Chapter 36 – Rising Spirits
After riding Fierymane and Tauros up to the lake, May and I recalled them, and I released Lapras. The 2 of us and our fire foxes climbed up onto Lapras' back and she began to coast in the direction of the Dragon's Den. In actuality, not much was known of the Dragon's Den – there were only rumors and legends about it. Anyway, as we travelled, May and I went over battle strategies for my re-match with Clair. We could see the island with the Dragon's Den on the horizon, as Lapras ferried us across the lake.
As we got very close to the Dragon's Den, Lapras stopped. "What's the matter, Lapras?" I asked her. Suddenly, about 9 Tentacruel surfaced from the water, surrounding us! "This looks bad!" I exclaimed. May said, "Maybe they're just curious." At that, one of the Tentacruel hit Lapras with a wrap attack, wrapping it's tentacles around her and shaking her, which knocked May, Flamefox, Firestorm, Amber, and myself off her back. "I don't think they're just curious, May!" I exclaimed. May released Blastoise and said, "Hit that Tentacruel with your hydro pump, Blastoise!" Her large turtle-like Pokemon aimed the huge water guns on his shoulders at the Tentacruel that was attacking Lapras, and launched heavy torrents of water at it, forcing it to release Lapras. Another Tentacruel attacked Blastoise, but he flipped it over his head, crashing it into the water. Flamefox, Firestorm, and I climbed back onto Lapras, while May and Amber got on Blastoise's back. I released Jolteon and she released Raichu. May commanded, "Raichu, hit those Tentacruel with thunderbolt!", to which I responded, "Jolteon, Lapras, do the same!" All 3 Pokemon launched powerful electric attacks at the Tentacruel, and they were driven off! "Good work, guys!" I said to my Pokemon. "Good job, Raichu!" May said to her large electric mouse. We recalled Jolteon and Raichu and then we proceeded ahead, and reached the Dragon's Den. Lapras and Blastoise swam us inside the cave entrance. Inside there were stalactites hanging from the ceiling. There was a maze of coral. "Which way should we go?" I asked. May replied, "Hang on!" and she released Pidgeot and climbed onto his back. "Good thinking" I said to her. Pidgeot flew her up above us, and she guided us to a whirlpool. "Think you can make it through that, Lapras?" I asked her. She nodded, and spun herself through the whirlpool! My fire foxes and I were a bit dizzy afterwards, but we felt better shortly. Up ahead, there was a small area of dry land against the wall, and on the wall was what appeared to be a big, fossilized Dragon Fang! May flew down on Pidgeot, and recalled Pidgeot and Blastoise, and I recalled Lapras. "This must be it!" I said. May said, "That wasn't so bad! I thought we'd be attacked by dragon type Pokemon or something!" Suddenly, a Dragonair shot up from the water, then another one, and then 2 Dratini. "I've got to learn to keep my mouth shut!" May said. The last thing I remember before blacking out, 2 of the Dragonairs hit all of us with a thunderwave.
I awoke to find all of us inside a large room, with very oriental décor, such as dragon tapestries, and a gong. May awoke, too, as did Flamefox, Firestorm, and Amber. "I see you've all awoken! Now why were you trying to steal the Dragon Fang?" a voice asked us. I looked to see that the voice was coming from a man with hair that spiked upwards, and he wore a black cape – it was Lance, of the Elite 4! I said, "Wow, this is an honor!" as a staggered to my feet. "Answer the question!" he angrily said. I told him, "I just battled Clair for a gym badge, but I lost. I wanted a re-match, but she said she would only give me a re-match if I brought her the Dragon's Fang from the Dragon's Den." He said, "Oh, that is so typical of her! She probably didn't think you would go through with it because of all the stories of this place being dangerous!" May said, "Well, it is dangerous! We were attacked by Tentacruel, and then Dratini and Dragonairs." He replied, "The Tentacruels were just protecting their territory. As for the dragon Pokemon, they were under my command, to protect this place." I asked, "You wanted them to attack us?" He said, "I thought you were thieves. But now that you have explained your situation, I'm sure father will understand." Suddenly, an older man entered the room, and he was accompanied by a sage – Sage Li! I exclaimed, "Sage Li!" Lance told the older man, "Father, they weren't stealing the Dragon's Fang. It seems that your daughter tricked them into it. I guess I should go have another little chat with her." He replied, "No, let me this time. I know she's more intimidated by you, but she is my daughter." Then he said to us, "I am the Dragon Master. You two are very brave, coming all this way. Most trainers avoid the Dragon's Den, and with good reason – Lance's dragon Pokemon will fight to protect this place from outsiders." I asked, "Why is this place so important?" Sage Li responded, "It is a sacred place, a place a reflection and contemplation. Dragon Pokemon are revered by many. In fact, the Dragon Fang, itself, is the last remaining remnant of a centuries old dragon statue that was considered sacred by many." I said, "I'm sorry we disrupted things here." The Dragon Master said, "Well, I'm grateful you came. Now that I know that Clair is letting her position give her a false sense of power over others, I can show her the error of her ways and set her straight again. You may bring the Dragon Fang with you, and I will accompany you, as well." May and I said, "Thank you." Then I went over to Sage Li, and asked, "Back in Mahogany Town, I summoned Ho-oh, and when I tried to command her to do an attack, you appeared there to remind me that I can't just use Ho-oh for trivial battles. But how did you do that?" He replied, "The ways of the universe are mysterious. The spirit can go places that the physical body cannot." I asked him, "So you're telling me I saw your spirit?" He said nothing more, and just stood there, with that peaceful expression he always has. I still don't understand how he did it, and I probably never will!
May and I, along with the Dragon Master and our fire foxes, rode Lapras back to Blackthorn City. It turned out we'd been in a cabin inside the Dragon's Den, where Lance and his father often spent time with their dragon type Pokemon, and occasionally sages came by to visit, as well. He said to us, "Please don't hold it against Clair that she seems so nasty. She's trying to live up to her brother's standards and mine, but I think she often loses sight of herself in the process."
We soon reached Blackthorn City, and walked to the Pokemon gym. As we walked inside, the Dragon Master said, "I'll wait outside the door to the arena, until the time is right." The boulders were still in place from where we knocked them in yesterday. "I see you figured out her little boulder trick" he commented. Anyway, he waited, while May, Flamefox, Firestorm, Amber, and I entered the arena room. Clair sat in her throne, and I said, "I have the Dragon Fang!" and held it up. She looked very surprised! "I don't know how you got away with it! Very well, I will honor your request for a re-match! This time, it will be a 3 on 3 battle!" I said, "Wait a minute! Last time, it was a 2 on 2 battle!" She replied, "If you wish a re-match, it will be a 3 on 3 battle!" I said, "Fine! Bring it on!" Once again, the floor opened to reveal a pool of water between us and her, and her Dragonair came up from the water. I took out my first pokeball, and released Vaporeon. I had my strategy figured out. "Dragonair, wrap!" Clair ordered first. My response was, "Vaporeon, use attract!" Dragonair immediately stopped as Vaporeon put him in a trance. It looked like my hunch that her Dragonair was male was correct! "Now hit him with an ice beam!" I ordered. Vaporeon launched her ice beam, and since Dragonair couldn't move, he took the attack point blank! Dragonair was frozen in a block of ice! "Use dragon rage, Dragonair!" Clair commanded, in desperation. It was no good – Dragonair was still frozen in a block of ice. "Well, we could wait until the ice melts, or you could concede defeat!" I said to her. She was quite ticked-off! She finally said, "Very well! I recall Dragonair, and call upon Seadra!" Her giant sea-horse like Pokemon emerged from the water! I recalled Vaporeon, and released Jolteon, and said, "Go for it, boy! Use thunderbolt!" Clair commanded, "Seadra, use endure!" Jolteon's thunderbolt hit Seadra, and he was shocked, but still swimming, ready to battle! "Seadra, use smokescreen!" was Clair's next order. Seadra filled the arena with black smoke! "Where is he?" I asked. Jolteon looked around, confused as to his opponent's whereabouts. Then I heard, "Seadra, use headbutt!" I heard the hit, as Jolteon took the attack point blank! He fell to the ground on his side of the pool. "Jolteon!" I shouted. Jolteon weakly stood back up. "Use your thundebolt again, Jolteon!" I commanded. In desperation, Clair said, "Use agility to avoid it!" but she had to know that water conducts electricity, and there was nowhere for Seadra to run! He took the hit, and this time, was done in! "Seadra, return!" Clair said, and recalled him to a pokeball. "Good work, Jolteon!" I said to my electric dog, before recalling him to his pokeball. May said, "You're doing excellent, Joe! This is a real comeback!" Then Clair threw another pokeball and shouted, "Go, Dragonite!" The big, orange dragon appeared, flying in the air. I threw my next pokeball and shouted, "Go, Lapras! Give him an ice beam!" Clair shouted, "Evade that ice beam with your agility, then use thunder punch!" Dragonite successfully dodged her ice beam, then hit her hard with the thunder punch, and she sailed backwards across the water, where she crashed into the frozen Dragonair, cracking the ice block he was frozen in. I commanded, "Lapras, use sing!" Lapras began her soothing song, and Dragonite began to fall asleep! Clair retorted, "Use thunderwave!" Before he fell asleep and hit the water, he hit Lapras with the thunderwave and she was paralyzed. I recalled her, and re-released Jolteon. I commanded, "Quick, use thunderbolt!" He launched the attack at the sleepy Dragonite, and it was officially knocked out! "Good job, Jolteon! We won the match!" I shouted. Clair replied, "Not quite!" The ice block around Dragonair burst open, and he returned to the water. "Dragonair, iron tail!" Clair ordered. Dragonair shot up from the water right in front of Jolteon, and whacked him across the room hard with his tail! Jolteon struck the wall, and collapsed! "Jolteon, return!" I shouted, recalling him to his pokeball. I re-released Vaporeon. May said, "Be careful, Joe! This is your last usable Pokemon!" Clair shouted, "Dragonair, use thunder wave!" I shouted, "Watch it, Vaporeon!" She tried to avoid it, but just as she leapt out of the water, she was hit! "No! This can't be happening!" I shouted. Vaporeon was paralyzed, unable to move! Clair commanded, "Use wrap!" Dragonair wrapped his body around Vaporeon and started crushing her. I had to think. "I know! Vaporeon, try haze!" I said. She used haze, and cured her condition of paralysis! "Now use bite!" I shouted. She bit Dragonair, and he leapt off of her in pain! While he was airborne, I shouted, "Ice beam, now!" She hit him point blank with another ice beam, and this one did it! He was frozen in another block of ice, and it crashed to the floor instead of the water, shattering open! Once he was free of his ice block cell, he lay on the floor, knocked out! I exclaimed, "Good job, Vaporeon!" Then I turned to Clair and said, "NOW, we've won the match!" She said, "Hmmph! You infidel! I refuse to give you a badge!" I got angry and said, "I won the match, fair and square!" The Dragon Master entered the room and said, "Enough, Clair! Joseph won! Give him his badge!" She replied, "He lost to me the first time. He doesn't deserve the badge." The Dragon Master said, "Very well, then, let's see what your brother has to say about that" and he took out a cell phone and began dialing. Clair got nervous, then said, "Okay, okay, here is your Rising Badge!" and she ran the badge over to me. I couldn't believe it! My 8th badge at last! She then said, "I apologize for my behavior. I want to keep my reputation as a ruthless gym leader intact!" The Dragon Master said, "Yes, but you take it too far sometimes. You really must learn to be more human, Clair!" She replied, "I will try, father." He said, "That's all I ask." May ran over to me and shouted, "Congratulations, Joe!" and pecked me on the cheek! I must have turned beet red as I said, "Thanks, May!"
We took my Pokemon to the Pokemon Center, then gave the Dragon Master a ride back to the Dragon's Den on Lapras. Lance and Sage Li were still there. "Congratulations to both of you for winning 8 gym badges. I look forward to hopefully battling one of you at the Johto League finals" Lance said to us. We returned the Dragon Fang to its spot and that night, Lance and his father had a little fireworks show above the Dragon's Den. May and I watched, excited that we now both had enough badges to enter the Johto League Finals! The toughest battles were yet to come, so tomorrow, we would have to start training harder than ever!