AUTHOR'S NOTE: Greetings, readers! Here is chapter 9 of the continuing adventures of Tristan, Hillary, and Pikachu as they continue their journey through the Hoenn region. First, I wanted to imagine Tommy and Kenny with very different personalities, which have grown since Ash Ketchum and his friends visited the Pokémon Trainers' School prior to this. Also, Wayne, Marc, and Lisa make appearances, too. Plus, I figure that Pikachu needed something new to learn, so I decided to base this chapter on Ash and his Pikachu's attempts to perfect their own Iron Tail attack. I hope you enjoy this chapter, and please feel free to read and review responsibly at your leisure.
TEASER: Tristan and Hillary run into their cousins Wayne, Marc, and Lisa at the Pokémon Trainers' School after another dastardly scheme by Taz. But he's not one to give up so easily while Tristan decides to teach his Pikachu how to use Iron Tail. Could that give him the edge he needs to earn his first badge?
Chapter 9: TAILS OF STEEL
(Music Cue: Opening & Title Screen 1997-1998 (as heard at the beginning of "The Battle of the Badge"))
"All right! We're finally here!" said Tristan as he and Pikachu went through a gate with Hillary and Togepi.
"Yup, that's it." Hillary was amazed at the tall buildings and people bustling about. "It looks like we've made it to our first destination: Rustboro City."
"Yeah. I can't wait for my first Gym Battle." Tristan was really getting excited.
Our heroes have finally reached Rustboro City. It's here that Tristan hopes to earn his first badge in the Hoenn Region. What will the Gym Leader be like? And what Pokémon will be used?
"Oh, yes, did you figure which Pokémon was going to learn Iron Tail yet, Tristan?" asked Hillary.
"That's right! I forgot!" Tristan was about to panic when he suddenly got an idea. "But now I know which of my Pokémon will learn Iron Tail! Let's go, guys!" And he raced off with Pikachu only a Poké-length behind.
"Wait up, Tristan!" called Hillary as she and Togepi ran after them.
A few minutes later, Tristan found a small rock and tied a rope to it. Then he tied the rope to Pikachu's tail. "Okay, Pikachu, today, we're gonna try something new together. We're gonna learn how to use Iron Tail."
Pikachu was surprised.
"Only Pokémon who have fully-developed tails can learn that attack," continued Tristan. "So what I want you to do is to try to lift your tail up and down with the rock tied to your tail, okay?"
Pikachu nodded.
Then Tristan got down on all fours and said, "Let's begin!" He did some push-ups while Pikachu lifted its tail up and down with the rock attached to it. "That's the way, Pikachu, you're doing great."
Presently, Hillary and Togepi arrived. "Ah, I see. So Pikachu's going to learn Iron Tail, right? Smart idea."
"Yeah," agreed Tristan as he continued his push ups. "I want Pikachu to be flexible with all kinds of attacks, so I figured a strong tail would help add to what it's capable of."
Just then, an alarm was heard from a short distance away.
(Music Cue: Team Rocket Appears (as heard in "As Clear as Crystal"))
"Oh, no!" gasped Tristan and Hillary.
Pikachu and Togepi were just as shocked as their Trainers were.
"Stop! Thief!" shouted a man in a red suit as he ran past. "He's got all our school Poké Balls!"
"Let's go, sis," advised Tristan.
"I'm right with you, big bro!" agreed Hillary as she, Pikachu and Tristan ran off after him. But what they saw from above stopped them and the man in their tracks.
A familiar bearded man was gloating triumphantly from an Electabuzz-shaped hot-air balloon. "Well, now, I came to catch 'em all, and look what I managed to snatch!" He then held up a big sack.
"It's Taz!" exclaimed Tristan.
"And that's not all!" added Hillary. "He's got the Poké Balls!"
"Please, you have to stop him!" implored the man in the red suit.
"Don't worry, we'll get him. Mudkip, I choose you!" shouted Tristan as he threw his Poké Ball.
"Come on out, Squirtle, I choose you!" added Hillary as she threw hers.
Mudkip and Squirtle emerged from the white lights that shot out of them and awaited their Trainers' directions.
"Use Water Gun!" they ordered.
Mudkip and Squirtle unleashed powerful blasts of water from their mouths at Taz's balloon.
But Taz was ready for it and took out a special reflector. "I thought you'd try your squirt toys, so I thought I'd try one of my very own. Time for a taste of your own medicine!" And just as Mudkip and Squirtle's Water Gun attacks hit it, Taz used his reflector to send their attacks right back at them, causing them to hit the ground hard.
"No, Mudkip!" gasped Tristan.
"Squirtle!" exclaimed Hillary.
Taz laughed profusely. "Looks like your toys ended up being all wet! Now it's time for me to fly and say, 'buh-bye!'"
And the balloon with Taz and the stolen Poké Balls still aboard rose higher into the air.
But suddenly, a flurry of razor-sharp leaves scored a direct hit on the balloon, causing it to pop and the air to hiss out of it.
"My balloon! It's burst!" cried Taz.
The balloon hissed and spun uncontrollably, causing Taz to lose his grip on the Poké Ball bag while he and the balloon fell toward the ground, screaming as he went.
CRASH!
Tristan, Hillary, and the man in the red suit caught the bag safely in their hands and set it safely on the ground.
Tristan and Hillary were confused about one thing, however.
"Was that a Razor Leaf attack that stopped that balloon?" wondered Tristan.
"It sure was!" said a voice.
Tristan and Hillary turned around to see their cousins, Wayne, Marc, and Lisa coming to the rescue. They were accompanied by a blue Pokémon with six legs and a green leaf on its head and a young woman with red eyes and brown hair tied in two pigtails with a pink bow.
"It's Wayne!" said Tristan excitedly.
"And Marc and Lisa, too!" added Hillary. "But whose Lotad is that?"
"Actually, that's mine," answered Wayne. "But we can continue with the introductions later. Right now, we have unfinished business to attend to."
Sure enough, Wayne was right, for Taz was just climbing out of the rubble of his crashed balloon. "How dare youse ruin my balloon! Now you'll pay the price! Give me all of your Pokémon!"
"Actually, you're the one who's gonna pay the price," replied a young woman calmly as she stepped onto the scene.
"Who's that?" asked Tristan and Hillary together.
"Nosepass, I choose you!" The woman threw her Poké Ball.
A blue biangular bipedal Pokémon with a big red nose emerged from the white light that shot out of it.
"Who's that Pokémon?" wondered Tristan as he scanned it with his Pokédex.
(Music Cue: Hoenn Pokédex (as heard in the 4Kids dub))
"Nosepass, the Compass Pokémon. Nosepass has a nose that functions as an electromagnet and determines location by moving its nose about."
"Use Zap Cannon!" ordered the woman.
(Music Cue: Strong (as heard in the 4Kids dub))
Nosepass' nose glowed in a yellow light. Then it unleashed a massive yellow blast of electricity at Taz, scoring a direct hit on him and instantly created a huge explosion that sent him skyward.
BOOM!
"No fair! I'm frozen stiff! And it's cold up there!" screamed Taz as he blasted off into the sky.
DING!
Tristan was surprised by Nosepass' strength. "That's...awesome."
"Thank you all for helping me get those school Poké Balls back," said the man in the red suit. "And you too, of course, Miss Roxanne."
(Music Cue: Route 29 (full version))
"It's good to see you two again," said Wayne.
"Yeah, you too, Wayne," replied Tristan. "That Lotad of yours helped us out."
"Thanks," said Wayne. "I caught it near here just recently. Of course, we're not used to being a team yet."
"I wouldn't worry about it," Marc assured him. "You and Lotad will be close friends just like Tristan and Pikachu are."
"Yeah, you'll be a powerful force to be reckoned with soon," added Lisa. "You'll see."
Wayne smiled. He knew Marc and Lisa were right.
Hillary then saw the woman next to them. "Who's this?"
"Pardon my silence, but my name's Roxanne," said the woman. "And I'm so pleased to meet you both. I'm the teacher in the Beginners' Class at the Pokémon Trainers' School and I'm also the Rustboro City Gym Leader."
"You're the Gym Leader?" gasped Tristan.
"That's a shock," added Hillary.
"Hi, I'm Tristan," said Tristan. "And this is my sister Hillary and my partner Pikachu."
"Hi there," added Hillary.
Pikachu greeted Roxanne warmly.
"So I hear you two are related to Wayne, Marc, and Lisa, am I right?" asked Roxanne.
"Yes, we're cousins," answered Hillary.
"My, my, what a special occasion this is for me!" smiled Roxanne. "Wayne's told me a lot about you two and how you're making quite a name for yourselves as Pokémon Trainers."
"Yeah," agreed Tristan. "Hey, Roxanne, would you be interested in having a Gym Battle with me?"
"I'd be happy to battle you in a Gym match," replied Roxanne. "But since you've just arrived in Rustboro City, why don't we wait till tomorrow? You can use this time to prepare your battle strategy until then."
"Okay, then, tomorrow it is," agreed Tristan. Then he turned to his cousins. "So, Wayne, what brings you here?"
"Well, Torchic and I had a rough go at the Gym yesterday, so we're staying here to train for a bit," explained Wayne. He then gave a sigh.
"Oh, Wayne, you lost your first Gym Battle?" asked Hillary. Then she felt sad. "I'm so sorry."
"Don't worry about it, Hillary," replied Marc. "Wayne did a pretty good job."
This made Wayne feel better.
"Roxanne just did a much better job, that's all," continued Marc.
Wayne groaned. "If I'd known that Torchic and Taillow would have difficulties against Rock-type Pokémon like those, I'd have planned things differently. But now that I have a Lotad on my team, I might just have an easier time battling Roxanne. And I know I'll get that first badge!"
"That's the spirit, Wayne!" said Tristan. "Sounds like you have a good plan in place."
"Why don't you come with us to Miss Roxanne's classroom?" suggested Lisa. "You can meet the kids who are all studying to become Pokémon Trainers."
"That sounds great! I'd love to!" said Hillary excitedly.
"I wish I could, but I'm going to be busy training with Pikachu and my other Pokémon," said Tristan.
"Okay, then, how about we meet up at the Pokémon Center after lunch?"
"Sounds good to me. I'll see you in a few hours, okay?" And he ran off with Pikachu back to the park to continue training.
"Good luck, Tristan!" called Hillary as she waved to him. Then she turned to the others. "All right, let's go inside."
Everyone agreed that this was a good idea.
(Music Cue: Route 11 (The Road to Lavender Town (as heard in "Get Along Little Pokémon)))
"All right, Pikachu, let's keep working!" said Tristan as he continued his push ups.
Pikachu continued to lift its tail up and down with the rock still attached to it. Once it got the hang of exercising its tail, it felt stronger than ever.
Mudkip and Treecko stood by close to two apple trees, watching Tristan and Pikachu train together while patiently awaiting directions.
"Yeah, that's the way to do it!" commended Tristan. "Now, Mudkip, use Tackle attack on that tree! Treecko, use Pound attack!"
Mudkip charged toward the tree full-body style and rammed into it while Treecko used its thick green tail to slam hard into it.
Both attacks succeeded, causing apples to fall off.
"Now, Pikachu, use your tail to deflect those apples!" instructed Tristan.
Pikachu hit back at the apples using its tail while Tristan caught the apples safely in his hands.
This gave Tristan an idea. He secretly took the apples and put them in his backpack.
Then as Pikachu deflected the last falling apple from the tree into Tristan's hands, its tail started lighting up.
This pleased Tristan greatly. "That's awesome, Pikachu!"
Mudkip and Treecko were astounded by the results of Tristan and Pikachu's training.
"Now, let's see if you can keep up the momentum with this stick!" instructed Tristan as he threw it at Pikachu's tail.
With its tail still glowing, Pikachu prepared to deflect the stick back toward Tristan, but as it closed in, the glowing stopped, causing it to be hit in the tail by the stick. This was disappointing to say the very least.
"Don't feel bad, buddy," said Tristan as he came to Pikachu. "You almost had it that time. All you need to do is get the timing of the attack down. Remember, not everyone gets it on the first try. If at first you don't succeed, try, try again."
Pikachu nodded in agreement.
"Okay, one more time...Iron Tail!" commanded Tristan as he threw the stick at Pikachu.
Pikachu's tail glowed in a white light. Then with all it had, it successfully used it to deflect the stick back to Tristan, who caught it in his hands.
"Yes! That was perfect, Pikachu!" commended Tristan.
Pikachu jumped for joy. It felt so proud to have learned a new attack. It felt ready to take on Roxanne's Rock Pokémon.
Mudkip and Treecko were pleased, too.
"Let's keep practicing your Iron Tail, okay?" suggested Tristan. "That way, you'll be sure to master it in no time."
Pikachu eagerly agreed. It was willing to do whatever it took to master its newest attack.
Back inside the Pokémon Trainers' School, Roxanne invited Hillary to talk about her journey to the class.
"As you can see, we may look like we've just started traveling together," said Hillary, "but as long as you treat your Pokémon with love and care, they'll do the same for you." She picked up her Squirtle. "Squirtle's actually my very first Pokémon. We've been together for quite a long time, right Squirtle?"
Squirtle nodded in agreement.
Then Hillary picked up her Ralts and held it in her other hand. "Ralts may not have been with me for very long, but it doesn't matter because we've been good friends right from the start. Ralts is happy about that because I'm happy, too. Isn't that right, Ralts?"
Ralts happily agreed.
"And of course, I wouldn't forget about my little Togepi," continued Hillary as she picked up Togepi.
Togepi trilled happily.
A boy with blue hair slowly came to Hillary and her Pokémon. "Um, may I hold that Ralts for a minute?"
"Sure, uh...what's your name?"
"This is Kenny," answered Roxanne. "He's actually pretty shy, and he might be a little afraid of Pokémon, but he gives excellent advice."
Hillary gently handed Kenny her Ralts to hold.
This made Kenny feel nervous at first, but with some reassurance from Ralts, he got over his nervousness and began to smile. He had to give a chuckle as he gently hugged it.
This made Ralts happy too, and it, too, started chuckling.
This gave the whole class happy feelings because it warmed their hearts so much.
Even a boy named Tommy, who had a competitive nature, couldn't help but give a small smile.
A girl named Anita spoke up. "Hey, Hillary, seeing you with your Pokémon makes me want to have a battle right now! I'm sure my Pidgey would have a great workout battling today."
"Well, if you're wanting a battle, then I should be the one to battle you!" interrupted Tommy.
"You? No way."
"Um, actually, I wanna battle Tommy."
This surprised the whole class. Then they all turned to see that Kenny was the one to issue that challenge.
Even Roxanne was taken aback.
"I want to prove to everyone that even though I still might not know as much about Pokémon, I want to learn how to battle with them just like Anita and Tommy and everyone else here," explained Kenny. "And maybe someday, I could be as good as Hillary is with hers."
This reasoning made Roxanne smile. Then she replied, "Okay, Kenny, you've convinced me. Let's all go out to the battlefield out back."
(Music Cue: Team Aqua & Magma Grunt Battle (full version))
They all came to the battlefield a few minutes later.
"Let's begin our Pokémon battle training," said Roxanne. "You'll each use one Pokémon. The battle will be over when I judge one of your Pokémon unable to battle."
Kenny and Tommy nodded.
Roxanne took out a cluster of six Poké Balls and said, "Now, select your Poké Ball."
Kenny and Tommy did as told and waited for further instructions from Roxanne as they took opposite sides of the battlefield.
Presently, Tristan and Pikachu arrived, followed closely by Mudkip and Treecko.
"Did we miss anything?" asked Tristan.
"Nope, you're just in time," answered Hillary. "I guess the sight of a good battle attracted your attention, huh?"
"Yeah," agreed Tristan. "I can never resist a Pokémon battle."
Pikachu nodded eagerly.
"Let's start the match!" announced Roxanne.
"Here goes!" shouted Tommy as he threw his Poké Ball.
A Magby emerged from the white light that shot out of it.
"Okay, go!" yelled Kenny as he threw his Poké Ball.
A blue tadpole Pokémon with red lips and a long tail emerged from the white light that shot out of it. It had a swirly pattern on its stomach.
"It's a Poliwag!" said Anita. "Kenny's got the advantage here."
She's right, thought Tristan. Poliwag's Water-type characteristics make it the perfect matchup against a Fire-type like Magby. But then again, that boy doesn't seem fazed at all. He might know more about Pokémon than I thought. I wonder how those two will fare in this match.
"Okay, Poliwag, use Water Gun!" commanded Kenny.
Poliwag unleashed a stream of water from its mouth at Magby, scoring a direct hit on it.
"Arrgh! I won't go down that easily! Go, Magby, Flamethrower now!" shouted Tommy.
Magby unleashed a powerful stream of fire from its mouth at Poliwag.
But Kenny seemed to be ready for it. "Poliwag, Defense Curl!"
Poliwag curled up into a ball to absorb the worst of the damage from Magby's Flamethrower. Then it uncurled itself and readied itself for action again.
"That Defense Curl was a good move, Kenny!" commended Anita.
Yes, it was, thought Roxanne. Yes, it was.
Tommy smiled. "Not bad, kid. But this battle's just getting started!"
"This is an awesome way for kids to practice battling and improve their skills," remarked Hillary.
"Yes," agreed Tristan. "A few more battles like this one, and those two will be really strong Trainers."
"You may have increased your defense with that Defense Curl, but don't expect me to go easy on you. Magby, hit 'em with another Flamethrower!" ordered Tommy.
Magby unleashed another powerful stream of fire from its mouth at Poliwag.
"Poliwag, Protect!" commanded Kenny.
Poliwag glowed in a blue light and successfully shielded itself from Magby's Flamethrower, nullifying the damage.
But this only made Tommy irritated. "You're really starting to annoy me!"
"That was a really smart move by Kenny using Protect to block Magby's Flamethrower," said Hillary. "I'll bet Tommy was caught off guard."
"Well, it's obvious that Magby was," replied Tristan.
"Man, I wish I had as good a fortune in battles like Kenny is!" grumbled Wayne as he furiously scratched his head.
"Don't worry about it, Wayne, you're doing just fine," Lisa assured him.
Sure enough, after using so many Flamethrower attacks, Magby was breathing hard while Poliwag seemed unfazed.
"This may be risky, but I'll take a chance," said Kenny. "Now, Poliwag, use Belly Drum!"
Poliwag used its tail to beat its chest hard. Then it felt enormous power from the attack.
"It's all or nothing! Magby, use your strongest Flamethrower!" yelled Tommy.
Magby unleashed its most powerful and fiery stream from its mouth straight at Poliwag.
"Poliwag, hit it with Water Gun at full power!" shouted Kenny.
Using all the power it had, Poliwag unleashed its most powerful blast of water from its mouth.
The water not only put out Magby's Flamethrower, but it also scored a super-effective hit on Magby as well.
Tommy gasped in surprise. "Magby, no!"
Magby, who was doused with water, fell to the ground hard.
"Stand up, Magby!" ordered Tommy. "We can't let 'em win!"
Magby struggled desperately to get back on its feet, but the damage from Poliwag's supercharged Water Gun was enough to defeat it, and it collapsed to the ground It had been knocked out.
"Magby is unable to battle!" announced Roxanne. "Which means, the victory in this match goes to Kenny!"
The whole class cheered for Kenny's victory.
Kenny stood bewildered at what just happened. A few days before, he'd been so afraid of Pokémon; now he'd emerged victorious in his very first Pokémon battle. He gave a smile and ran to his Poliwag, who jumped into his arms. "You did it, Poliwag! You were awesome!"
Poliwag gave a happy reply as it hugged Kenny.
Tommy felt distraught and bent his head down low. But his sadness and frustration quickly subsided and he let off a smile. He came to his Magby. "You did a great job, Magby," he said as he helped it up.
Magby gave a sad reply.
"Don't feel bad. You did your best out there."
This made Magby feel better.
Then Tommy came to Kenny to congratulate him. "Well, you finally did it, Kenny. You really beat me but good. But don't expect me to lose next time, because by then, I'll be a better Trainer than I am now."
"I will be too, Tommy," replied Kenny as he and Tommy shook hands.
"That's really good sportsmanship between those two," remarked Roxanne. "I think they both just found new friends in each other."
Tristan, Hillary, Pikachu, and Togepi happily agreed.
Suddenly, a huge gust of wind blew Poliwag and Magby into the air!
"Poliwag!" cried Kenny.
"Magby!" shouted Tommy.
(Music Cue: Hoenn Elite Four Battle (full version))
Both Pokémon had been scooped up inside a gigantic vacuum hanging from an Electabuzz shaped balloon.
"Where did that wind come from?!" asked Wayne furiously.
Just then a familiar figure cackled triumphantly. "You didn't really think I'd be gotten rid of so easily, did you twerps?!"
"It's Taz!" gasped Tristan and Hillary.
Pikachu agreed angrily.
"Give back those Pokémon!" demanded Roxanne.
"Ha! Try and make me!" retorted Taz.
"Let's get those Pokémon outta there, guys," suggested Wayne.
Lisa, Hillary, Marc, and Tristan nodded in agreement.
"Wait!" advised Roxanne. "Look at Poliwag and Magby."
Everyone looked up.
Sure enough, Poliwag and Magby were tackling the vacuum's glass as hard as they could in order to break it.
"It looks like they're trying to escape on their own," remarked Marc. "But do they really have enough power on their own to do it?"
Tristan didn't answer. He just stood watching the action and bravery of the two Pokémon.
Kenny and Tommy were most impressed.
"Wow, you see that, Kenny?" said Tommy. "Magby and Poliwag are working together."
"Yeah," agreed Kenny.
Taz gave a snicker. "You should know that this metal glass is easily the most unbreakable in the world. After all, I spared no expense to miss this opportunity for an easy catch. And now, I'll just go a little closer so I'll be able to whisk away all the Pokémon at this here school!" And he flew closer to the school and got ready to suck up all the school Poké Balls.
But Taz had reckoned without Magby and Poliwag's teamwork, for Magby unleashed a Flamethrower on the glass first. Then when it motioned for Poliwag to fire its Water Gun, it did so on the same spot without hesitation. They kept repeating their attacks in a pattern over and over.
"I don't understand," said Wayne. "How can repeated Fire and Water attacks even damage that glass, let alone crack it?"
"Wait a sec...crack! That's it!" exclaimed Lisa excitedly.
Suddenly, there was a loud crack coming from the glass above.
"Hey, what's that cracking sound?" barked Taz. "I didn't order a vacuum with cracking sounds in it."
"Of course!" exclaimed Tristan. "The expanding and contracting technique!"
"The exploiting and constructing technique?" said Wayne. "I'm lost."
"The expanding and contracting technique," repeated Hillary. "Magby's Flamethrower melts the metal glass while Poliwag's Water Gun cools the melted spots and contracts the metal. Use those attacks in a pattern repeatedly and the metal glass cracks."
"Yeah! I see! I get it now!"
And sure enough, as the revelation dawned on Wayne, Magby and Poliwag tackled the cracked glass as hard as they could, and successfully broke through and jumped out, much to Taz's dismay.
"Oh, boy," groaned Taz. "This can't be good."
Magby and Poliwag landed in Tommy and Kenny's hands respectively.
"You ready, Tommy?" asked Kenny.
"You bet!" answered Tommy. "Go, Magby, send him flying with Flamethrower!"
"Poliwag, help Magby with your Water Gun!" ordered Kenny.
Magby fired a powerful fiery stream from its mouth while Poliwag unleashed a strong blast of water from its own mouth.
The two attacks combined and struck Taz and his balloon with such force that it created a tremendous explosion that sent Taz skyward.
BOOM!
"Fire, water, bah!" grumbled Taz. "Either way is bad! I won't forget this!" And he sailed through the air and disappeared.
DING!
Every one of the students cheered as they celebrated Kenny and Tommy's victory over Taz.
(Music Cue: Ash's Decision to Fight (Ash Appears!))
"I'm very proud of you two for the way you and your Pokémon handled an emergency situation like that," commended Roxanne. "But more importantly, you should be proud of yourselves."
"Thanks," replied Tommy and Kenny together.
"Looks like they're hitting it off right," smiled Wayne. "That battle makes me even more psyched to watch your Gym match, Tristan. And my rematch after that!"
"You bet, Wayne," agreed Tristan. "Let's both do our best. Right, Pikachu?"
Pikachu eagerly agreed with him.
"I'll be rooting for you, Tristan, like I always have," put in Hillary.
"And we will, too, guys," added Marc.
"Thanks a lot," replied Tristan and Wayne together.
Our heroes' journey into Rustboro City has been exciting and busy indeed. With Tristan and Hillary seeing their cousins Wayne, Marc, and Lisa, along with Pikachu perfecting Iron Tail, Tristan's first Hoenn region Gym Battle is only one day away, so stay tuned!
TO BE CONTINUED...