Author's notes #1: Behold, the update is finally here.
The reason for the late update is that the English subs for BW episode 101 went out for a long while. And speaking of BW episode 101, this chapter is based after that episode.
Chapter 24
Instant Awesome, Just Add Dragons
Ash, Iris, Cilan, Brendan, Haruhi, Mikuru, Itsuki, Kyon, and Yuki are now on the road heading for Opelucid City, where it is confirmed that Iris will be facing a rematch with Drayden, the Gym Leader of the aforementioned city.
Iris thought, "I never expected that Drayden agreed about me. But anyways, I'm not going to stand back though."
Ash said, "Now that's the spirit, Iris."
"I wonder what is this place," Mikuru thought, looking at the city in the horizon.
Cilan replied, "I guess this is the place, Opelucid City."
Haruhi thought to herself, "I was wondering if Kyon should challenge Drayden as well."
"Solomon. . . . I mean. . . . . . , Opelucid City, I have returned," Iris muttered.
In Opelucid City:
The gang walked on the streets of the city as Ash, Kyon, and Haruhi noticed two children dressed in school uniforms.
Haruhi said, "Iris, it seems that the children we just passed by are dressed up in school uniforms."
"Uh, as you can see, they're studying in a well-known school in Opelucid City."
Kyon thought to himself, "Even in the Pokemon world, there are schools? Okay, it totally looks like real life to me."
Iris toured Haruhi, Ash, and the rest of the others to the school.
She then explained, "This school offers lessons regarding a Pokemon's type, in which they are taught and explained in complete detail."
"As far as I can remember, children from other regions who are aspiring to become future Pokemon Trainers come here," added Cilan.
"They do?" Iris asked, now in a frowning mood, "Well, that's because Drayden is convincing all of them to come and study here. After all, he also happens to be the head of this school."
"Drayden is this school's very own principal?" Haruhi asked Iris.
"Well, yeah," replied Iris.
Itsuki added," I never expected that a Gym Leader would also have side duties."
Kyon noticed a rooftop on top of a hill and said, "I wonder what's with that rooftop over there."
"I think that's the Opelucid Gym, Kyon," Ash replied, now looking at Iris, "Iris, I guess it's time."
Haruhi convinced Kyon, saying "Kyon, I was thinking if. . . . . . you should challenge Drayden as well."
The latter thought, "Don't tell me, I'm going to battle with a Gym Leader again? Why isn't Haruhi trying to suggest Koizumi, Miss Nagato, or Miss Asahina to battle Drayden this time? Okay, maybe I should ask Haruhi later."
Iris sighed, took a deep breath, and muttered to herself, "Stay calm. Don't be nervous. You mustn't run away."
"Uh, Iris. Are you about to quote Shinji Ikari on us?" Mikuru asked Iris.
Iris gasped and said, "There's no way I can do this!" She then ran off.
"I wonder where Iris is heading off to," thought Kyon.
Haruhi and the rest of the others searched for Iris everywhere in the city.
"Iris is probably here somewhere," said Ash.
Ash's Pikachu heard a wailing sound from behind it as Officer Jenny passed them by, riding on a motorcycle heading for the tower.
Cilan, Itsuki, and Kyon suddenly overheard two people making a conversation.
"Word from the street is that there's someone doing something dangerous on top of the tower again."
"Who did it?"
"It so happens to be a girl!"
Ash and Cilan muttered in unison, "Could that be Iris?", leading to Kyon and Mikuru becoming surprised in response.
Iris was standing on top of the tower, taking a deep breath along with her Axew.
"What do you think, Axew? The breeze makes you feel at ease."
After gazing at the city's landscape, Iris took one more deep breath and said, "I think I'm not afraid of anything anymore."
She immediately heard a voice coming from below. It was Officer Jenny, speaking out to her on a megaphone.
"Unauthorized entry into the tower is strictly forbidden! Please come down immediately!"
Ash and Kyon exclaimed, "Iris, it's dangerous to go alone on top of the tower!"
"Wasn't she the girl from before?" thought Officer Jenny.
As a result, Iris herself deadpanned, mumbling, "Looks like I'm caught again. I'll be right down!"
When Iris went down the tower, Officer Jenny gave Iris a sort-of lecture.
"I told you numerous times that it's dangerous to go climbing up on top of the tower. What if you ended up hurting yourself? Are you listening?"
"Uh. . . . . yeah."
"Are you all friends of hers?" Officer Jenny asked to Ash, Haruhi, and the others.
Itsuki replied, "Yes, the eight of us know her a lot."
"I want all of you to make sure this doesn't happen again. Understood?"
"Yes," the eight all said in an unenthusiastic tone, except for Yuki, who was still yet in a blank mood.
"Could that be Iris?"
Iris noticed that voice from behind, turning around.
"I never expected that it really is you."
"Ms. Martha?"
"How do you know her a lot?" asked Kyon.
Iris replied, "I'll explain once we return to the academy."
In the school:
The gang went inside the school grounds as they proceeded.
"You studied here in this school?" Haruhi asked Iris.
"Yeah, but I was only here for a short while."
Iris then looked at Kyon and continued, explaining about Martha, "Kyon, Ms. Martha is the one who took care of me back then."
Martha explained, "After all, Iris is somehow a complicated child ever since she attended the academy. There were so many incidents involving her. All of you must be hungry. Should I offer all of you a meal before going to the Opelucid Gym?"
"But how did you know that I'll be heading off to the Opelucid Gym?" Iris wondered.
"I heard from you that you'll be coming here today."
Haruhi said, "Kyon, does this place remind you of North High?"
Upon hearing Haruhi's words, Cilan asked, "Haruhi, are you also having school life as well?"
"Uh, yeah," replied Haruhi, "Kyon, explain to Cilan about the SOS Brigade as a school club."
"This could be a long way to go," thought Kyon.
He then proceeded and explained, "Haruhi established the SOS Brigade ever since she and I both started high school. And when Haruhi did, she recruited Miss Asahina, Koizumi, and Miss Nagato. The main objective of the brigade is to look for aliens, time travelers, espers, sliders, and among others just to have fun with them."
"So the five of you happen to be studying as well, right?" Martha asked Haruhi and said, "Have fun with that brigade of yours. I'll be looking forward to seeing how everything's going with your group as well as the accomplishment of your brigade's main goal."
"What did she just say? Oh, let's see. She wants to look forward to the accomplishment of the SOS Brigade's main goal, right? It's not that she would want something wrong to happen especially if Haruhi's the one cause of it, is she?"
The ten then noticed Drayden, having a negotiation with a businessman.
"I think it's Drayden," said Kyon.
The white-bearded Gym Leader approached the group, asking Iris, "I have heard about you starting yet another ruckus a few minutes ago. Have you calmed down?"
"Yes."
"You must eat some lunch and take a rest. Once the negotiation is over, you are free to contact me again for our battle."
Drayden then left off.
With a sigh and a frown, Iris said, "I have a bad feeling that Drayden is monitoring everything right from the get-go. That's why I feel uncomfortable whenever he is around."
Mikuru concluded, "So that explains it all along why you have a bad feeling about coming back."
In the dormitory cafeteria:
The group chowed down on sandwiches for lunch.
"I'm sorry for keeping you waiting. Here's your favorite food in the menu, Iris," said Martha, serving Iris some Oran and Pecha berries on skewers, placed on a round plate.
"You can still remember what I love to eat!" exclaimed Iris.
"Yes, I still do," replied Martha.
"Oh yes, the food brings back good memories," mumbled Iris as she picked up a skewer and chowed down on the berries, "I felt better because of it, and boy, they are delicious!"
Kyon asked, "What have you learned here in school, Iris?"
Ash added, "I'm expecting that it's all about Dragon-types."
"The truth is, I don't want to recall anything from my past life being here, but you already know that I lost out to Drayden before," Iris answered, referring to Ash and Cilan.
"You lost out to that Gym Leader?"
"Yes, Kyon," replied Iris, explaining, "I was participating in a tournament in the Village of Dragons, winning numerous battles. But Drayden came along, and that's when things went wrong. My loss to him in that battle was the one reason why my Excadrill stopped listening to me. Fortunately, it eventually came closer to me since then."
Haruhi concluded, "So that explains another one of the reasons why you have a bad feeling about seeing Drayden again."
Iris continued, "A few days later, after the battle, the Elder told me those words. . . . . ."
On the hills facing the Village of Dragons:
"You must go to Drayden's school."
"I have to go there?" the young Iris asked the Elder.
"Yes, he runs a school in Opelucid City that offers lessons about Dragon-type Pokemon and some practical skills."
"If I study there, I can improve myself on my skills and get stronger, right? Of course, I'll do it!"
"And that's when I decided to leave the Village of Dragons and set off to Opelucid City, taking lessons about Dragon-type Pokemon. But it was my first time to be studying and taking up classes with my schoolmates, I had difficulty meeting up to my expectations."
Iris is playing with the Pokemon in a fountain, still in her school uniform.
"Everyone, come and join in! It really is fun!"
Unfortunately, none of them went in, much to Iris's disappointment.
"There weren't a lot of kids who had a lot of fun here just like the ones in the Village of Dragons."
Iris showed up upside-down from a tree behind two pupils, gathering two apples.
"Would you two like to have some? Apples are so interesting."
"Uh, we're going to go now. We're going to study for an upcoming test."
The two of them left, much to Iris's dismay.
"Somehow, I feel a bit lonely, and because of that, I don't have any friends."
Haruhi said, "That feels like a sad story, Iris."
"If you had no friends at all, didn't you think of setting up a group similar to the Neighbor's Club or something like that?" asked Kyon.
"Well, I had no idea that the Neighbor's Club ever existed," replied Iris, "And speaking of the Neighbor's Club, what is it? Does it have similar goals as the SOS Brigade?"
Brendan muttered, "Uh, Kyon, isn't the Neighbor's Club supposed to be yet another anime reference?"
Martha explained, "Iris was a bit too preoccupied by herself. This is the only dormitory here in Opelucid City, and that is the reason why every student comes to live here. The Pokemon used during lessons are owned by the academy, which probably explains why Iris was trying to adapt to a new environment, having no room for anything else."
Ash thought, "But how come that even though Iris lived together with her schoolmates, it seems that they won't come to play with you at least a little while."
Cilan theorized, "Learning, playing, competing with each other, as well as sometimes arguing with each other. They're one of the few things that school life must have, and they're like spices."
"To be honest, Cilan, all these things bored me down, and I even lost my appetite as a result," answered Iris.
"And that's why I prepared some special food for Iris to cheer her up," Martha continued as Iris proceeded to chow down.
A few minutes later, the group proceeded on the corridor, where Iris decided to tour Ash, Haruhi, and the others into the dormitory room that she used to stay in.
"I think here it is," Iris said, opening the door to the room as she and the others went inside.
Martha said, "No one has been using this room for the moment."
Mikuru noticed some doodles on a wall, asking Iris, "Iris, I was wondering if you drew those."
"Yes, I was the one who did that," replied Iris.
Kyon thought, "Did Iris learn how to do vandalize that wall by herself?"
Martha explained, "Iris is the only one here who made those doodles."
Iris smiled, replying, "I wasn't expecting to be vandalizing this wall, and I'm really sorry for that."
Cilan thought, saying, "I get it know, the doodles in the wall remind you of your Pokemon friends in the Village of Dragons."
Kyon said, "Apparently, those drawings would help Iris remember the good times playing with them before she studied here."
"Look over there! I can see it outside the window, the tower that you just climbed, Iris!" Ash exclaimed, pointing at the tower outside the window that he noticed.
"Even though I filled up my appetite because of Ms. Martha, I was still feeling a bit lonely."
After drawing all the doodles in her room, the young Iris proceeded to sit on a desk, reading several greeting cards that she received from her friends in the Village of Dragons.
She smelled the scent coming from the cards and said, "The scent's coming from the village. I wonder how everyone there is doing."
Iris continued, "I was thinking that, if I climbed up the tower that I saw in the window, I would be able to see a clear view of the Village of Dragons."
The younger Iris was on top of the tower, feeling the windy breeze.
"Ah, this feels very windy in here. The wind feels like as if it came from the Village of Dragons," she said.
When she set her eyes on the horizon, she frowned in disappointment, in the midst of Officer Jenny showing up below the tower, warning her to climb down.
"Unfortunately, I had no luck seeing the Village of Dragons even when I stood on top of the tower."
Martha said, "This was the first incident that took place ever since the school was first established. Pretty much everyone in the academy was very surprised upon hearing about it."
Iris smiled and said, "Officer Jenny gave me a scolding for that one. But as you can see, I continued to climb in secret for several times."
Martha gasped in response.
Kyon thought, "You really had a hard time dealing with life in a new environment, Iris."
Iris said, "Yes, Kyon. I'm not really used to being here in the city or in the academy. I knew it back then, but I was still desperate. But one day . . "
The young Iris was partaking in a Pokemon battle outside the academy, temporarily using a Fraxure, while another pupil temporarily used an Altaria.
"Let the battle begin!"
"Let's win this, Fraxure," said Iris.
"When I was still honing my skills on Pokemon battling, something just happened to me."
"Fraxure, use Dragon Claw!"
"Dodge it!"
Altaria cleared itself away from Fraxure's attack.
"Don't let it get away with Dual Chop!"
"Dodge it again!"
Altaria avoided both of Fraxure's slashes.
"Continue attacking until you hit it!" Iris commanded.
Drayden was present, watching the entire battle as Altaria kept on avoiding Fraxure's repeated Dual Chops.
"You're doing great, Altaria!"
Fraxure was starting to become exhausted, eventually getting up.
"Don't give up just yet! Keep attacking!"
"Altaria, use Mist!"
Altaria blew a white cloud of smoke, blocking Fraxure's sight.
"Don't just stand there! Use Dragon Claw one more time!"
"Use DragonBreath!"
Just as Fraxure was about to charge at Altaria and use Dragon Claw, it was hit by Altaria's DragonBreath, knocking it out.
"Fraxure is unable to battle! The battle is now over!"
Iris approached Fraxure and asked it, "Fraxure, are you alright?"
Drayden showed up and informed Iris, "You kept commanding Fraxure to attack without knowing if it is already weakened. That explains your loss in today's battle. You forced Fraxure to tire out when the time is convenient for it to attack. You will have a long way to go unless if you learn to understand."
Iris continued, "I wasn't trying to be aware of Fraxure's condition and rather just kept on commanding it to attack at will. I just wanted to catch up and compensate for all the time that was lost."
Iris was back on top of the tower, already worried.
"I couldn't stand it," she cried, as the winds blew before her.
"Shobu, I really miss you!" she cried out.
Kyon asked Iris, "Because of the fact that you were desperate to meet your friends, did you decide to go back to the Village of Dragons?"
"Yes," the latter nodded and replied, "The Elder understood my decision, and after spending time in the Village of Dragons for a while, that was when I started traveling with Axew."
Kyon asked, "I have one question. What is a Fraxure?"
Almost everyone fell on their faces.
"Kyon, if you ever hear of a Pokemon that doesn't seem familiar to you, do you have to ask?" asked Haruhi.
The group then went outside as Iris met up again with the aforementioned Fraxure.
"Kyon, meet Fraxure, the Pokemon that I mentioned before," Iris explained.
"Fraxure, you look so well," she said, patting the Axe Jaw Pokemon's head, "Did you remember the one time when we battled together in class? I'm very sorry for not understanding how you feel and forcing you to battle to your limits."
Fraxure smiled.
Cilan remarked, "It looks like the aroma is becoming heartwarming."
"Fraxure, I'll be going now to challenge Drayden," continued Iris, clenching her fist, "I'm doing my best by making use of the experience I earned back then."
Fraxure continued to smile, saying its name as Iris continued, "I'll be preparing for the rematch with Drayden."
Drayden showed up, standing right behind the group.
"I think it's Drayden again," said Ash.
"I'm sorry for keeping all of you waiting," Drayden said, "It is now the perfect time to start."
Iris nodded.
Haruhi showed up in front of Drayden and immediately said, "Kyon here also wants to challenge you to a battle."
"What the heck is Haruhi doing?" Kyon thought, slamming his palm into his face, "Didn't I have a battle with a Gym Leader already?"
Haruhi said, in a thinking pose, "The last gym challenge with Marlon was less challenging, so I was thinking that Drayden is a well-fought Gym Leader, and because of that, I was thinking that Kyon should be up again for the challenge."
"But what about Koizumi, Miss Nagato, or Miss Asahina?"
"The reason why I let you face off against Marlon is that you get a penalty very frequently!" exclaimed Haruhi, "And right now, I'm picking you to have a battle with Drayden because of the same thing!"
"But . . . "
Haruhi interrupted and yelled, "Respect my authori-tah!"
Drayden said, "I understand your point. It has been decided that it will be a double battle instead. Kyon and Iris, you must prepare yourselves."
In the Opelucid Gym. . . .
"This is a double battle between Kyon and Iris, the challengers, and Drayden, the Gym Leader of Opelucid City. Both sides must have four Pokemon, with the challengers having two Pokemon each. The winner is determined when all Pokemon on one side are unable to continue," said the referee, "Battle begin!"
Drayden said, "Kyon, I learned about your first battle with a certain Gym Leader in Humilau City. In my opinions, you did very well despite the fact that you lost that battle. And now, we must get down to the point. Haxorus and Altaria, let's go!"
Drayden sent out a Haxorus and an Altaria.
"It's Haxorus again," said Iris, "In that case, I'm gonna send out Excadrill!"
Iris summoned Excadrill.
"According to what Brendan just said, Drayden is a Dragon-type specialist," thought Kyon, "In that case, I'm gonna send out a Skarmory!"
Kyon summoned the Skarmory that Brendan lent over to him prior to the start of the battle.
Drayden said to Iris, "Looks like you have sent out Excadrill to battle Haxorus once again. Let's see how your Excadrill has improved since the last time we battled."
"Excadrill, Metal Claw!"
"Skarmory, use Spikes!"
Haruhi yelled, "You're supposed to let Skarmory attack, not to set up using Spikes!"
Cilan said to Haruhi, "Actually, Kyon's making a very decent strategy. If Drayden switches out his Pokemon, any Pokemon he sends out will take damage because of Spikes."
"Oh, I see," concluded Haruhi.
Kyon thought to himself, "Why isn't Spikes doing anything? Maybe Haruhi is right. I should take the offense first."
"Haxorus, block that Metal Claw."
Haxorus blocked Excadrill's Metal Claw with less trouble, while Altaria did nothing as Skarmory flapped its wings, creating multiple silver spikes that fell into both of its opponents.
"Excadrill, use Dig!"
"Skarmory, use Rock Slide on Altaria!"
Excadrill simply burrowed on the ground while Skarmory summoned huge boulders that fell all over both Altaria and Haxorus.
"Haxorus, use Rock Smash to counter Rock Slide. Altaria, use Protect!"
Haxorus's tusks glowed orange as it whipped its head back and forth to slice the rocks from the Rock Slide in half using Rock Smash, while Altaria blocked the said attack using Protect.
Excadrill emerged from the ground as it was about to hit Haxorus.
"Haxorus, dodge, then use Rock Smash on Excadrill."
Haxorus avoided Excadrill's Dig as the latter went up in the air. It then attempted another Rock Smash.
"Skarmory, block Rock Smash using Steel Wing!"
Skarmory and Haxorus both clashed their attacks.
"Altaria, use Dragon Pulse on Excadrill!"
"Counter it with Metal Claw!"
Altaria's Dragon Pulse exploded after being sliced in half by Excadrill's Metal Claw.
"Giga Impact!"
"Excadrill, use Drill Run to intercept!"
"Sky Attack!"
"Steel Wing, Skarmory!"
Excadrill and Skarmory clashed with Haxorus and Altaria, creating another explosion.
When the smoke cleared, the four Pokemon were still standing on the ground. However, they all fainted, surprising both Kyon and Iris.
Meanwhile, Drayden had a stoic look in his face.
"Altaria, Haxorus, Skarmory, and Excadrill are all unable to battle!" declared the referee.
Iris immediately recalled Excadrill and said, "You deserve a good rest."
"You fought this battle for me, thanks," Kyon said, recalling Skarmory.
"I am a bit late in saying this, but I felt that you have improved since our last battle," Drayden said to Iris, "Let's go, Flygon and Druddigon!"
Drayden summoned a Druddigon and a Flygon.
"Dragonite, go!"
"Hydreigon, let's go!"
On the other hand, Iris and Kyon both sent out Dragonite and Hydreigon, respectively, in which the latter was obviously loaned over as well.
An explosion occurred on Druddigon as it injured itself on its feet, while Flygon floated above the ground, unaffected.
"I'm taking a good guess that Kyon is starting to become serious about this battle," Itsuki remarked.
Cilan continued, "Kyon letting Skarmory use Spikes early in the battle is top-notch."
"I wonder why was that Pokemon suddenly taking damage by itself," Kyon thought of Drayden's Druddigon, eventually noticing a small, silver caltrop on the ground, "Was it because of Skarmory's Spikes?"
Drayden thought to himself, "I am seeing that Kyon is starting to become better at this. On the other hand, about Dragonite's past . . . . . . . it is very interesting."
Kyon wondered, "Hydreigon is a Dragon-type, and so is Drayden's Flygon, according to Brendan. However, this can be a problem since he also mentioned that Flygon can fly like Hydreigon. It also needs to be careful dealing with Druddigon though, since the fact that it's also a Dragon-type means it's like a clash between dragons, probably."
Iris thought to herself, "Druddigon cannot fly, so aerial attacks are going to do well against it. However, . . . . "
Dragonite glanced its eyes at Iris for a few moments.
"I think Dragonite is right. Let's do it then," Iris continued, "Dragonite, use ThunderPunch on Druddigon!"
"Hydreigon, use Dragon Pulse on Flygon!"
"Druddigon, block that ThunderPunch. Flygon, dodge that Dragon Pulse."
The former blocked ThunderPunch by crossing its arms, while Flygon cleared itself away from Hydreigon's Dragon Pulse.
"Druddigon and Flygon, now use Dragon Claw."
The two Pokemon both used Dragon Claw, hitting Dragonite and Hydreigon, respectively.
Ash remarked, "Why isn't Iris telling Dragonite to make it fly? It would've been easier for Dragonite to dodge."
Cilan responded, "Iris knew that Druddigon cannot fly, so Dragonite is to be battling on its condition. Iris is starting to accept Dragonite's feelings."
"But what about Kyon?" Mikuru asked.
"Druddigon, Flash Cannon on Hydreigon!"
"Counter with Focus Blast!"
An explosion occurred when the two attacks collided with each other.
"Dragonite, ThunderPunch on Flygon!"
Ash gasped and exclaimed, "ThunderPunch wouldn't work on a Ground-type like Flygon!"
"Block it."
Flygon simply blocked Dragonite's attack.
"Now use Double Team."
Druddigon and Flygon both created clones of themselves all over the battlefield, confusing both Hydreigon and Dragonite.
Kyon asked, "Iris, how can we be able to attack if they split up?"
"Kyon, stay calm! Only two of those Pokemon are real, so it's best for both of us to focus!"
"Focus?" thought Kyon, "Hydreigon, concentrate on where the real Flygon is."
"You do the same on the real Druddigon, Dragonite!"
The two Pokemon were glancing with their keen eyes as they both looked after the real Druddigon and Flygon.
"I think they're the one!" Iris said to Kyon, pointing out her fingers on the real Druddigon and Flygon as the latter two stopped using Double Team.
"Use ThunderPunch on Druddigon!"
"Dragon Pulse on Flygon!"
Both attacks hit as both of Drayden's Pokemon are shown to be knocked away, eventually getting up.
"Alright!" Haruhi and Ash both exclaimed, the former adding, "Kyon, make sure Hydreigon keeps attacking until Flygon and Druddigon are both unable to get up!"
"Hydreigon, Dragon Pulse one more time on Druddigon!"
"Dragonite, don't stop just yet and use Ice Beam on Flygon!"
The two Pokemon fired their attacks as Cilan remarked, "Dragon Pulse and Ice Beam are very effective. Even though Druddigon and Flygon are quite strong, they couldn't be able to stand up after taking all those repeated attacks."
Mikuru wondered and thought, "I wonder if Iris and Kyon are going to win this match if that happens."
"Flygon, use Protect to deflect that Ice Beam. Druddigon, Dragon Claw."
A blue-green force field was formed all over Flygon, defending itself from Ice Beam while Dragon Pulse exploded after being sliced in half by Druddigon's Dragon Claw, both much to the dismay of Iris and Kyon.
"Ice Beam and Dragon Pulse both didn't do a thing!" Mikuru exclaimed.
"Kyon, we must battle as a team if we don't want to lose," said Iris.
"I agree with you," answered Kyon, "Hydreigon, use Outrage on Flygon!"
Outrage hit numerous times as Hydreigon punched, bit, and headbutted Flygon, knocking it away.
"Alright! Kyon, try to command Hydreigon a strong attack to make sure that that Flygon is already weakened!" exclaimed Haruhi.
"That's too easy," Cilan replied.
"Huh?"
Cilan continued, "You see, if Hydreigon uses Outrage, it will get confused after a few consecutive turns."
Hydreigon's eyes glowed red as it was eventually shown to have confused itself.
Kyon asked Iris, "What's going on with Hydreigon?"
"The truth is, Hydreigon will get confused after several turns upon using Outrage. This is what happened to my Axew before after it learned the same move," Iris replied as Drayden's Flygon eventually got up.
Kyon facepalmed and mumbled, "Good grief."
"You let Hydreigon use Outrage and it confused itself! Who do you think you are, not minding what will happen when the attacks are under effect?!" Haruhi exclaimed.
"Dragonite, Dragon Rush!"
Iris continued and thought, "Whether if it's Drayden's Druddigon or not, I'm confident that this move will hit hard."
Just as Dragonite was about to slam Druddigon, Drayden commanded, "Grab it."
Druddigon grabbed Dragonite by the throat, disrupting the latter's Dragon Rush. Mikuru, Iris, Ash, Cilan, and Haruhi were all astounded.
"Flygon, Dragon Claw on Hydreigon. Druddigon, Dragon Tail on Dragonite!"
Haruhi yelled, "Kyon, try to think of a way to make sure Hydreigon clears away its confusion!"
Kyon responded, "I know, but I can't do anything to stop that!"
Whilst Hydreigon was still attacking itself due to its confusion, it was slashed away by Flygon's Dragon Claw. On the other hand, Druddigon slammed Dragonite down to the ground with a Dragon Tail.
Hydreigon and Dragonite both fainted.
"Dragonite and Hydreigon are unable to battle. Druddigon and Flygon are both the winners, and the victor goes to Gym Leader Drayden!"
Iris approached Dragonite and asked it, "Dragonite, are you alright?"
Kyon went to Hydreigon and asked, "Are you alright too? I was wondering if you're still fine from that confusion."
Haruhi approached Kyon and said, "You did a very great battle. But you're still going to brush up on your Pokemon battling skills."
Ash and Cilan confronted Iris.
The former said, "You also did great. However, it seems that Drayden is quite strong."
Cilan continued, "Apparently, he was trying to test the bond of relationship between you and your Dragonite."
Itsuki added, "Both of you and Kyon were this close to defeating him, but he was still a few steps ahead."
"Iris, you and your Dragonite have been good friends. Setting off on a journey was the right thing to do," Drayden said to Iris.
"You have certainly grown up, however, it isn't enough to stay still," he continued, "Try to strengthen yourself and push even harder to become stronger. You can be free to come back anytime."
"You have also done very well in this battle, Kyon. As I mentioned earlier to Iris, you should push yourself even harder to become a strong battler."
As Drayden went off and left, Iris and Kyon both glanced.
That late afternoon, the group was now outside the academy grounds.
"The truth is, the school head was the one who decided that you start traveling," Martha explained to Iris.
"Drayden did it?" asked Iris.
Martha nodded and replied, "That was after he consulted the Elder of the Village of Dragons. And according to the Elder herself, she is deciding that you are worthy of becoming next in line to becoming the Gym Leader of Opelucid City."
"Me, as Gym Leader of Opelucid City?"
"That's great, Iris!" exclaimed Ash.
Cilan added, "The taste and aroma of being a Gym Leader is very finely exquisite!"
"Hold it! This is a bit too surprising, and I don't know what I should say about it, because I have no idea if it will happen just yet," Iris said and interrupted, twiddling both of her fingers.
"'Iris should decide by herself if she wants to be the next Gym Leader or not.' The school head also decided that," Martha said, "And oh, Kyon, there are some good news for you as well. According to the school head himself, there is a possibility that you would make a future Gym Leader as well, just like Iris."
"Me? As a Gym Leader too? Good grief," Kyon muttered, palming his face.
"Kyon, did you hear that?" Haruhi said, "She just said that you would make a great Gym Leader, Kyon!"
"But I definitely need to own and raise some Pokemon," thought Kyon.
Brendan said, "That's what I would call as foreshadowing."
"You see, the school head also mentioned to me that the most strategic moment about that battle is when Skarmory used Spikes," explained Martha, "It was actually a good move in your part."
"Thanks for the comment."
"The school head, the Elder, and I all have high hopes for you," Martha said to Iris, "And as I mentioned before, I'm also looking forward to seeing the fulfillment of the main goal of the SOS Brigade."
Kyon deadpanned himself.
"I'll be doing my best to live up to the expectations. But, about the Gym Leader part, please let me think about it a bit more," Iris said, rubbing her neck.
Kyon added, "And also, despite the fact that I technically don't have any Pokemon on hand, I'm trying to think about the Gym Leader thing too."
"I understand," Martha said, "Feel free to come back to Opelucid City someday."
"I will," Iris said.
The group had already left Opelucid City as they all bid Martha their farewells.
"Kyon, if you were to become a Gym Leader, what type of Pokemon will you specialize in?" Haruhi wondered and asked.
"Now Haruhi's been thinking about that question. If I were to be a Gym Leader, I would probably specialize in a type of Pokemon that I really don't know," thought Kyon.
Ash said, "We shouldn't be far behind. After all, I wanna win the Unova League!"
Iris and Kyon both lost out to Drayden, but on the bright side, they were both remarked that they would make future Gym Leaders, much to the latter's dismay.
On the next chapter:
On the way to the location of the Unova League, the group find themselves trapped in a mountainside due to a rock slide. Fortunately, they get rescued by Virgil, a Pokemon Trainer who runs a rescue squad along with his father and brother. While Virgil takes the group to a tour in the rescue squad's headquarters, they all discover that there is a problem going on in a nearby dam in which it is frozen by a group of Cryogonal. Will the gang be able to investigate on the cause of this problem? And what are the other events that will happen? Find out in the next chapter of The Best Wishes of Haruhi Suzumiya!
References in this chapter:
* Iris makes one to Mobile Suit Gundam at the beginning of the chapter.
* She also mentions to herself that she mustn't run away upon trying to calm herself down. Mikuru wonders if she was making a Neon Genesis Evangelion reference.
* The words "I think I'm not afraid of anything anymore" are a reference to the title of the third episode of Puella Magi Madoka Magica.
* In the flashback where the young Iris picks two apples from a tree, she makes an obligatory one to Death Note by quoting a variation of Ryuk's catchphrase.
* The "It's dangerous to go alone" line from The Legend of Zelda gets quoted at one point.
* "Respect my authoritah!" (South Park)
* Kyon mentions the Neighbor's Club from Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai.