon Center, and the Rock Tunnel was right next to it.

"Just in time, too, because the sun is almost down," added Tristan.

"We have been on the road all day, and I could use a nice bed for the night," said Hillary.

"I think we all could," replied Tristan. "Now let's call Grandma. You know how worried she can get sometimes." And he and Hillary went inside the Pokémon Center.


(Music Cue: A Future Hope)

"It sounds like you were delayed a little bit," said Veronica on the video phone.

"We all needed a little time to rest up and eat earlier today," replied Tristan. "Pikachu was the one who needed it most of all."

"Well, don't worry about it," said Veronica. "I'm sure you'll get a good night's rest and start for the Rock Tunnel first thing in the morning. By the way, here's a surprise for you both to see."

"Hey, kids!" said another voice on the other end. It was their grandfather, Eric, who appeared right beside Veronica.

"Hi, Grandpa!" said Tristan and Hillary together.

Pikachu said hello, too.

"Ah, what a cute Pikachu you have, Tristan!" said Eric. "You must be very close already."

"Well, we have been travelling from place to place, training and bonding with one another," replied Tristan, "even though we haven't been on the road together for very long."

"I just spoke with Professor Oak a little while ago, and he tells me that you caught a Bulbasaur, a Charmander, and a Squirtle," said Eric. "Is that right?"

"That's right, Grandpa," answered Tristan.

"I don't know how you do it," said Eric. "But your grandmother and I believe that you may just have what it takes to be a travelling champion."

"I always love the chance to travel and get stronger," said Tristan.

"I would, too," added Hiilary. "Even if I don't have my first Pokémon yet."

Veronica and Eric chuckled.

"We should probably let you go for now so you two can rest up," said Veronica.

"We love you, kids," added Eric.

"We love you, too," replied Tristan and Hillary together.

"Watch out for them, Pikachu," said Veronica and Eric together.

Pikachu responded happily as the video screen turned off.

Presently, Nurse Joy appeared in front of the children. "I'm glad you two decided to spend the night here," she said. "It would be too dangerous to travel in the Rock Tunnel at night, especially when it's pitch black in there."

"We figured that it wouldn't be the right time for us to travel anyway," replied Hillary.

"Let's get some food in your systems and then you'll have an even better night's sleep," advised Nurse Joy.

And so they did, and as soon as they did, they went to sleep, thinking about the challenges that awaited them in the Rock Tunnel.


The next morning, Tristan and Hillary were up bright and early, and went straight to the Rock Tunnel. They and the Pokémon were well rested. They came to the entrance and stopped.

"Wow," whispered Hillary. "Officer Jenny and Nurse Joy weren't kidding when they said that it was pitch black in there."

"And don't forget those Rock Pokémon," added Tristan. "Which reminds me..." He took out three Pokéballs. "It's time to put three Pokémon on the job. Charmander, Squirtle, Bulbasaur, I choose you!" He threw the Pokéballs and the three Pokémon materialized from the three white lights that shot out of them.

Charmander, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur were awaiting Tristan's instructions.

"Okay, guys, listen up," he said. "This is the Rock Tunnel. It's pitch black inside, and it's full of Rock Pokémon, so I'm going to need all three of you to help us out."

The three Pokémon nodded.

"Charmander, as we discussed yesterday, we will need your tail flame to help us navigate our way through the Rock Tunnel.," continued Tristan, "and Squirtle and Bulbasaur, you two will help us battle those Rock Pokémon if we get attacked by them."

The three Pokémon nodded again.

"All right then," said Tristan. "Let's go in."

Charmander led the way inside the deep dark Rock Tunnel while Squirtle and Bulbasaur followed the others inside.

Tristan and Hillary walked slowly behind Charmander, although it wasn't easy to avoid stepping on each other's feet.

Some Zubat flew by the children. They were a little surprised by the sudden appearance, but didn't feel threatened.

"How can Zubat see us and not crash into us?" wondered Hillary.

"Do you remember what the Pokédex said back on Mount Moon?" said Tristan. "Zubat uses Supersonic waves as sonar to check for objects in its way, so they don't need their eyes to navigate through the darkness."

"I wish we could do that," said Hillary. Just then, she tripped on a big boulder and fell on her stomach. She moaned and winced in pain.

Tristan quickly ran to her. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"Does it LOOK like I'm okay, Tristan?!" shouted Hillary.

"Wow!" said Tristan, who was startled by Hillary's tone of voice. "It sounds like you've become a little boulder."

"Don't just stand there making jokes, help me up here!" demanded Hillary.

(Music cue: Let's Run! (as heard in "Meowth Rules!"))

Suddenly, at that moment, two rocky arms unfolded from the boulder that Hillary tripped over, and two eyes opened.

Tristan and Hillary gasped in shock as it started charging at them.

"That must be a Geodude!" exclaimed Tristan. "Run for it!"

He and the others ran away from the Geodude, but nothing they could do could outrun it.

"If you hadn't stepped on that Geodude, none of this would have happened!" accused Tristan.

"But it's not my fault that I couldn't see where I was going, now Tristan, do something!" shouted Hillary.

"What can I do, shoot some water at it or something?" retorted Tristan. Then, he suddenly remembered. He had Squirtle with him. He could have it battle the Geodude and the danger would be past them in no time. "Go, Squirtle, help us out!" he ordered.

Squirtle complied and leaped in front of the children as Geodude moved in closer for the attack.

"Squirtle, Water Gun now!" he ordered.

A powerful stream of water shot out of Squirtle's mouth at Geodude, scoring a super-effective hit in the process.

Geodude was outmatched by Squirtle's Water Gun and fled the scene, admitting its defeat.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"Good job, Squirtle," praised Tristan.

Squirtle replied happily.

"Well, that was easy," said Hillary. "Either your Squirtle's really strong or that Geodude was really weak."

"Squirtle had the edge in that battle," replied Tristan. "Water attacks are super-effective against Rock Pokémon like Geodude."

Presently, everyone felt a rumbling under their feet.

"What's that?" asked Hillary with a trembled look in her eyes.

(Music cue: Kanto Wild Pokémon Battle (as heard in "The Pokémon Water War"))

She didn't wonder for long as a horde of angry rocks with arms stampeded toward the terrified group.

"It's a horde of Geodude!" gasped Tristan.

"That other Geodude must have gone back to get reinforcements!" added Hillary.

"Hurry, we've gotta get out of here!" shouted Tristan.

He, Hillary, and the Pokémon started making a run for it, but they couldn't escape from the angry Geodude no matter how fast they ran.

"It's no use! They're going to catch us!" shouted Hillary.

"Then we have no choice," said Tristan. "Let's go, Squirtle!"

Squirtle turned its tail from running away and ran to face the angry horde of Geodude.

"We can't face them all like this!" gasped Hillary.

"We have to at least try, Hillary," persisted Tristan. He turned to Squirtle, who was awaiting his orders. "Squirtle, use another Water Gun attack!"

Squirtle shot another powerful stream of water from its mouth at the charging Geodude.

One by one, the Geodude were getting knocked over, even as more of them charged at them.

"Keep it up, Squirtle!" encouraged Tristan.

"You can do it!" added Hillary.

Squirtle kept on squirting the Geodude until none charged anymore. They turned tail and ran in the opposite direction.

"You did it again, Squirtle!" said Tristan.

Squirtle replied happily.

"That was a close one," said Hillary. "They almost got us that time."

"Let's see if we can find a way out of here," suggested Tristan.

"Best idea I've heard all day," replied Hillary as she and Tristan continued on with Charmander leading the way.


A little while later, as they neared the end of the Rock Tunnel, Tristan and Hillary noticed that it had gotten very quiet.

"Something tells me that we're going to run into something big before we get out of here," whispered Tristan.

"Yeah," agreed Hillary. "This place has gotten too quiet for my taste, and it's giving me the creeps."

Presently, Pikachu's ears pricked up. It was picking up on something.

"What is it, Pikachu?" asked Tristan worriedly. Then he turned to the others. "Stay alert, everyone," he advised.

At that moment, there was a rumble and a roar. Then, an explosion of dust came up as a giant rocky snakelike Pokémon came into view. It didn't look very friendly and roared at Tristan and the others.

(Music cue: Rocket-Powered Disaster)

"It's an Onix!" gasped Hillary. "You were right, Tristan, this is big!"

"Go get it, Squirtle!" ordered Tristan.

Squirtle leaped in front of Tristan and readied itself for battle.

Onix charged for Squirtle with a full-body style attack.

"That's a Tackle attack!" said Hillary anxiously.

"Squirtle, Water Gun attack!" shouted Tristan.

A powerful stream of water shot out of Squirtle's mouth at the Onix. It scored a direct hit, but Onix wouldn't give up without a real fight.

Onix charged at Squirtle with another Tackle attack.

"Quick, Squirtle, move out of the way!" commanded Tristan.

Squirtle quickly got out of Onix's path.

"If Onix can take at least one Water Gun attack, it must be really strong!" remarked Hillary.

"But it isn't like Squirtle's Water Gun attack didn't work!" protested Tristan. "I'm sure it must have done something to Onix!"

At that instant, Onix used the end of its tail and wrapped it around Squirtle. It was a very tight grip.

"Squirtle!" gasped Tristan.

"That Onix just used Bind attack!" added Hillary.

"Squirtle, try another Water Gun attack!" commanded Tristan.

Squirtle tried, but it couldn't utter a drop of water from its mouth because Onix's grip was too tight.

"Squirtle can't move!" gasped Hillary.

"Protect yourself, Squirtle! Withdraw now!" ordered Tristan.

Squirtle's head and limbs disappeared into its shell as it glowed in a blue color. It was temporarily out of danger, but was still wrapped tightly by Onix's Bind attack.

"Okay, Bulbasaur, go help Squirtle!" instructed Tristan.

Bulbasaur happily nodded and prepared for battle.

"Bulbasaur, Vine Whip attack!" yelled Tristan.

Two green vines shot out from Bulbasaur's bulb at Onix and hit it squarely in the face.

"Yes, it's working!" said Tristan excitedly.

Bulbasaur continued to use its Vine Whip on Onix.

Again and again, it was struck in the face, taking on more and more damage. But without warning, Onix charged at Bulbasaur with a Tackle attack that seemed to throw it for a loop.

"Bulbasaur!" cried Tristan.

Bulbasaur collapsed on the ground from the hard hit.

Pikachu had seen enough and wanted to help. It began to charge forward at Onix with electricity sparking from its cheeks.

"No, Pikachu, stay back!" yelled Tristan.

Pikachu stopped in its tracks and questioned why it couldn't battle Onix.

"Electric attacks won't work on Onix, and if you use one, it'll hit Squirtle," explained Tristan. "Bulbasaur and Squirtle can handle it, and Butterfree can help out if there's more trouble."

Pikachu came back to Tristan's side.

Bulbasaur struggled back to its feet after the surprise Tackle attack it had just endured from Onix. It suddenly felt more determined and let out a loud cry to charge into battle again.

(Music Cue: Route 11: The Road to Lavender Town (as heard in "Tracey Gets Bugged"))

"That's the spirit, Bulbasaur! Way to go!" said Tristan.

Bulbasaur glared at Onix, ready to take it down.

"Okay, Bulbasaur, can you do a Razor Leaf attack?" asked Tristan.

Bulbasaur nodded its response.

"All right, go!" shouted Tristan.

Bulbasaur shot a barrage of razor sharp leaves at Onix, scoring a direct hit on its face. One stray sharp leaf hit Onix's tail, causing it to release Squirtle from its grip.

Squirtle's limbs came out of its shell and it ran back to its relieved Trainer.

"Are you okay, Squirtle?" he asked.

Squirtle nodded happily.

"All right, guys, let's defeat that Onix once and for all," said Tristan. "Use your Water Gun and Razor Leaf attacks together!"

Squirtle shot its most powerful stream of water from its mouth while Bulbasaur shot another flurry of razor sharp leaves at Onix.

The combined attacks were too much for Onix to take, and it collapsed to the ground with a crash.

Everyone cheered and jumped for joy. But a moment later, Onix struggled back up, much to everyone's surprise.

"Is it going to attack again?" cringed Hillary.

But instead of attacking, Onix acknowledged the strength of Bulbasaur and Squirtle and just stood there. It realized the combined might of their teamwork.

"Hey, Onix," said Tristan. "We're sorry we disturbed you and the other Rock Pokémon in this tunnel. It was the only other route we could take to get to Lavender Town."

Onix growled and nodded its head, understanding what Tristan had just said. Then it turned around and slithered away.

"That Onix seemed to be a friendly Pokémon after all," said Hillary.

"I'm just glad that it knew our intentions," replied Tristan. Then he looked ahead and saw a light at the end of the tunnel. "There's the exit, guys! Let's go!"

Everyone made a quick dash right toward it, and in just a few seconds, they were back in the sunshine overlooking Lavender Town from a hill.

(Music cue: Route 3-The Road to Cerulean City)

"There it is, guys!" said Hillary excitedly.

"We finally made it to Lavender Town," said Tristan. He turned to Charmander. "Thank you for leading the way in the Rock Tunnel, Charmander,"

Charmander happily replied.

Then, Tristan turned to Bulbasaur and Squirtle and patted them on the head. "You two worked very well together," he added. "If it weren't for you two, we'd still be stuck in the Rock Tunnel with those Rock Pokémon, including that Onix. Thank you both very much."

Squirtle and Bulbasaur happily nodded their replies to Tristan, then suddenly, they were both bathed in bright white lights.

"Whoa, what's going on?" asked Hillary.

"Are they both starting to evolve?" added Tristan.

Bulbasaur grew a little bigger, and its green bulb bloomed into a large pink bud.

Squirtle also grew bigger with big ears and claws grew on its fingers and toes. Its tail grew longer, too. It seemed to have two tails connected together.

"Now what are they?" asked Tristan as he scanned his newly evolved Pokémon with his Pokédex.

"Wartortle: The Turtle Pokémon: The evolved form of Squirtle," it said. "Its long furry tail is a symbol of its age and wisdom.

"Ivysaur: The Seed Pokémon: The evolved form of Bulbasaur. The bulb on its back absorbs nourishment and blooms into a large flower."

"Wow! A double evolution!" said Hillary. "I've never seen that before!"

"Neither have I," agreed Tristan. "But congratulations, Ivysaur and Wartortle."

Ivysaur and Wartortle rushed to Tristan and gave him a big hug.

Unfortunately for poor Tristan, the combined weight pushed him to the ground, but they all laughed together.

Hillary giggled at the scenario. "Maybe the Pokémon want to share this memory with you, Tristan," she said.

And so, Tristan and Hillary made it through the deep and dark Rock Tunnel. And thanks to the evolution of Ivysaur and Wartortle, they now feel even more certain that they would reach their goal as they make their way to the next Gym and their next adventure.

► TO BE CONTINUED