AUTHOR'S NOTE: Greetings, readers! Well, we finally made it to the 30th chapter of the contiuing adventures of Tristan, Hillary, and Pikachu as they continue their journey through the Hoenn region. I decided to have the King of Tricks (AKA the Trick Master) added to the mix, along with Gabby and Ty from the Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald version games. We'll be seeing plenty of Gabby and Ty throughout this story. But more importantly, I decided to base this chapter on the Pokémon: Advanced episode: "A Poké-BLOCK party." Also, I decided to base Taz's latest disguise on the Tazmanian Devil, but this Tazmanian Devil will be like a speed demon, as he quickly completes one challenge after another, leaving Tristan and Hillary in the dust. As usual, Taz will be up to his old tricks. I hope you enjoy this chapter, and please read and review responsibly at your leisure.
TEASER: Tristan and Hillary have finally arrived in Mauville City, site of Tristan's third Gym Battle. But before that, they meet up with Gabby and Ty, who encourage them to take on the challenge at the Trick House; however, Taz is up to his old tricks, disguising himself as the Tazmanian Devil, the Speed Demon. Will Taz be too fast for Tristan and Hillary to catch up, or will he finally get the better of them once and for all?
Chapter 30: TRICKS AND SCOOPS
(Music Cue: Arriving at Pokémon Park (as heard at the beginning of "Hour of the Houndour"))
Our heroes are almost to Mauville City, site of Tristan's third Hoenn region Gym Battle. But the news of their arrival is about to spread fast.
Tristan, Hillary, Pikachu, and Togepi were admiring the view when they suddenly came across two people, a man and a woman.
"Hello, are you two Pokémon Trainers, by any chance?" asked the woman.
"Uh, yes, why do you ask?" asked Tristan.
(Music Cue: Fortree City (full version))
"I'm Gabby from the Hoenn News Network...or HNN for short. And this is my cameraman, Ty. Could I interest you in a battle?"
Tristan and Hillary looked at each other.
"Sure, I guess," answered Hillary. "Wanna do it, Tristan? This could be a great warmup for your Gym Battle in Mauville City. Plus, it could be our chance to spend some face time on television too. Wayne, Marc, and Lisa will be so jealous."
Tristan thought long and hard. At last, he said, "Yeah, we accept your challenge!"
Gabby came over to Tristan. "I couldn't help overhearing that you're a Trainer on your way to Mauville City. Is that correct?"
"Yes, Gabby, it is. I already have two badges so far."
"That's very impressive. And what about you, young lady?"
"Actually, I'm working on becoming a Pokémon Coordinator," replied Hillary, "and I have one Contest Ribbon from the Second-Chance Contest in Slateport City."
"This is truly extraordinary!" said Gabby excitedly. "Two Trainers with different goals, and they're...uh, what are your names?"
"I'm Tristan, and this is my sister, Hillary," said Tristan.
"Nice to meet you both," added Hillary.
Pikachu and Togepi were confused, but greeted Gabby and Ty warmly.
"Two Trainers who are brother and sister?" Gabby was really starting to get excited. "All right, Ty, get your camera ready. We're gonna get the best battle that we've ever recorded."
"You betcha!" agreed Ty. "There's a clearing close to the Trick House we can use."
"Follow us," said Gabby as she and Ty led Tristan and Hillary to the clearing.
(Music Cue: Kanto Title Card)
"Okay, camera's rolling!" called Ty as he focused his camera on Tristan and Hillary.
"We're about to conduct a Pokémon Tag Battle against these two tough-looking Trainers, whom we just spotted moments ago on the road to Mauville City," said Gabby. "They're Tristan, a Trainer working hard to get into the Hoenn League, and his sister, Hillary, who is working her way up the ranks to get into the Grand Festival."
"What's a Tag Battle?" wondered Hillary.
"This Tag Battle will consist of two Trainers on each side using only one Pokémon with no substitutions," explained Gabby. "Both Trainers must work as a team to defeat the opposing team. Whoever knocks out both Pokémon on the opposing team will be the winner." She took out a Poké Ball and threw it. "I'll start off with Magnemite."
A spherical Pokémon with two magnets on each side emerged from the white light that shot out of it.
"And I'll choose this Pokémon," added Ty as he threw his Poké Ball.
A mauve bipedal Pokémon with a spherical body emerged from the white light that shot out of it. It had eyes shaped like plus signs and long yellow tipped flaps resembling rabbit ears that covered its canals.
"I've never seen that Pokémon before," said Tristan as he scanned the new Pokémon with his Pokédex.
(Music Cue: Hoenn Pokédex (as heard in the 4Kids dub))
"Whismur, the Whisper Pokémon. Whismur can be so startled by the sound of its own crying, that it will continue to cry until finally falling asleep from exhaustion."
"And now we wait for the choices from our two Trainers," announced Gabby.
(Music Cue: Team Aqua/Magma Grunt Battle (full version as heard in "Watt's with Wattson"))
"What do you think, Tristan?" whispered Hillary.
"Well, since Magnemite's an Electric-type, your Squirtle won't be a very good match-up against it," replied Tristan. "But since Magnemite also has Steel-type characteristics..."
"Of course!" interrupted Hillary. "That means...Cyndaquil, I choose you!" She took out her Poké Ball and threw it.
Cyndaquil emerged from the white light that shot out of it.
"Hey, Tristan, why don't you send out Pikachu?" suggested Hillary.
"Sure, but why?"
"Even though Pikachu's Electric attacks won't work as well on Magnemite, it's also resistant against other Electric attacks."
"Great idea! All right, Pikachu, let's go!"
Pikachu eagerly nodded and charged in, preparing itself for battle alongside Cyndaquil.
"So, after strategizing, Tristan and Hillary have chosen Pikachu and Cyndaquil," announced Gabby. "Let's begin the battle!"
"Go, Whismur, use Pound on Pikachu, now!" instructed Ty.
Whismur charged in and prepared to use its ears to slap Pikachu.
"Dodge and use Thunderbolt on Whismur, Pikachu!" ordered Tristan.
Pikachu quickly jumped out of the way of Whismur's attack and unleashed a powerful yellow bolt of electricity from its body at it, scoring a direct hit.
"Yeah, that's the way!" commended Tristan.
"Quick, Magnemite! Protect Whismur from that Thunderbolt!" commanded Gabby.
Magnemite quickly floated down in front of Whismur and deflected Pikachu's attack, absorbing the damage and saving it in the process.
"Those two really know how to battle as a team," remarked Tristan.
"Well, we know how to battle as a team, too, right, Cyndaquil!" added Hillary.
Cyndaquil nodded in agreement.
"Cyndaquil, use Flamethrower on Magnemite!" commanded Hillary.
Cyndaquil charged in, quickly igniting the flame on its back, and unleashed a powerful stream of fire from its mouth, scoring a direct hit on Magnemite.
"No, Magnemite!" cried Gabby.
Magnemite was sent careening past Gabby and Ty, and slid on the ground from the damage it took from Flamethrower; it had been knocked out instantly, much to Gabby's surprise.
"Magnemite, return!" called Gabby as she recalled it back into its Poké Ball. "You were great."
"Excellent move, sis!" commended Tristan. "That Flamethrower attack knocked that Magnemite right out of there."
"True, but let's not celebrate just yet," reminded Hillary. "We still have a Whismur to deal with."
"Right. Okay, Pikachu, hit Whismur with Quick Attack, now!"
Pikachu sped toward Whismur as a white line streaked behind it.
"Whismur, use Astonish!" instructed Ty.
Whismur opened its big mouth and unleashed multiple red waves from its mouth; making a noise so loud that Pikachu stopped dead in its tracks and had to cover its ears.
Tristan and Hillary covered their ears too.
Togepi withdrew into its shell to try and block out the noise as best it could.
"What IS that?!" bellowed Hillary.
"A loud attack!" shouted Tristan. "Quick, Pikachu, try a Thunderbolt attack!"
Pikachu was barely able to hear Tristan's command and unleashed a powerful yellow bolt of electricity at Whismur, scoring a direct hit on it and stopping its Astonish attack.
"Phew!" sighed Hillary. "That's much quieter. Now, shall we finish this one up, big bro?"
"You bet!" agreed Tristan. "Pikachu!"
"Cyndaquil!"
"Double Quick Attack!" they commanded together.
Pikachu and Cyndaquil sped toward Whismur as white lines streaked behind them, and managed to strike Whismur at the very same instant, sending it flying into Gabby's hands while Ty filmed it.
"Whismur, are you okay?" asked Ty.
Whismur had a dazed expression in its eyes; it had been knocked out.
"You did a great job," commended Ty as he struggled to maintain his balance with his camera while taking out Whismur's Poké Ball. "You deserve a good rest." And he recalled Whismur back.
"Did you get the entire battle on camera?" asked Gabby to Ty.
"Yep, I got it all on camera," answered Ty as he looked on at Tristan and Hillary, who celebrated their victory.
"Awesome, Pikachu!" commended Tristan.
"You, too, Cyndaquil!" added Hillary as she and Tristan exchanged high-fives.
Pikachu and Cyndaquil did the same.
Gabby and Ty came over to Tristan and Hillary.
(Music Cue: Route 29 (full version))
"That was a great Tag Battle," smiled Gabby. "It's no wonder that you two battle so well together as a team."
"Thanks, I think," replied Hillary sheepishly.
"Would you be willing to answer a few questions for us?" asked Gabby. "I promise it won't take long at all."
Tristan and Hillary looked at each other. Then they answered, "Sure, why not?"
"Okay. So, I understand that you're trying to earn eight Badges to get into the Hoenn League. Will this be your first Leage you participate in?"
"Actually, no. I've competed in a few other Leagues before this one," answered Tristan. "My challenge in the Indigo Pokémon League was cancelled, so I ended up challenging the Orange League and won that. But I didn't really know how far I've come, nor did I know how much more I needed to learn about Pokémon. So I decided to participate in the Johto League, and made it to the best eight."
"Wow, best eight? That's impressive," said Gabby. She then turned to Hillary. "I understand you're quite the young Trainer, starting out at an early age. So what helped you decide to become a Coordinator?"
"I watched the Rustboro City Second-Chance Contest, and I just adored the appeal of all the Pokémon's attacks," explained Hillary. "All of them were such a joy to watch. So, I wanted to try doing the exact same thing and become a Coordinator. I hope to make it to the Grand Festival someday."
"It's obvious you know what you're doing," smiled Gabby.
Hillary nodded. "Tristan and I have learned a lot on our journey, giving each other support and strength along the way."
"Exactly how teamwork should be," agreed Gabby. "Well, you'll be pleased to announce that the interview is now complete. Have you heard about the Trick House by any chance?"
Tristan and Hillary looked at each other. "The Trick House?"
"Yes," smiled Gabby. "This is the place where the King of Tricks challenges you to find your way through puzzling challenges. As a matter of fact, there was a contest that took place recently for a year's supply of Poké Block. Maybe you two would like a second chance at that."
"All right, I'm in!" said Hillary excitedly. "If it means more chances to win more Contests, then I'll give it a shot! What do you say, Tristan? Huh? Huh? Huh?"
Tristan was taken aback by Hillary's sudden burst of energy. "Okay, okay, I'll do it too."
"Great! See you there! Yahoo!" And Hillary darted off before anyone could stop her.
"No, wait!" shouted Tristan. "The Trick House isn't going anywhere, you know!" He then gave a sigh. "That's my little sister. When she gets excited, watch out."
(Music Cue: A Devious Plot)
Meanwhile, just out of sight, Taz was readying another fiendish plan. "So, a year's supply of Poké Block, eh? One piece may not be much, but I don't care. 'Cause as long as I got a whole kit and kaboodle of 'em, I'll be rich!" And he silently slunk into his hiding place to put his latest plan into effect.
"Welcome, friends, to Mauville City. But more importantly, I welcome you all to the House of Tricks, for today's game will end no later than six!" A large man with ragged gray hair and a short ponytail and a long mustache stood just inside.
(Music Cue: Wandering Togepi (as heard in the Japanese version of "Pikachu's Summer Vacation"))
Tristan and Hillary were the first to arrive, followed closely by Gabby and Ty.
"Do you know who that is?" asked Tristan.
"That is the one and only Trick Master," answered Gabby. "Or to put it formally, the King of Tricks."
"King of Tricks, huh?" replied Hillary. "He looks a little eccentric to me."
"He likes to make jokes, and sometimes falls for them, but he always emerges none the worse for wear," explained Ty.
The King of Tricks, overhearing Hillary, leaned close to her and said, "Strange is right, but don't fret, my dear, for the prize you seek is somewhere in here. You must complete these challenges, but watch out, for there are traps laying about...like this!" As he spoke, he stepped on a switch, causing a trapdoor to open below him, sending him careening into a pool of water with a big SPLASH!
"See what I mean?" smiled Ty.
"Well, sis, no matter which one of us wins the Poké Block, no hard feelings, right?" said Tristan.
"Right, no hard feelings." And she shook hands with Tristan and headed for their first challenge as Gabby and Ty began recording footage of the Trick House.
"This is Gabby, coming to you from the Trick House just outside of Mauville City," said Gabby. "Tristan and Hillary, a brother-sister team, whom we just met, have both agreed to participate in a contest to see who will win a year's supply of Poké Block. So far, they're the only two challengers. Oh, wait! Here comes one more!"
(Music Cue: Team Rocket's Theme (as heard in "Pokémon Heroes: Latios and Latias"))
Sure enough, a man, who was seemingly clean shaven, entered in, wearing clothes that seemed like they were from the prehistoric period. Little did everyone know it was really Taz in disguise.
"And who are you?" asked Gabby.
Taz gave a smirk and said, "Just call me the Tazmanian Devil, the Speed Demon. I'll win the Poké Block and eat it myself. And no one will be fast enough to stop me." And he sniggered off to follow Tristan and Hillary further inside.
"Well, it looks like Tristan and Hillary have one more contender," said Gabby excitedly. "And I doubt they know about him yet. Will our newest challenger be able to stop them? Stay tuned, because this is only just beginning!"
Tristan and Hillary came into a room with a tricky maze in it.
"So I guess this is where we start, huh?" said Hillary.
"Then let's go in and finish out on top!" replied Tristan, who was full of determination. "Let's go, Pikachu."
(Music Cue: Electric Mice Race (full version (as heard in "Pikachu's Summer Vacation"))
Pikachu eagerly agreed as everyone started inside the maze, but just then, the disguised Taz bumped into the two of them, causing them to fall to the ground.
"Hey, you! What gives?!" demanded Hillary.
"I, the Tazmanian Devil, will zoom to victory!" laughed Taz as he quickly and confidently darted off.
"The Tazmanian Devil?" Tristan was confused.
"Come on, let's make up for lost time and catch up to him!" suggested Hillary as she and Tristan quickly raced after the disguised Taz.
Gabby and Ty followed behind, closely monitoring all the action.
"This is so exciting, folks!" said Gabby. "The Tazmanian Devil has surged into the lead, leaving Tristan and Hillary in the dust! But knowing them, they won't let anything stop them from victory. But can they get there?"
Tristan and Hillary came across false starts and dead ends no matter where they went.
"Man, I wish we had a Nosepass to track the end of this maze," grumbled Hillary.
"Me, too," added Tristan.
Suddenly, they saw Taz running by at remarkable speed.
"Good thing I got one of these!" he cackled as he flashed a piece of paper and flashed past.
"Hey, he's got a map!" exclaimed Tristan.
"But that's against the rules!" Hillary became furious. "Well, that does it. I'll show him what speed is all about!" And she darted after Taz with a vengeance.
Tristan quickly followed suit.
Unfortunately, thanks to the map that Taz had, he was just one step too far ahead, and he managed to find the end of the maze right before Tristan and Hillary. "Ha! Looks like I won, you losers!"
Tristan and Hillary grumbled.
"Congratulations to the Tazmanian Devil!" smiled the Trick Master. "You sure were quick. But the next few parts might make you sick!" And he laughed profusely.
As they enter the next room, Tristan, Hillary, and Taz saw two seemingly sturdy logs with a pool of water just below it.
The Trick Master came onto one of the logs. "This next part will surely be a ball, but one false move, and you're in for a fall...that's all!" And he lost his balance on a log that began to spin, causing him to fall into the water below.
"This ought to be a cinch!" smirked Taz as he dashed onto the log and tried to run across it. Unfortunately, he, too, lost his balance and fell into the water below.
Hillary gulped. "I'm afraid of high places. I don't want to have another bath today."
"I don't either, Hillary, but if we want to win that Poké Block, we can't start doubting ourselves now," said Tristan.
"All right, then let's do this." And summoning up all her courage, she led Tristan onto the logs.
Taz climbed out of the pool. He was soaking wet and grumbling. He made a plan to get back at Tristan and Hillary for beating him so many times, so he decided to sabotage their efforts by rotating the logs and began turning a nearby crank, causing the log to spin faster and faster.
(Music Cue: Crazy Bike Ride (full version))
"Aaah!" shrieked Hillary as she began to lose her balance. "Tristan, what's going on?!"
"The logs are spinning!" exclaimed Tristan as he did his best to keep his own balance.
Pikachu tried even harder to maintain its balance as everyone struggled to make it across.
But surprisingly enough, Togepi seemed to navigate the spinning logs with no trouble at all.
Everyone managed to make it across without falling and gave huge sighs of relief.
"Well, that wasn't fun," grumbled Hillary.
Then they heard Togepi laughing.
"Togepi didn't seem to mind," replied Tristan.
Pikachu gave an exhausted groan.
"Glad you enjoyed it," said Hillary sarcastically.
"What's this room?" wondered Tristan as he and Hillary made their way into it.
The room had several boxes nailed to the ceiling with ropes attached to them.
"The next room has plenty of ropes," answered the Trick Master. "But if you don't watch out, then you'll lose hope...like this!" And he pulled on one of the ropes, causing a toy hammer to appear from one of the boxes behind him and hit him straight on his noggin, seemingly knocking him out; however, surprisingly, he woke up soon after, none the worse for wear.
"Well, let's see if any of these ropes will direct us to the next room," suggested Hillary. "I'll take one and you take one."
Tristan nodded in agreement as he and Hillary each climbed up a rope and pulled it.
But to their surprise, the disguised Taz emerged. "The Tazmanian Devil!" they cried.
"Gotchas again!" smirked Taz as he cut the ropes with a pair of big scissors, causing Tristan and Hillary to crash to the floor on their bottoms.
"Ow!" groaned Tristan. "I never knew landing like that could be so painful.
Pikachu groaned in agreement.
However, Hillary was left fuming. "All right, that does it!" she shouted. "Nobody makes us fall and gets away with it! It's time to teach that Tazmanian Devil a lesson he'll never forget!" And she was so mad that she felt like a burning fire that wouldn't go out.
Tristan was perplexed; he'd never seen Hillary this upset before. "Oh, boy," he said to himself. "Sounds like Hillary may need to be put out."
Pikachu and Togepi looked on in confusion.
Advancing to the next room, Tristan and Hillary were determined not to let the disguised Taz get the better of them.
Hillary took two steps forward in the maze, but suddenly, the ground under her gave way. "Yikes!" she exclaimed.
Tristan quickly grabbed her and pulled her out before she fell in. "That was close. Are you okay?"
"I am now. I almost fell into a trap."
"Not just any trap, mind you," smiled the Trick Master as he ran ahead of them.. "This room may leave you thinking you're having a ball...but if you don't watch out, then you'll have no choice but to...FAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLL!" The Trick Master had fallen into one of his own traps, and his voice echoed before landing with a hard crash a few seconds later.
Hillary gulped. "Uh, maybe we should forget about this, Tristan?"
"No way," replied Tristan determinedly. "We didn't come this far just to give up. We'll just quickly and carefully make our way across, that's all. Right, Pikachu?"
Pikachu agreed.
Hillary smiled. She knew there was no point in trying to argue with her big brother, especially since he was determined to succeed like always. So she put her fear of falling into one of the pit traps out of her mind and cautiously followed him and Pikachu.
"Heh, heh," chuckled Taz to himself as he watched just out of sight from Tristan and Hillary. "Little do those kiddies know that I added a few extra pit traps to this part of the maze. They're bound to fall into one of those holes.
Sure enough, pitfalls appeared wherever they stepped, but they were quick enough to avoid them before the ground disappeared beneath them, even Taz's traps.
At last, they reached the other side.
"Impossible!" exclaimed Taz to himself. "They made it through?!"
"All right, we did it!" said Hillary excitedly.
"I knew we would," agreed Tristan as he and Hillary exchanged high-fives.
Gabby and Ty were surprised, but kept filming anyway.
"Would you look at that!" said Gabby excitedly. "Tristan and Hillary conquered their fears and made it through that part of the maze like it was nothing! I have to tell you, these two may have what it takes to win this! The Tazmanian Devil had better watch out!"
"Well, that does it," grumbled Taz as he watched from a distance. "It's time I take this into my own hands."
The next part of the maze was the last part.
The Trick Master approached, still seemingly uninjured from the last several of his own traps. "And now, for the last part of the maze...it's a jump roping contest!"
"Wow, jump roping? This should be easy!" said Tristan.
"Finally, something I know we're BOTH good at," added Hillary.
"I've asked the Tazmanian Devil, our speed demon, to help me turn the rope," explained the Trick Master.
Taz appeared and grabbed one end of the rope while the Trick Master grabbed the other end. "All youse need to do is jump over this rope 10 times. Do so, and you win."
"Wow, I can barely contain my excitement!" said Hillary. "Let's do this, Tristan!"
"You bet!"
Everyone got ready to jump as Taz and the Trick Master turned the rope.
"One...two...three...four...five...six...seven...eight...nine...ten!"
Everyone was celebrating their victory when suddenly, Taz quickly spun around and around, tying them up as well as the Trick Master.
"Hey, what's the big idea, Tazmanian Devil?!" demanded Hillary.
(Music Cue: Team Rocket Appears (as heard in "One Trick Phony"))
There was worse to come, for the disguised Taz snatched Pikachu and Togepi and shoved them into a sack.
"Pikachu!" cried Tristan.
"Togepi!" added Hillary.
Taz laughed maniacally, then he threw off his disguise.
"It's Taz!" exclaimed Tristan.
"We should've known it was you!" added Hillary.
Gabby and Ty saw everything and resumed their reporting.
"And now, a much more sinister twist has taken place here at the Trick House," said Gabby, who was now serious. "The Tazmanian Devil is, in reality, Taz from Team Rocket, who is one of the world's worst villains from the Kanto and Johto regions. How he managed to get into the Hoenn region, we may never know, but Tristan, Hillary, and the Trick Master are in a precarious predicament. Can they break out and save the Pokémon?"
"This Trick House has taught me to become even trickier than usual," smirked Taz. "So I owe you a thank-youse, especially from you, King of Tricks."
The Trick Master was furious. "How dare you trick us like this! Give back those Pokémon right now!"
"I'd love to oblige, but you see, you look a little tied up at the moment!" laughed Taz profusely. "Later, losers!" And he began making a run for it with the sack still in hand.
(Music Cue: Wreakin' Havoc! (as heard in "The Totodile Duel"))
Tristan managed to take out a Poké Ball. "Quick, come out, Beldum!"
Beldum emerged from the white light that shot out of it and awaited his instructions.
"Go and stop Taz, now!" ordered Tristan.
Beldum flew at the fleeing Taz and took him down, releasing his grip on the sack, which instantly opened, releasing Pikachu and Togepi, who quickly came back to their Trainers.
"Pikachu, Togepi, are you two okay?" asked Hillary.
Pikachu and Togepi smiled and nodded.
"Thank goodness," said Tristan. "Can you free us with Iron Tail, Pikachu?"
Pikachu nodded, then it used its lit-up tail to cut through the ropes, freeing Tristan, Hillary, and the Trick Master.
"Yeah!" they cried excitedly.
Meanwhile, Beldum was gleefully bouncing up and down all over Taz's back with its claws.
"Ow! Ow! Ow!" yelled Taz. "Stop that insidious bouncing! You're going to hoit my back! All right, that does it!" He got up and gave Beldum a punch, but that did little more than hurt his fist instead, swelling it up. He held it as he winced in pain. "That was a bad idea."
"Yeah, that's the way, Beldum!" commended Tristan.
(Music Cue: Advance Adventure (as heard in "The Bicker the Better"))
Taz turned around to see Tristan, Hillary, and the Trick Master confronting him, much to his shock. "How'd you all get free?"
Tristan smiled. "Well, thanks to Beldum's nerves of steel, Pikachu gave us just enough time to give you the slip again."
"Argh!" growled Taz. "Is there no end to your one-upping me? Magmar, Electabuzz, let's go! Take care of those losers!"
Magmar and Electabuzz emerged from the white lights that shot out of them.
"Squirtle, help Beldum, now!" commanded Hillary as she threw a Poké Ball.
Squirtle emerged from the white light that shot out of it. Then it hopped on Beldum, and together, they both charged into battle against Electabuzz and Magmar.
"It's time to show Taz what teamwork can really do," said Tristan. "Ready, sis?"
"You bet!"
"Here it comes, another example of great teamwork in the making," said Gabby as she and Ty kept rolling tape. "Even though Electabuzz and Magmar are strong Pokémon, Tristan, Hillary, and their Pokémon don't seem bothered by them at all. Can they beat Taz and send him packing?"
"Your Pokémon are no match for mine, you fools," smirked Taz. "Magmar, Flamethrower, and Electabuzz, use Thunder!"
Magmar unleashed a powerful stream of fire from its mouth while Electabuzz launched a powerful yellow bolt of electricity at Squirtle and Beldum.
"Beldum, dodge and use Take Down!" commanded Tristan.
Beldum flew through Electabuzz and Magmar's attacks, avoiding them along the way, and scored a direct hit on Electabuzz.
But Magmar, not having been taken out yet, unleashed another Flamethrower straight at Beldum.
"Squirtle, Water Gun, now!" ordered Hillary.
Squirtle unleashed a powerful blast of water from its mouth at Magmar, scoring a direct hit on it, sending it careening onto Electabuzz.
Both Pokémon landed on top of Taz, squishing him as usual.
"Okay, Beldum, wrap this up with Take Down!" commanded Tristan.
"Squirtle, help Beldum using Water Gun!" added Hillary.
Squirtle unleashed another powerful blast of water from its mouth, propelling Beldum toward Taz and his Pokémon at blinding speed.
BOOM!
The combined attack scored a direct hit on them, sending them flying through the roof.
"We'll remember this!" screamed Taz as he and his Pokémon disappeared into the sky.
DING!
"Nice work, Beldum!" commended Tristan.
"You, too, Squirtle!" added Hillary.
Squirtle and Beldum smiled at each other for their great comradery.
"You two were great, too," said the Trick Master. "You and your Pokémon really know how to battle. With your combined prowess, there's no doubt in my mind that you'll be tough to beat."
"Thanks," replied Tristan as he and Hillary high-fived once again.
That evening, the Trick Master announced the winners to the cheers of the populous, who watched the whole thing. "And so, in light of the Tazmanian Devil revealing himself to be the dastardly Taz, and Tristan and Hillary getting through basically every challenge, I hereby award the both of them the year's supply of Poké Block as their grand prize. Congratulations!"
Everyone cheered as Tristan and Hillary accepted the prize.
Gabby and Ty came forward.
"That was excellent, you two," said Gabby. "You showed some real teamwork today. I have one last question for you before you resume your journey. What's the secret to your success?"
(Music Cue: To Be Continued (full version))
"Well, actually, there is no secret," replied Tristan sheepishly. "As long as I have Pikachu and my other Pokémon, and as long as Hillary and I have each other, we always come out as winners, whether we win or lose."
Hillary nodded in agreement. "We may win some and lose some, and even though we learn from our victories, we learn a whole lot more from our defeats. And that's what helps us become better Trainers and even better people."
Gabby and Ty smiled.
"I couldn't have said it better myself," said Gabby. "Right, Ty?"
"You said it. We hope to see you two in the future, achieving even greater heights together."
Tristan and Hillary nodded in agreement.
Pikachu and Togepi smiled and looked on at each other and their Trainers.
"That concludes our Trick House challenge for today!" said the Trick Master. "I invite you all to join me on the next one. See you next fall!" And he took one step forward and did just that.
Everyone was confused, but they knew the Trick Master would always emerge none the worse for wear.
As the sun set, Tristan and Hillary resumed their journey.
"Hey, Tristan, wasn't the Trick House part of Mauville City?" asked Hillary.
Tristan checked the map on his PokéNav. "You're right, sis, it was!"
"Then that must mean we've already reached it. Let's try and find a Pokémon Center and rest up for the night."
"Yeah, and while we're at it, maybe we can give some of this Poké Block to our cousins. I'm sure they could use it."
"I know they'll get great use out of it."
Presently, they saw several skyscrapers, including one familiar building in the distance.
"Hey, look, there's the Pokémon Center!" said Tristan excitedly. "I'm looking forward to a good night's sleep."
"Yeah, me too," agreed Hillary. But I'm starving, too! Let's get in a good meal before bed. Last one there's a rotten Exeggcute!" And she hurried off with Togepi in hand.
"No fair, wait up!" called Tristan as he and Pikachu happily behind her.
After a challenging day at the Trick House, our heroes have finally arrived in Mauville City. And now, feeling excited for a great dinner, they look forward to Tristan's next Gym Battle, which is only one good night's sleep away! Will Tristan have what it takes to earn his third Badge? Stay tuned to find out!
TO BE CONTINUED...