Our heroes have been staying in Bacu City so that they can compete in the annual Battle Tournament, and so that Davis can have his gym battle for his fourth badge. After waiting, Davis finds out that Jean the gym leader has come back and is ready for a battle.

"Yeah. First, my gym battle. After that, we can compete in the Battle Tournament." Davis said as he and the others stood just outside the gym.

"I wonder what kind of pokemon this gym uses." Terra said.

"I asked around and this gym actually uses poison-type pokemon." Cletus said.

"A poison-type gym? Sounds lethal. This is going to be a challenge." Davis said. "Here we go!" He charged right for the gym and expected the door to open, but he ended up crashing into it...again.

I want to be the very best

Like no one ever was

To catch them is my real test

To train them is my cause

(Pokemon!)

Every challenge along the way

With courage I will face

I will battle every day to claim my rightful place

(Yeah!)

Pokemon

Gotta catch'em all

Oh, so true

Our courage will pull us through

You teach me, I'll teach you

Po-ke-mon

Pokémon

(Davis' voice): All Flash, Hardly Bite

"What the heck?" Davis said with his face against the door.

"Wait a minute. If the gym leader is back, why does the sign still say closed?" Imperialdramon noticed the sign.

"What?! No fair!" Davis complained. It was rather weird when they heard Jean was back. Just then, the door opened up.

"Who's out here?" Out came a man wearing an outfit that was the same color and just as slick as a Seviper's scales. With black boots and purple gloves. He also had brown hair that was sharp in the back.

"Are you Jean?" Davis asked.

"I am. Can I help you?" Jean asked with Davis glad he could finally meet the gym leader.

"My name is Davis, and I came all the way here to challenge your gym."

"Oh, I see... I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I can't battle now." Jean said.

"What?! Why?!" Davis asked.

"I'm really sorry, but I've been asked to be an M.C. at the upcoming Battle Tournament." Jean claimed. "There's still some work to be done, and I have other matters I must attend to. I'm afraid I'm just simply too busy for a gym battle, but I should be free for challenges after the tournament. Now, please excuse me." He said as he was on his way and walked past them.

"Guess it can't be helped. It sounds like he's a busy man." Cletus said.

"Darn it. I was hoping for a gym battle." Davis complained.

"Well, it sounds like we've got some free time now." Terra said and just took off. "Later, guys! There's some shops I'm going to check out." She claimed and left.

"Not a bad idea. I think I'll use this time to stock on supplies." Cletus said as he walked off himself.

"So, what do we do?" Imperialdramon questioned. Davis was pumped for another gym battle, but it looks like that isn't happening. Now he doesn't know what to do.

...

Davis

"Man, this bites." Davis said as he and Imperialdramon wondered around the streets. "No gym, the tournament hasn't started yet, and now I'm left with nothing to do."

"Maybe not." Imperialdramon said as he might have found something. "Check it out. You can battle here." He said as he found a fun spot for them to pass the time.

"We can?! Awesome! That's what I'm talking about!" Davis said as he and Imperialdramon went on in and went straight to the battling. They were doing rather well as they battled every trainer they could. "This is almost too easy. Isn't there anyone that can actually give us a challenge?"

"Yeah! Give us challenge!" Imperialdramon challenged. They asked and they soon received as a Luxray jumped against him and pushed Imperialdramon down.

"What the?!" Davis questioned.

"And that is how you get a hothead to look foolish." A guy said with a bunch of girls laughing. Davis looked and spotted a guy with tanned skin, messy brown hair, and wore a bright blue shirt and white pants. He looked like the type that all the girls loved considering he had so many of them with him.

"Hey! What was that about?!" Davis called.

"Sorry, man. It's just that you were running your mouth and blowing your top. You looked so uncool that someone had to do something."

"Erik, you're so cool!"

"And you have an amazing pokemon!"

"Erik?" Davis questioned.

"Yep. That's me, and you've already met my Luxray." Erik claimed.

"Luxray." Seeing that pokemon, Davis pulled out his pokedex.

"Luxray, the Gleam Eyes Pokemon. An electric-type, and the final evolve form of Shinx. Luxray holds special eyes that allow it to see through solid walls."

"Well, you want a battle? We're ready. Is that right, Imperialdramon?" Davis said as they were ready for one.

"No thanks. I was just making the girls laugh." Erik denied. "Now, let's go, girls. Who wants a nice cool drink?" They all sounded like they would rather have one with him. All of them just walked away, but Davis wasn't going to let this go.

"Hey! You get back here!" Davis called as he and Imperialdramon hurried after him and made it outside. "You can't just attack us like that and walk off! I want a battle!"

"I just said, no. Besides, I'm pretty sure I would just win." Erik said.

"What makes you think that?!" Davis said.

"Because I'm just that good." Erik claimed. "You've seen my awesome Luxray. We've been battling together since it was just a Shinx. There's just no way we can be defeated."

"How do you know that if you won't even battle?!" Davis called.

"Dude, you need to chill." Erik said.

"Do not call me dude when you are so irritating!" Davis called. "The name is Davis, and if you're so skilled, battle me."

"Davis, was it? You need to chill, otherwise you look so uncool, and the loudness is really annoying. Right, girls?" Erik asked with all of them agreeing with him. As he treated them to a drink at a stand and tried to treat the girls. "Anyway, just chill. It's just a battle. Besides, I'm so skilled that there wouldn't be much of a battle."

"You want to know what's annoying?! That obnoxious attitude of yours!" Davis said. "Now come on and battle me!" He demanded, but Erik just poured a drink down his head.

"I told you to chill." Erik said as he laughed.

"You're going to be sorry!" Davis shouted as he was getting angry.

"Erik!" All of them looked and saw Jean was there. "Even if you don't want to battle, you don't have to be so disrespectful!"

"Oh... Hey, Uncle Jean." Erik said.

"Uncle?! The gym leader is your uncle?!" Davis said as he didn't expect that.

"Erik, this attitude of yours is getting rather irritating." Jean said. "You are a good battler, but you've let it all go to your head and have become cocky."

"It ain't being cocky if it's true. I really am just that skilled." Erik claimed. "You're not going to give me another lecture, are you? I'm not one of your challengers. You don't have to be Gym Leader Jean, just Uncle Jean."

"It doesn't matter because I don't approve of your behavior." Jean claimed. "It doesn't matter if I'm a gym leader or your uncle. This attitude of yours is disrespectful, and what do you plan to do about the tournament?"

"The Battle Tournament?" Erik said. It doesn't really sound like that much fun, so I was going to skip it." He claimed, but the girls were disappointed they wouldn't get to see him battle.

"It sounds like your little fan club is upset about that as well." Jean said. "If you are so sure about your win, prove it. Take this young man's challenge."

"You heard your uncle! You have to battle me now!" Davis said.

"Fine. I'll battle, and you'll see that I'm just that skilled." Erik claimed. The two of them stood facing each other and were now ready to battle each other with it being Luxray vs. Imperialdramon. "Let's get this over with, but let's win with style, Luxray."

"We're winning this battle! Imperialdramon, let's start with Dragon Pulse!" Davis called.

"You got it! Eat this!" Imperialdramon called as he unleashed the attack.

"Counter with Swift!" Erik called.

"Luxray!" Luxray twirled its tail around and launched some stars right at them. The two attacks collided and caused a large explosion.

"No way! His Swift had that much power?!" Davis said as he wasn't expecting that.

"I told you I was just that good! Now use Iron Tail!" Erik called. Luxray jumped right through the smoke and tried smashing its tail against Imperialdramon, but he blocked it with his arms. When Imperialdramon pushed Luxray off, Luxray got serious. "Easy, Luxray. We got to look good while we're winning. Getting all serious like that doesn't really make us look cool."

"Unreal. He's not even taking this serious." Davis complained. "He cares more about how he looks. No way we're losing. Brick Break!"

"Dodge it and use Iron Tail again!" Erik called. Imperialdramon tried attacking, but Luxray jumped away and smashed its tail against him again. "Had enough?"

"No way! Focus Punch!" Davis called. Imperialdramon finally managed to land an attack as he smashed his fist against Luxray.

"These guys need to slowdown. Use Swift!" Erik said. Luxray blasted Imperialdramon with a bunch of stars, and that provided an opening. "Now use Thunder Wave!" Luxray launched an electric wave with it blasting against Imperialdramon. It caused his body to feel numb.

"What's this? I can hardly move." Imperialdramon said.

"That's what Thunder Wave does. Duh." Erik mocked. "We might as well end this now. Iron Tail!" Luxray attacked again by smashing its tail against Imperialdramon again.

"It's going to take more than that to stop us! Dragon Pulse!" Davis called. Imperialdramon was able to fight through the paralysis and blasted Luxray with Dragon Pulse.

"What?! No way! You should have a hard time moving after getting hit by Thunder Wave!" Erik said as he didn't expect that.

"I told you it was going to take more than that to stop us!" Davis said. "Let's try out our new move! Imperial Flight!" Imperialdramon found the strength to unleash its new attack.

"Luxray, Wild Charge!" Erik called. Luxray unleashed some of its own electrical power. The two of them charged right at each other and collided with them trying to overpower the other. "Hold your ground, Luxray!" Luxray tried to push back, but it looked like Imperialdramon was beginning to overwhelm Luxray. However, the effects of Thunder Wave kicked in and slowed Imperialdramon down. That gave Luxray the chance it needed as it overpowered him and caused a large explosion to go off.

"Oh no!" Davis called as he saw Imperialdramon crash against the ground and saw that Davis lost this battle. "No! How could I lose to this guy?!"

"You know, you're still bugging me even though I won." Erik said. Then, he turned to Jean. "There! See? I won! I'm not cocky, I'm just that good."

"No." Jean claimed. "You won that battle solely on luck. If the effects of Thunder Wave hadn't kicked in when it did, you would have lost that battle. Plus, for a brief moment, you actually got serious in the battle."

"You don't know what you're talking about." Erik said.

"I don't? Prove me wrong then. Enter the tournament, and win. Do that, and I'll let you do whatever you want." Jean said.

"You will? Fine. I'll prove to you I'm just that good of a trainer. Let's go, Luxray." Erik said and just walked off with Luxray following.

"Oh man." Davis said as he let this lost really get to him. "No way am I losing to him again. I'm entering that tournament and I'll get payback."

And so, it would seem that Davis has found himself another rival with Erik. Feeling humiliated, he intends to enter the Battle Tournament and to have payback for this defeat.

...

Erik

"Who does my uncle think he is?" Erik vented as he walked through the streets, but he was missing something with Luxray as it was having trouble walking. "Why can't he just let me be? I'm not doing anything wrong. You know what I'm talking about. Don't you, Luxray? Luxray?" When he turned around, he saw that Luxray collapsed. "Luxray! What's wrong?! What happened?!" He called as he rushed to his partner's aid. As he tried to figure out what was wrong, he remembered what his uncle said.

"You won that battle solely on luck. If the effects of Thunder Wave hadn't kicked in when it did, you would have lost that battle."

"No way..." Erik said as he was starting to get a reality check.

To Be Continued...