Episode 193: The Fight of Dragons
We open the scene and see Sora, Kairi, Ash, Leaf, Tracey, and the Pokémon arriving to the Ice Cave.
"The way to Blackthorn is right through this cave," Tracey said.
"Since it's the Ice Cave, it's gotta be home to some Ice-type Pokémon like Smoochucm, Jynx, Swinub, Piloswine, and Sneasel," Leaf said.
"And that's not all. I grabbed some warm jackets for us to wear while in there. The Ice Cave is said to be colder than a Beartic's toenails in there," Ash said.
"Luckily, we won't see any Beartic since they can't be found in Johto," Tracey said.
"Pichu," the Pichu both said.
"Are we gonna go in or have a geography lecture?" Sora asked.
"You're right. Riku, Naminé, Ethan, Kris, and Lyra are probably at the Blackthorn City Pokémon Center waiting for us," Tracey said.
With that said, Sora, Kairi, Ash, Leaf, Tracey, Pikachu, Angel, Togepi, and the Pichu stepped inside and it was colder than any of them thought, despite their warm jackets.
"Man, if I was a snowman, I would be happy in here," Sora said.
As they walked inside the Cave City, they slipped on the frozen lake in front of them.
"Whoa!" Everyone exclaimed as they slide right on forward on the slippery ice. Togepi ends up enjoying the ride, thinking it was fun. They end up in a pile. They each groaned in pain.
"I guess we should have paid closer attention to what's in front of us," Ash groaned.
"Anyone have any broken bones?" Leaf asked.
"Unless you count pride, mine are intact," Sora said.
"Same here," Tracey said.
"I'm fine," Kairi said.
"I'm okay," Ash said.
"And so am I," Leaf said.
"Toge, Toge!" Togepi chirped.
"Pikachu," Pikachu groaned.
"Eevee," Angel said. She nuzzled Pikachu affectionately and smiled.
"We should keep moving. If we might end up getting chillier if we stay in one place too long," Kairi said.
"She's right. I don't want to think about getting some frostbite," Sora said.
"Chu," Pikachu said.
In about a couple of hours later, the group made it out of the Ice Cave.
"Man, it's good to be out of that cave," Sora said.
"You've said it. I'm still shivering from the cold," Kairi said.
"Well, would it help if I held you in my arms to keep you warm?" Sora asked.
"Oh, you're so sweet, Sora," Kairi said with a blush. Leaf couldn't help but smile.
Upon arriving, they found the place that they were looking for.
"Blackthorn City," Sora said.
"Pika," Pikachu said.
"I'm going to guess Riku, Naminé, Ethan, Kris, and Lyra are waiting for us by now," Ash said.
Over to the World That Never Was, Roxas slept on his bed and he began to dream about the past. He saw visions through his POV, but he wasn't sure if it was him. He saw that he was on a field in Pallet Town.
"What's going on? Where am I?" Roxas asked. He saw a Pidgey. "Is that a Pidgey?" A Pokéball is thrown and Pidgey flows inside. Stars swirls around the Pokéball to confirm the catch. "Was that a Pokéball?" Roxas felt his feet take him towards the Pokéball and picked it up. The reflection in the Pokéball has shown a face, but it wasn't his face; it was Sora's. "Wait! It's him! That guy I met before!" Roxas kept on dreaming and dreaming and there were images of Team Rocket and some other people Sora met before. It ends when a Keyblade is lunged his chest.
"KAIRI!" Sora's voice shouted. Roxas sat up, screaming. He felt his chest. "What was that about?" He went over to the mirror and he looked into it. He saw his own face. "Who am I? And why do I keep having these dreams? About this Sora person and about all the people he met, including the Moron Trio? Huh? How did I-?"
Axel came through the door.
"Roxas!" Axel said. Roxas turned to look at Axel and saw he had a look of concern on his face. "You okay? I heard you screaming bloody murder, so I thought something was wrong!"
"Axel..." Roxas said.
"I had another one of those dreams, Axel," Roxas said.
"Oh?" Axel asked.
"Axel, I'm gonna ask you a personal question and I want you to be completely honest with me," Roxas said.
"That depends on how personal the question is, so ask away," Axel said.
"Have you had dreams about certain details about your past before your original self turned into a Heartless and get created?" Roxas asked. Axel was taken aback by the question.
"Wow, I never expected this kind of question. Well, I'm not one hundred percent sure of what I remember, but I think I remember something," Axel said.
"What?" Roxas asked.
"Well, I seem to remember being in a town somewhere. It has a castle and all. It looked very lively. There was someone else with me. Someone who I felt close with. He was my best friend," Axel said.
"Do you remember his name, Axel?" Roxas asked. Axel gave a long pause. "No, I don't. Sorry I couldn't help you there."
"No, it's okay, Axel. It's better than nothing. But at least you remember something," Roxas said.
"Yeah, but I don't dwell too much on it. Sometimes it's just best you just bury those memories and leave it alone. You never know if those memories would be too painful to remember. In other words, it's not worth remembering. That's why it's called ancient history," Axel said. Roxas didn't know how to respond to that, but he just nodded, letting Axel know that he understood. "Anyway, I was on my way to meet with Saïx. He said he wanted to come with me. He wouldn't say what it's about."
"Um, okay," Roxas said.
Roxas followed Axel to the Gray Room where Saïx is seen waiting for him to arrive.
"I've brought Roxas like you requested, Saïx," Axel said.
"Good. Axel, stay," Saïx said. Axel stayed put as Saïx approached Roxas. "Roxas, Lord Xemnas has a special assignment for you."
"A special assignment?" Roxas asked.
"Do not repeat what I say and listen. It has come to our attention that three interlopers are plotting against us. The location is the Johto region. Your mission is to find them and destroy them," Saïx said.
"I'll do what I can. I just need to know what they look like," Roxas said.
"I thought you'd say that," Saïx said. He took out the mugshots of Jessie, James, and Meowth and showed him the pictures. Axel recognized them and he was skeptical about them plotting against the Organization. "These are the ones plotting against us. Lord Xemnas doesn't want them to threaten our plans, so he commands that you deal with them. Kill them on sight."
"If that's my mission, then I'll do it," Roxas said.
"I know you will. This mission will decide whose side you're truly on. Do not fail, Roxas. And do not return until you have accomplished your objective," Saïx said. Roxas nods and took off on his mission. Axel walked up to Saïx.
"You sure about this, Saïx? Sending Roxas out on an assassination mission? That's usually my department, and on those three? They're not that big a threat," Axel said.
"I know. Those three fools have outlived their usefulness a long time ago. Our mistake was allowing them to live longer than we wanted them to," Saïx said.
"What if this goes south, Saïx? Sora might show up and ruin everything," Axel said.
"Sora is also the reason I've sent Roxas down to Johto. Roxas will eventually meet up with Sora and engage in combat. And their final duel will decide which one of them is truly deserving of the Keyblade," Saïx said. Axel didn't like how that sounded. "What you can do is to stay out of this. You will only be in his way." Axel clutched his fist. He knew he wasn't gonna like this one bit.
Back in Blackthorn City, Sora, Kairi, Ash, Leaf, Tracey, Pikachu, Angel, Togepi, and the Pichu walked down the streets of Blackthorn City, meeting up with their friends. As they walked, they noticed all sorts of statues all around. The statues were all Dragon-type Pokémon. Not only that, but there were actual dragons as well.
"I guess the city takes pride on Dragon-type Pokémon," Sora said.
"Blackthorn City has been dedicated to Dragon-type Pokémon and for dragons for a long time. According to Blackthorn City's legends, it's been said that dragons used to roam the land same as Pokémon," Tracey said.
"I think Kairi and I heard this story before," Sora said.
"That's right. Someone once said that dragons also lived in caves and in the ocean," Kairi said.
The couple remembered seeing a large red dragon flying over their heads and destroyed Team Rocket's balloon. They had to assume that they were in the dragon's way for it to destroy the balloon.
"From all the things we've seen, I would believe just about anything," Ash said.
"Well, there is also a legend in this city, I don't think you know about," Tracey said.
"What?" Sora asked.
"It's regarding the Dragon's Den. It's been said that a dragon has dug into it, making it its home. Until a band of dragon hunters have come for it," Tracey said.
"Well, I would believe it's true since we can use magic, and some of Trickster's monsters were dragons," Sora pointed out.
"Pikachu," Pikachu said.
"How can I forget?" Tracey asked, remembering the fight with Trickster, aka ExDark.
A few minutes later, the group entered the Pokémon Center and they spotted Riku, Naminé, Ethan, Kris, Lyra, Eevee, Azurill, and Marill inside, waiting for them.
"Look who's here," Lyra said with a smile. She went up to Kairi and Leaf. "I missed you girls. It's been forever!"
"It's only been since Mahogany Town, Lyra," Leaf said.
"It felt like forever to me," Lyra said.
"Marill, Marill!" Marill cried, going up to Pikachu, Angel, Togepi, and the Pichu happily hugged them.
"Heard you were in the Karen Cup, Sora," Ethan said.
"Yeah, I gave it everything I had, and Karen still whooped me. But it was a blast," Sora said.
"Pikachu," Pikachu said.
"So what about you, Ethan. Did you win your Gym Badge yet?" Sora asked.
"I did. And I gotta tell you, that Clair just threw everything she had at me," Ethan said.
"Sora, we also heard about that recent Heartless attack. What happened?" Riku asked.
"Eevee," Eevee added.
"About that," Sora said. Sora explained to them and about the dinosaurs, the D-Team, the Alpha Gang, and about Seth's partnership with Organization XIII. "And that's it."
"That has to be the scariest thing to go through," Kris said.
"Yeah, and we got out of that mess by the skin on our teeth. The Organization wasn't messing around that time," Sora said.
"But at least we stopped them, for now anyway. We're gonna have to watch our step going forward," Ash said.
"I don't want to talk about them anymore. We should just focus on Sora winning his Gym Badge against the Gym Leader," Naminé said.
"Naminé's right. Sora, have you thought of which Pokémon you're using?" Riku asked.
"Since Clair is using Dragon-type Pokémon, I figured Ice and Fairy-type Pokémon are what I'm gonna use. And Gyarados knows Dragon Pulse, so it works," Sora said.
"Sounds like a plan," Ethan said.
"Okay, we're gonna have to train hard for it though," Sora said.
"Pikachu," Pikachu agreed.
Later, Sora and his Pokémon started to train for the final Gym battle in Johto. As he trained, he wondered about what kind of Trainer Clair was. And about how strong is she. He knew he was gonna have to find out when he comes down to it.
Meanwhile, Roxas has arrived to the Johto region and he looked around.
"Okay. All I got to do is to eliminate those Team Rocket people and then come back. It should be easy to do," Roxas said. He walks forward, but he isn't aware of a wild Pikachu behind him. This Pikachu has black spiked patterns on its ears.
"Pikachu," the wild Pikachu said. The Pikachu started to follow him, curious to see where he was going.
As Roxas kept going, he had a feeling he was being followed. He stopped and he saw the Pikachu.
"Pikachu," Roxas said. He looked at the wild Pikachu. An image of Sora's Pikachu was displayed on his mind, but he shook it off since he knew this wasn't that exact Pikachu. "You're a Pikachu, but not that Pikachu."
"Pikachu?" The wild Pikachu asked, confused.
"Never mind. I just have too much on my mind lately. But looking at you feels right to me for some reason," Roxas said.
"Pikachu," the wild Pikachu said.
"How would like to come along? It'll be nice to have someone to talk to. My name's Roxas," Roxas introduced himself.
"Pika," the wild Pikachu said. He climbed on Roxas's shoulders. He laughed, feeling how it tickled.
"That tickled. Say, how about I give you a name. Axel told me that some people name their Pokémon. So, I thought of Xikap. What do you think?" Roxas asked.
"Pikachu," the wild Pikachu said, accepting the name.
"Xipak it is," Roxas said. He started to walk. Xipak felt some kind of connection to Roxas even though they only known each other for a short time. Unknown to Roxas, Axel has started to follow Roxas, knowing what he had to do. He also knew he was taking a huge risk. But he had to make sure Roxas didn't know he was there until he wanted him to know.
"Looks like Roxas made himself a new friend. That Pikachu sure it off so well. Just like Sora and his Pikachu," Axel said.
Over to Pallet Town, Yuta and Mirei have arrived to the Ketchum home.
"You sure we have to tell her, dear?" Murei asked.
"We've been putting it off long enough. She deserves to know," Yuta said. He rang the doorbell. Karen answered the door and Blossom is riding on her shoulders.
"Hello there," Karen greeted.
"Hello, Karen. Is your mother home?" Yuta asked.
"We have something important to say," Mirei said.
"She's home," Karen said.
"Karen, who's that at the door?" Delia asked from upstairs.
"It's just Kairi's parents, mom!" Karen replied. Delia came down stairs.
"This is a pleasant surprise," Delia said.
"Well, you may be right about that," Mirei said. Delia and Karen were quite confused by what she said.
"I'm not sure I understand," Delia said.
"I think we should come in, because you might need to sit down," Yuta said. Delia was curious to what they had to say. The couple closed the door behind them.
Over to Kairi's house, Xion and Celeste are playing with Seth. They were rolling a ball to one another. Seth clapped his hands happily.
"YOU'RE SAYING THAT THIS ROXAS PERSON IS WHAT?!" Delia yelled from next door. Seth was slightly scared by the loud yell. Xion picked the baby up.
"It's okay, Seth. It's okay," Xion assured as she did some bouncing while holding him. On the refrigerator, Seth has done a drawing of what looks like himself and two girls in the image. There are two Eevee on it, one has a pink bow and one has a light blue bow.
Back at the Ketchum home, Delia was in complete shock.
"I don't believe it," Delia said.
"It was quite a shock to us," Yuta said.
"Does Sora know about this?" Delia asked.
"I don't know to tell the truth. But I don't think it'll be a good idea to bring it up to him," Yuta said.
"It might turn out to quite a shock to him," Mirei said.
"Maybe you're right. But still, I'm already looking forward in seeing him in person. If Roxas is what you say he is, then he should he welcomed here," Delia said. Yuta and Mirei were glad she was so accepting about the whole thing.
"We're just sorry you had to find out this way," Mirei apologized.
"No, you did the right thing in telling me. Sora and Roxas," Delia said. Karen was in complete shock, but she managed to let it sink in.
"I knew there was a connection between him and Sora," Karen said in her thoughts.
Back in Blackthorn City on the very next day, Sora, Kairi, Riku, Naminé, Ash, Leaf, Ethan, Kris, Lyra, Tracey, Pikachu, Angel, Togepi, Eevee, Azurill, Marill, and the Pichu have arrived to the Blackthorn City Gym.
"Is this it?" Sora asked.
"Yeah, it's the place. Clair gave me a real run for my money when I challenged her. I almost lost to her, but I managed to overcome her despite the odds," Ethan said.
"I doubt it," Sora said, remembering what Mai said to him. They all stepped in, and inside waiting is a young woman who has pale skin, blue eyes and light blue hair, tied in a ponytail with a beige hair band. Two large spiked fringes frame her face and point outward, and a third fringe rests in the center of her face between her eyes. She also has very thin eyebrows, and visible eyelashes. She wore a black and maroon cape with beige shoulder pads, a two-tone blue and light blue skin-tight bodysuit, blue gloves with black bracelets on her wrists, and blue knee-length high heeled boots with black anklets. She also wore a blue gem on her neck, resembling a Dragonair's pearl, and beige earrings, shaped like a dragon's tooth.
"Ethan, I wasn't expecting to see you again so soon," the young woman said.
"Oh, I already won my Badge from you, but I'm just here to cheer on my friend, Clair," Ethan said.
"Is that right? So which one of you is my next challenger?" Clair asked.
"That'll be me," Sora spoke up. Clair looked at Sora and she smiled.
"Let me guess. You must be Sora from Pallet Town," Clair said.
"I take it Ethan told you about how I won the Indigo Plateau Pokémon League," Sora said.
"Actually, I know about you from my cousin. He told me quite about you," Clair said. Some of the group were confused.
"Your cousin?" Kairi asked.
"That's exactly right, Kairi," Clair said.
"Hold on, how do you know my name?" Kairi asked.
"He told me about you, too. And I know you're also Ash and Leaf," Clair confirmed.
"You know our names, but that doesn't answer what you're talking about," Leaf said.
"I'm not specific enough, am I? My cousin is Lance from the Kanto Elite Four. And like him, I specialize with Dragon-type Pokémon. He told me about how you helped him in stopping Team Rocket back in Mahogany Town. The same can be said for Riku, Ethan, Kris, and Lyra, too," Clair said.
"Wow, Lance is your cousin," Sora said with awe. He shook off his awe and remembered what he came to the Gym for. "Gotta focus. I came here for a Gym battle. But you already know that."
"It's going to be an honor to accept your challenge, Sora. And remember, just because you and Lance are on good terms, doesn't mean I'm going to go easy on you," Clair said.
"I don't want you to go on me. What I want is for you to give me everything you've got," Sora said.
"Just make sure you don't end up regretting what you just said, Sora," Clair said.
A few moments later, Sora and Clair got ready for their battle as they both took their positions for their battle. The battlefield was partly land and water. Sora figured Clair has some aquatic Pokémon to go with it. The referee has stepped in to make it official.
"The Gym battle between the Gym Leader, Clair of the Blackthorn City Gym, and the challenger, Sora from Pallet Town! Both Trainers will be using six Pokémon each! And the battle will end when all six of either the Gym Leader's or the challenger's Pokémon are unable to continue to battle! Additionally, only the challenger is allowed to make substitutions during the battle! Choose your first Pokémon and begin!" The referee called out. Clair took out a Pokéball and threw it.
"You're going in first, Kingdra!" Clair called out. Her Kingdra emerged from inside, ready to battle. Sora took out a Pokéball and threw it.
"Go! Azumarill!" Sora called out. His Pokéball opened and Azumarill emerged from inside, ready to battle.
"So Sora's using a Fairy-type Pokémon to battle against my Pokémon. That's a clever strategy, I'll give him that. But I won't overestimate him and I won't underestimate him either. Better see what he's got," Clair said in her thoughts.
"Clair was probably prepared for me to use a Fairy-type Pokémon against her Dragon-type Pokémon. Let's see how Clair dishes it out," Sora said in his thoughts.
"I knew she was going to send her Kingdra out first. She did the same thing with me," Ethan said.
"That Kingdra looks incredibly strong. I expect no less from a Gym Leader's Pokémon," Tracey said.
"And you're about to find out how strong," Ethan said.
"Kingdra! Use Hydro Pump!" Clair ordered. Kingdra fired Hydro Pump at the Aqua Rabbit Pokémon.
"Dodge it, Azumarill!" Sora called out. Azumarill jumps in the water to avoid Kingdra's Hydro Pump. "Use Play Rough!" Azumarill heads right towards Kingdra to give it a good pounding.
"Kingdra! Use Agility to dodge!" Clair ordered. Kindra dodges Azumarill's attack by swimming very fast. Kingdra's speed has gone up as a flash of orange energy has gone around Kingdra upwards.
"Use Ice Punch!" Sora ordered. Azumarill swam very fast at Kingdra and prepares to land an Ice Punch onto Kingdra, but Clair wasn't going to have it.
"Agility to dodge it!" Clair ordered. Kingdra manages to dodge Azumarill's Ice Punch. Kingdra's speed rose up again. "Use Hyper Beam!" Kingdra has fired Hyper Beam right at the Aqua Rabbit Pokémon.
"Dodge it, Azumarill! Hurry!" Sora called out. Azumarill tried to dodge the attack, but it came too quickly for her to dodge in time. Azumarill has taken heavy damage, but it wasn't enough to take her down.
"Oh, man! That Kingdra can use Hyper Beam! That's brutal!" Ash said.
"The good news is, Kingdra can't attack again right away after using Hyper Beam! This is Sora's chance to launch a counterattack!" Kairi said.
"Azumarill! Use Play Rough!" Sora ordered. Azumarill came at Kingdra and gave the Dragon Pokémon a series of beatings. "Use Chilling Water!" Azumarill has sprinkled cold water, hitting Kingdra, bringing down its attack power in a flash of dark blue energy going downwards. Kingdra leered at the Aqua Rabbit Pokémon, ready to go again.
"Kingdra! Use Hydro Pump!" Clair ordered. Kingdra fired a Hydro Pump at Azumarill.
"Dodge and use Ice Punch!" Sora ordered. Azumarill manages to dodge Kingdra's Hydro Pump and land an Ice Punch onto Kingdra. It turned out to be stronger than the last time.
"Use Hyper Beam!" Clair ordered.
"Play Rough!" Sora ordered. Azumarill came at Kingdra and gave it a series of beatings just like before. Kingdra is then sent flying. Kingdra sinks in the water, and then remerges, beaten.
"Kingdra is unable to battle! Azumarill wins!" The referee announced.
"Good job, Azumarill!" Sora said.
"Azu, Azu!" Azumarill said.
"Sora has taken the lead in this battle," Leaf said.
"For now. Clair might have something else up her sleeve," Riku said.
"Riku's right. That Kingdra took out two of my Pokémon before I took it down with my third," Ethan said.
Clair calls Kingdra back and smiled.
"That was a great battle, Kingdra. You've earned yourself a good rest," Clair said kindly. She looked at Sora with a smile. "That wasn't bad, Sora. I can see why Lance respects you. Now let's see how you handle my next one." She took out her next Pokéball and threw it. "Gyarados! Go!" Her Pokéball opened and a female Gyarados emerged from inside. Gyarados lets out a loud roar.
"Okay, Gyarados isn't a Dragon-type Pokémon, but we know Gyarados has some dragon-like qualities," Ash said.
"That Gyarados gave me a hard time, same as Kingdra," Ethan said.
"Okay, Azumarill, be ready for anything," Sora said.
"Azu," Azumarill said.
"Use Hyper Beam!" Clair ordered. Gyarados fired Hyper Beam right at Azumarill.
"Dodge it!" Sora called out. Azumarill tries to dodge, but Hyper Beam came too fast and Azumarill was struck by Hyper Beam, resulting in a knockout.
"Azumarill is unable to battle! Gyarados wins!" The referee announced.
"Another one that can use Hyper Beam. This has got to be harder than Sora originally thought," Naminé said. Sora calls Azumarill back.
"You did your best, Azumarill. Your hard work is going to pay off. You earned a good rest," Sora said. He took out his next Pokéball and threw it. "You're up, Gyarados!" Sora threw it. Stars swirls around Gyarados upon entry.
"So that's the red Gyarados Lance told me about. Judging by how Gyarados looks, you look like you did a good job in raising it," Clair said.
"Thanks. Let's see which one of our two Gyarados stands after this one?" Sora suggested.
"You've read my mind!" Clair said.
"Okay, Gyarados! Use Ice Fang!" Sora ordered. Sora's Gyarados came at Clair's Gyarados and lands some bites from Ice Fang and deals some damage. "Use Flamethrower!" Sora's Gyarados fired a Flamethrower, hitting her.
Not bad. But my Gyarados isn't going down that easily. Gyarados! Use Dragon Pulse!" Clair ordered. Clair's Gyarados unleashed a Dragon Pulse right at Sora's Gyarados.
"Dodge and use your own Dragon Pulse!" Sora ordered. Sora's Gyarados manages to dodge and fire his own Dragon Pulse, hitting Clair's Gyarados on the mark.
"Use Crunch!" Clair ordered. Clair's Gyarados came at Sora's Gyarados and lands a heavy bite onto him. "Use Crunch again!" Clair's Gyarados came at Sora's Gyarados with another Crunch.
"Dodge and use Ice Fang!" Sora ordered. Sora's Gyarados dodged Clair's Gyarados's Crunch and came at Clair's Gyarados with an Ice Fang, landing a hit. Clair's Gyarados ends up being frozen by his Ice Fang.
"Clair's Gyarados is now frozen, so now it's Sora's chance to attack," Kairi said.
"Eevee," Angel said.
"Use Dragon Pulse!" Sora ordered. Sora's Gyarados fired a Dragon Pulse, hitting Clair's Gyarados and resulted in a knockout.
"Clair's Gyarados is unable to battle! Sora's Gyarados wins!" The referee announced. Clair calls her Gyarados back and smiled again.
"Good effort, Gyarados. You battled hard. You've earned a good rest," Clair said. She took out her next Pokéball and threw it. "Go! Dragonair!" Her Pokéball opened and her Dragonair came out to battle. Sora calls his Gyarados back inside to rest up for now.
"Better not overdo it, Gyarados. I might need you later," Sora said. He took out another Pokéball and threw it. "Your turn now, Weavile!" His Pokéball opened and Weavile came out with a swirl of stars around him.
"I figured he had an Ice-type Pokémon to use against me. Let's see how he handles this! Dragonair! Use Iron Tail!" Dragonair's tail gives off a metallic glow and starts swinging at Weavile.
"Use Ice Spinner!" Sora ordered. Weavile starts to spin around with ice on his feet. Weavile spins right towards Dragonair's Iron Tail and they collide into each other. They skid backwards.
"Use Dragon Rush!" Clair ordered. Dragonair rushes at Dragonair with a Dragon Rush.
"Dodge and use Metal Claw!" Sora ordered. Weavile dodges Dragonair's attack and gave the Dragon Pokémon a slash with his metallic claws. "Use Ice Shard!" Weavile unleashed an Ice Shard right at Dragonair, landing a hit.
"Dragonair! Use Dragon Rush!" Clair ordered. Dragonair charged with a Dragon Rush right at Weavile.
"Dodge it!" Sora called out. Weavile dodges Dragonair's Dragon Rush. Clair grinned.
"Thought you'd try that. Iron Tail!" Clair ordered. Dragonair gave Weavile a smack with Iron Tail, dealing some heavy damage. Weavile is sent to the water with a big splash. Weavile emerges from the water, taking in breath. "Dragonair! Use Hyper Beam!" Dragonair fired a devastating Hyper Beam. Weavile is struck hard and it was enough to knock out Weavile.
"Weavile is unable to battle! Dragonair wins!" The referee announced.
"Weavile makes two that Sora has lost to Clair's Dragon-types," Lyra said.
"Marill," Marill said.
"Sora will have to make it his favor if he wants to win that Gym Badge from Clair," Ethan said.
"Ethan's right. Sora will think of something," Ash said. Sora calls Weavile back.
"You gave it your all. And you managed to tire Dragonair out like I wanted you to," Sora said. He took out Gyarado's Pokéball and threw it. "Gyarados! Back to action!" His Pokéball opened and Gyarados came back out with a swirl of stars.
"Gyarados is sent back out. I can bet his Gyarados has used up some energy during its match against my Gyarados. And since Dragonair just used Hyper Beam, she won't be able to attack again right away," Clair said in her thoughts.
"Gyarados! Use Dragon Pulse!" Sora ordered. Gyarados fired a Dragon Pulse and struck Dragonair hard before she could dodge it. Dragonair was sent back into the water and ended up being knocked out.
"Dragonair is unable to battle! Gyarados wins!" The referee announced.
"Great job, Gyarados!" Sora said. Clair called back Dragonair.
"I'm sorry, Dragonair. I should have remembered that Dragon Pulse," Clair said. She took out another Pokéball and threw it. "Go! Aerodactyl!" Her Pokéball opened and an Aerodactyl flew high above upon entry.
"Another non-Dragon-type," Kris said.
"Clair must have something planned with that Aerodactyl," Riku said.
"Eevee," Eevee said.
"You still good to go?" Sora asked. Gyarados roared to confirm it. "Okay! Use Hydro Pump!" Gyarados fired Hydro Pump at Aerodactyl.
"Dodge it!" Clair called out. Aerodactyl manages to dodge Gyarados's Hydro Pump just by flying. Gyarados kept firing and firing Hydro Pump, but Aerodactyl was just too fast for him.
"That Aerodactyl is just too fast. She must be planning to tire out Gyarados," Sora said. He took out Gyarados's Pokéball and called Gyarados back before Clair could get the edge on him. Sora took out his next Pokéball and threw it. "You're up, Mamoswine!" His Pokéball and Mamoswine came out, ready to battle.
"Using another Ice-type, are you? Just a fair warning, my Aerodactyl is so fast, not even the harshest blizzards could slow it down," Clair said.
"Don't count your eggs before they hatch, Clair. My Mamoswine hasn't even started yet. Mamoswine! Use Ice Shard!" Sora ordered. Mamoswine unleashed Ice Shard and fired it right at Aerodactyl. The Fossil Pokémon just flew and managed to dodge Mamoswine's Ice Shard.
"Use Wing Attack!" Clair ordered. Aerodactyl flew at Mamoswine with its wings out.
"Dodge it, Mamoswine!" Sora called out. Mamoswine tried to dodge, but Aerodactyl came too fast for Mamoswine to dodge.
"Use Giga Impact!" Clair ordered. Aerodactyl flew right at Mamoswine with a Giga Impact. Sora had to think fast.
"Use Ice Fang!" Sora ordered. Mamoswine's tusks emits ice and charges at Aerodactyl. Mamoswine and Aerodactyl charged right into each other and collide with each other. Aerodactyl has taken heavy damage from that Ice Fang, and Mamoswine has taken some heavy damage from that Giga Impact. Sora knew Mamoswine couldn't attack again after using Giga Impact, same effect as Hyper Beam, so he had to act fast. "Mamoswine! Use Ice Fang again!" Mamoswine charges at Aerodactyl and lands a hit onto the Fossil Pokémon, dealing some more damage. Aerodactyl was knocked out.
"Aerodactyl is unable to battle! Mamoswine wins!" The referee announced. Clair calls Aerodactyl back and smiled.
"I have to admit, I'm impressed. You're way better than Lance said you were. But you still have two more of my Pokémon to beat, and he's one of them right now," Clair said, taking out a Pokéball and threw it. "Go! Charizard!" Her Pokéball opened and her Charizard emerged from inside, spewing fire. "And here's one more surprise." She took out a small multicolored stone. "And here we go!" She puts her fingers on the stone and it glows brightly. A blue stone with a black center began to glow brightly, catching everyone except for Ethan by surprise.
"Is that what I think it is?" Ash asked.
"It is. It's a phenomenon that was first discovered in the Kalos region. It only happens when both Trainer and Pokémon share an incredible bond of trust. Mega Evolution!" Riku said.
Its skin turns black with a sky-blue underside and soles. Two spikes with blue tips curve upward from the front and back of each shoulder, while the tips of its horns sharpen, turn blue, and curve slightly upward. Its brow and claws are larger, and its eyes are now red. It has two small, fin-like spikes under each horn and two more down its lower neck. The finger disappears from the wing membrane, and the lower edges are divided into large, rounded points. The third joint of each wing-arm is adorned with a claw-like spike. It spews blue flames out the sides of its mouth, and the flame on its tail now burns blue. This is Mega Charizard X.
"She used that on me, too. I was awestruck by it when I battled her," Ethan said.
"It has to be Mega Charizard X. In this form, Charizard's a Fire and a Dragon-type Pokémon," Naminé said.
"That's exactly right, Naminé. And with the power of Mega Evolution, Charizard's power becomes even more powerful than normally," Riku said.
"This is the first time I ever seen Mega Evolution in my whole life," Kairi said.
"Eevee," Angel said.
"Alright, Mega Charizard X! Begin with a Dragon Claw!" Clair ordered. Mega Charizard X flew right at Mamoswine with a Dragon Claw.
"Dodge it, Mamoswine!" Sora called out. Mamoswine started to run. Mega Charizard X lands a successful hit onto the Twin Tusk Pokémon.
"Use Ancient Power!" Sora ordered. Mamoswine unleashed Ancient Power at Mega Charizard X, intending to land a hit.
"Dodge it and use Air Slash!" Clair ordered. Mega Charizard X unleashed a powerful Air Slash right at Mamoswine, dealing some heavy damage. "Use Fire Blast!" Mega Charizard X fired a Fire Blast made of blue flames. Mamoswine was struck before Sora could tell him to dodge. Mamoswine was down for the count.
"Mamoswine is unable to battle! Mega Charizard X wins!" The referee announced.
"This battle is really heating up," Leaf said.
"Sora has lost three," Kris said.
"Sora has to make the next one count," Naminé said. Sora calls Mamoswine back and he took out his next Pokéball and threw it.
"Back to action, Gyarados!" Sora called out. Stars swirls around Gyarados upon re-entry. .
"You're sending your Gyarados back out, huh? Mega Charizard X! Use Dragon Claw!" Clair ordered. Mega Charizard X came right at Gyarados.
"Dodge and use Dragon Pulse!" Sora ordered. Gyarados dodged Mega Charizard X's Dragon Claw and fired a Dragon Pulse at Mega Charizard X and lands a successful hit. It deals some heavy damage due to its weakness to Dragon-type moves.
"Mega Charizard X! Use Fire Blast!" Clair ordered.
"Use Flamethrower!" Sora ordered.
Mega Charizard X and Gyarados fired their fire attacks at one another, resulting in an explosion. Everyone braced themselves and they saw both Mega Charizard X and Gyarados were both knocked out. Mega Charizard X reverts back to normal.
"Charizard and Gyarados are both unable to battle! This round is a draw!" The referee announced.
"Now Clair's down to one Pokémon left! Sora has it in the bag!" Tracey said.
"Don't count your winnings yet, Tracey. Mega Charizard X was just the warm-up," Ethan said.
Clair has called her Charizard back and took out her final Pokémon and held it.
"Now it's time for the grand finale," Clair said. She threw her Pokéball. "Go! Dragonite!" Her Pokéball opened and her Dragonite came out to battle. Sora calls Gyarados back and smiled.
"You battled hard, Gyarados. So get some rest," Sora said as he took out his next Pokéball and threw it. "You're up, Granbull!" His Pokéball opened and his Granbull came out to battle. "Okay, Granbull! Be ready for anything!"
"Dragonite! Use Dragon Dance!" Clair ordered. Dragonite's body becomes surrounded in orange energy and it spins around several times, enhancing its attack power and speed.
"Sora is going to have a hard time against that Dragonite even with a Fairy-type like Granbull," Ash said.
"Hope Sora has a trick up his sleeve," Lyra said.
"Marill," Marill said.
"Okay, Granbull! Use Ice Fang!" Sora ordered. Granbull rushes at Dragonite with an Ice Fang to land some bites onto it.
"Use Hurricane!" Clair ordered. Dragonite flapped its wings and creates a powerful wind, blowing Granbull in the mix. "Use Hyper Beam!" Dragonite fired Hyper Beam, hitting Granbull. Hyper Beam has dealt some heavy damage, resulting in a knockout.
"Granbull is unable to battle! Dragonite wins!" The referee announced.
"That was a powerful Hyper Beam. Dragonite's Dragon Dance was the reason for it," Kris said.
"Now Sora has one left to use against that Dragonite. And it's his last chance to bring it down," Riku said. Sora calls Granbull back and he took out his last Pokéball and threw it.
"It's all up to you now! Go! Lapras!" Sora called out. Lapras came out to battle against Clair's Dragonite. "I don't expect an easy win, but I expect that you'll give it everything you've got, Lapras. Let's do this thing! Use Ice Beam!" Lapras fired Ice Beam at the Dragon Pokémon.
"Dodge it!" Clair called out. Dragonite dodges Lapras's Ice Beam thanks to its increased speed.
"Keep firing Ice Beam!" Sora ordered. Dragonite kept firing Ice Beam at Dragonite, but she kept on missing her mark.
"Dragonite! Use Hurricane!" Clair ordered. Dragonite flapped its wings and blew a devastating wind at the Transport Pokémon. "Use Dragon Rush!" Dragonite rushed at Lapras with a Dragon Rush.
"Dodge it!" Sora called out. Lapras dived in the water to avoid Dragonite's attack.
"So Lapras is using the water in my Gym to dodge Dragonite's attack. Not bad. But not good enough. Use Hyper Beam to force Lapras above the surface!" Clair ordered. Dragonite fired a Hyper Beam right at the water. The beam hits the water, making a huge splash. This forces Lapras to come above.
"Lapras! Use Ice Beam!" Sora ordered. Lapras fired another Ice Beam and struck Dragonite hard on the mark. "Use Body Press!" Lapras jumped out of the water and came at Dragonite, landing a hit onto the Dragon Pokémon.
"Dragonite! Use Dragon Rush!" Clair ordered. Dragonite charges at Lapras with another Dragon Rush.
"Use Body Press again!" Sora ordered. Lapras jumped in the air to land a Body Press. Dragonite came close to landing a hit, but Lapras came at Dragonite first and lands right on it. The attack has landed a critical hit. Lapras then gets off of Dragonite. "That's the way, Lapras!"
"Pikachu!" Pikachu said.
"Dragonite! Use Hyper Beam!" Clair ordered.
"Use Ice Beam! Hurry!" Sora ordered.
Dragonite prepared to fire Hyper Beam as Lapras has fired an Ice Beam at Dragonite. The beam of ice has landed a hit before Dragonite could fire Hyper Beam and deals some heavy damage. Dragonite started to fall towards the ground and splashed right in the water.
"Get up, Dragonite!" Clair said. Dragonite struggles to get up. Dragonite pants heavily due to the damage it has taken.
"Stay alert, Lapras," Sora said. Lapras was ready for anything Dragonite can dish out. Dragonite has gotten out of the water and up on its feet only to fall forward, beaten.
"Dragonite is unable to battle! Lapras wins! The winner of the battle is the challenger!" The referee announced.
"He did it!" The group exclaimed happily. Sora pets Lapras as she nuzzled him.
"Great job, Lapras. I knew you'd be able to do it," Sora said. Lapras smiled as she squeaked at her Trainer's praise. Clair has called Dragonite back and she started to approach Sora with a smile.
"That was an excellent battle, Sora. You gave me everything you had and more. I can see why Lance respects you greatly. But as a Gym Leader, I'm obligated to reward you the proof of your victory here in the Blackthorn City Gym. I give you the Rising Badge," Clair said, handing Sora a Badge that is shaped like a dragon's face. He accepts the Gym Badge and placed it inside with the other Gym Badges he has won.
"Thanks, Clair. You really gave me everything you had, too. You're strong just like your cousin. In fact, you're one of the toughest Trainers I have ever battled," Sora said. Clair smiled at the compliment.
"Now that you won all 8 of your Gym Badges, that means you can participate in the Johto Pokémon League," Tracey said.
"Yeah. The competition is going to be tough, so I wanna be ready for it when it comes," Sora said.
"Well, you should head over to the Pokémon Center and register for it," Clair said. Just then, one of the Gym's staff members came up to her.
"Miss Clair, I'm sorry to interrupt, but the Master has requested to speak with you immediately," the staff member said. Clair knew it had to be important if the Master has summoned her.
"I'll be right there," Clair said. The staff member took his leave. "There seems to be a matter I have to attend to. I wish you luck in the tournament, Sora. You too, Ethan."
"Thanks," Sora and Ethan both said.
After healing Sora's Pokémon, Sora has just one more thing to take care of.
"Now that you have completed your Gym challenges, you are now qualified to register for the Johto Pokémon League, Sora," Nurse Joy said.
"Thanks a lot, Nurse Joy," Sora said.
"You are very welcome. There's still time to compete, so I suggest you train hard for it," Nurse Joy said.
"I will," Sora said.
"Great! You and I made it," Ethan said.
"Yeah. And I can bet my Keyblade that Vincent have made it in, too," Sora said.
"You'd be right," Ethan said.
Sora and Ethan shook hands, wishing each other good luck. Not too long, Clair entered the Pokémon Center and she spotted Sora.
"Sora, I'm glad I found you," Clair said.
"Huh? Why are you glad you found me?" Sora asked.
"It's because the Master has requested he speaks with you. As well as your friends there," Clair said, pointing to the rest of the group.
"The rest of us?" Kairi asked.
"Eevee?" Angel asked.
"Toge?" Togepi chirped.
"Yes. He says it's important," Clair said.
What could this Master want to speak with Sora and his friends about? It has to be important. And Roxas is on a mission to eliminate Jessie and James by Xemnas's orders, but will he carry it out or will Axel step in? The answers will come as we go forward.