"Lanturn use Dazzling Gleam!"
Lanturn bursts up from out of the water and fires off a cloud of pink shard that pummel Clair's Kingdra that sends it crashing down into the pool of water. It re-emerges but is silently bobbing up on the surface of the water unable to go on battling
"You did it!" I shout rushing up to the edge of the pool, Lanturn comes to the edge smiling up happily as I stroke its lamp
Clair returns Kingdra and walks over
"Congratulations Dustin, I bestow you this badge. With this you have now also qualified for the Junior Johto Championship, good luck" She says rather robotically before withdrawing from the field. I return Lanturn and head out of the gym, the fresh air hits me from the stifling hot gym. I take a deep breath before punching the air
We did it, we did it, we did it I think to myself as I punch the air more
I breathe out hard letting the happy feeling sit in me longer
Okay lets head to the centre, the team deserves a big treat tonight
I head off to the Pokecentre and drop the team off. I speak to Ryan too and ask if there the possibility I could have my whole team for a night. Largely trainers are only allowed 6 Pokemon on hand at a time, however in special occasions this can be opened up to a maximum of 10 for junior trainers. He agrees that the team deserve a good time and authorizes it. I get Professor Elm to send me over Typholsion who I had sent off to get Lapras back for the Clair battle. Lanturn defeated both Gyarados and Kingdra with help from Bayleef in the last battle. Lapras and Togetic managed to handily beat Clair two Dragonairs meaning I still had three Pokemon active in the end. I head off to the store while the guys get healed up and buy all sorts of sweet treats, savoury snacks and some fruit juice. I ask at the reception if there is a place I could set up the food at all and they guide me to a larger room that is open for the night for a small fee, it also has an outer door that opens up onto a small area in the back. I happily pay it with my battle winnings and get to work setting it up, there's a small table which I fetch some bowls from the cupboards. I fill them up with the snack food I had bought and put some cups out aswell for the juice to be drank from. I pull the table to the door, Lapras will be too big to settle inside so its best we get the table to the door and spend the time outside. My phone buzzes to alert me that my Pokemon are healed up, I sprint out to get them. Theres one other person in front of me in the queue, they grab there Pokeballs and turn around to me
"Dustin!" Oscar shouts
"Oscar!" I shout back in retaliation
"Nice too see you again, I've been waiting for you to arrive here" He continues
"Oh yeah, sorry I meant to tell you"
"It no worries, you taken on Clair yet?"
I pull out my badge case and show off my completed set
"Oh! No way you did it!" He shouts grabbing me into a hug
"Thanks, what about you?"
"Yep all 8 collected too!" He says showing off his completed badge case
"Thats great, means we are both going to be in the finals"
Oscar smiles before backing off a little
"This means now, we are rivals again. Both of us have to make it to the final of it all and face off" He says joyfully
"Lets just get through the first round first, anyway come with me" I say quickly grabbing my Pokemon from the counter
He nods and follows after me, I pop open the room and he smiles
"Oh you rented the fancy room" He laughs
"Well my plan was to have a party for my team due to us getting all 8 badges, you and your team should join us"
"Are you sure?"
"Of course" I say with a smile
I then send all my team out except for Lapras, I open up the doors again and send her out of her ball outside. Oscar follows suit and send his whole team out. Meganium, Politoad, Houndoom, Hitmontop, Umbreon and Porygon2.
"Wow that a pretty strong team" I say to Oscar as Bayleef takes immediate interest in Meganium
"So is yours, Togetic would be better if you could evolve it"
"She okay as she is for now, anyway lets eat!" I shout pushing a bowl of snacks towards him
We spend time catching up, we had spoken a lot on the phone and in messages during our journey. Our team intermix with each other, Umbreon and Togetic seems to get on very well. Meganium is basically followed around by Bayleef everywhere. Houndoom, Politoad, Feraligatr and Typholsion all huddle together and chat. Porygon2, Hitmontop help Sudowoodo and Togetic ferry snacks out to Lanturn and Lapras who are stuck on the outside. After a while me and Oscar are sat just relaxing while some of the our team have started to sleep. As I feel my eyelids getting heavy I feel Oscar burst out of his seat
"We should have a battle against each other, it's been a while" Oscar says excitedly jumping up from his chair.
"Uh isn't it a bit late for that?" I question looking up at the clock which reads 9pm
"Oh its okay, you can battle up till 9:30 in most centre, we can just do a one v one battle" He says eyes gleaming
"Well, okay then" I say pushing myself up from my chair too.
"Great, I want to test out Porygon anyway seeing as its just evolved"
"Okay well I'll go with" I say before looking around my team.
They all are powerful now, Sudowoodo while not much of a battler can hold its own. Togetic and Lanturn are finally starting to show some signs that they will be good team members. Lapras since I had caught it had always been strong and since Feraligatr and Typholsion had fully evolved they hadn't lost many battles.
"I'll go with Bayleef"
"Bay!" Bayleef calls out happily before rushing up to my side almost spur on by the appearance of Oscars Meganium.
We shuffle out into the space outside, my team all head to one side while Oscars go to the other side
"Right Bayleef, start up with Light Screen"
It gleams a purple shade as a ball of transparent energy encompasses it
"Pory use Signal Beam"
Porygon oval legs winds around before it fires off a beam of green energy, it hits the ball around Bayleef but breaks through to hit causing damage
"Bayleef use Swords Dance"
Bayleef shakes its head to get back composure before allowing itself to focus as it does an orange light appears around it showing it attack rising
"Porygon, use Lock On"
Porygon beeps and boops in response before a red target is placed directly onto Bayleef
"Now Zap Cannon"
"Block it with Razor Leaf!"
Bayleef summons a flurry of leaves and fire it off as Porygon summons a huge ball of swirling elelctrical energy at it beak, the leaves cut and distort the ball but crucially don't break it allow Porygon2 to fire it off, it pulsates in the air as it flies and hit Bayleef directly, the light screen attempts to block the attack but its strong. Dust and smoke from the attack is kicked up, once it settle Bayleef is still able to go on but stands groggily and is now paralysed
"Are you okay Bayleef?" I shout out slightly concerned at her condition
"Bay!" It calls back defiantly.
"Okay well use Stomping Tantrum!"
Bayleef stomps at the floor cracking the ground around it before firing off parts of the ground, they hit Porygon2 causing it to drop to the ground
"Porygon use Recover!"
Porygon has a white gleam rush over it recovering all of the damage it has taken so far
"Okay Bayleef, use Stomping Tantrum again"
Bayleef proceed to do the same thing, it cuts and hit Porygon who is flung to the floor again
"Now use Razor Leaf, surround Porygon"
It whips it head causing a swirling effect on the leaves sent off, the leaves swirl and cut Porygon2 as it tries to get back to hovering.
"Porygon blast it away with Tri Attack"
Porygon summons a triangle of energy and blast it out, it dissipates some of the leaves but not all, the beam also manages to hit Bayleef who is flung backwards to the ground, it groggily gets to its feet as the Razor Leaf continues to cut at Porygon who is still struggling to get back up and hovering
"Porygon use Zap Cannon but straight up"
"Bayleef, use Stomping Tantrum"
Bayleef roars getting to its feet before being enveloped in white and blue energy, it flashes and appears in its evolved stat of Meganium roaring. As it does Porygon send a warbling ball of electric energy flying into the air, allowing it to drop down on itself. It blast itself but does wipe away all the leaves. It manages to get back to hovering but is now also paralysed like Meganium
"All on this Porygon Tri Attack!"
"Meganium meet it with Razor Leaf"
The two Pokemon send off there attacks, the collide kicking up lots of dust covering the field, as it dissipates and falls it clear both Pokemon are no longer able to continue in the battle.
"Meganium" I shout before rushing out to its side
It rolls over slowly before pulling itself to it feet sheepishly.
"You're okay girl, that was amazing" I say patting her head before Oscar rushes up followed by Porygon2
"That was amazing! You really pushed us all the way too" He shouts gleaming at Meganium
"You and Porygon were good too, I can't believe you pulled off that move with Zap Cannon to get rid of the leaves"
"Oh yeah, I did something similar with Houndoom against Whitney, her Clefable managed to get Frenzy Plant from Metronome and I got him to use Flamethrower straight up to get rid of the leaves"
"that's pretty smart, its going to be tough to beat you at the championship"
"Hey don't talk like that, we will both make it to the finals and then have the greatest battle the Johto championships ever seen. Then we will both make it into the Junior World Championship"
"Oh I don't know whether I will make it that far"
"Whats your ranking currently?"
"I haven't checked it in a while to be honest"
"Well lets look, I'm 98th currently so I should be in, you have to get in there too!"
I stir a little nervously before pulling my phone out, I tap on my trainer profile before scrolling down to my rank
Dustin Rogers: Rank 178th
"Oh well I'm pretty far away"
"No! If you win the Johto Championship you will jump like 90 ranks easily, you can still make it into the top 128!"
"I'm not so sure" I stammer
"Have some confidence, remember we meeting each other in the final" He says to me with a huge smile
"Its a deal" I laugh back to him