I meant to post this chapter last week, but by the time I finished it, it was too late and I was tired. So here it is. Enjoy reading Ashley's Gym battle against Clair!
Disclaimer: I do not own any Pokémon characters! I only own my OCs!
Chapter 47: Better Eight Than Never
I didn't think I would get enough sleep last night because I was so nervous. I stood on the battlefield with Clair at the other side of the Gym with Kaburagi taking his position as the referee. Ash and our friends stood behind me while Firered stayed by my side, ready to jump into battle when told.
"The Gym battle between Gym Leader Clair and challenger Ashley Ketchum is about to begin!" Kaburagi called out, basically repeating the same information like yesterday before we got interrupted. "Each Trainer will use three Pokémon and only the challenger may switch Pokémon during battles. The Gym battle is over when one's three Pokémon have fainted."
"I'm not going to hold back, Ashley, so show me what you and your Pokémon can do", Clair said.
"I will", I nodded, feeling the adrenaline pumping through my veins.
The Gym Leader threw her first Poké Ball and summoned her first Pokémon of the battle. "Kingdra, I choose you!"
"Dhroooh!" Kingdra hissed aggressively as it swam in the large pool in the middle of the battlefield.
"A Kingdra…", I hummed softly. My guess of Clair's other Pokémon were going to be Gyarados and Dragonair, so I had to be strategic with my choices. However, there was one Pokémon I had who I wanted to show to everyone that he could be on par with other dragons even though he wasn't a dragon-type.
"Go, Kobra!" I shouted as I threw my Poké Ball.
Kobra got out of the device and lifted his body up as he took his stand in front of the pool. "Shaaaarbok!"
"An Arbok?" Clair arched a brow.
"Arboks are part of the dragon egg group, and I want to prove to the world that they are strong Pokémon", I replied.
"Well, I know a few dragon tamers who have Arboks, but those are rarely shown in dragon battles", Kaburagi commented.
"Yes, but I can tell this Arbok is not to underestimate", Clair nodded. "Be careful, Kingdra."
"Dhrooh!"
"Kobra, I'm counting on you!" I told my partner.
"Shaaar!"
"Begin battle!" Kaburagi yelled out and raised the judge flags.
"Kobra, start with Mud Bomb!" I shouted, taking the first move.
"Shaa-aar!" Kobra expanded his jaw and spat several mud balls toward Kingdra.
"Dodge them with Agility, Kingdra!" Clair shouted.
"Dhrooh!" Kingdra increased its speed as it swam around in the pool, dodging the Mud Bombs. The mud fell into the pool and dissolved like water paint.
"Now, attack with Swift!" the Gym Leader commanded.
Kingdra summoned energy stars and launched them at Kobra. It was a move that could never be dodged, so he had to take the attack. The stars cut his thick scales, but he endured them.
"Shaaaar!" Kobra screeched and moved his hood in an intimidating way.
"Well, I'm impressed by Arbok's defense", Clair said.
"He's one of the first Pokémon I caught in Kanto", I replied, feeling proud of Kobra's endurance. "Now, it's our turn! Kobra, use Mud Bomb again!"
"Shaa-aar!" Kobra spat additional mud balls from his mouth.
"Dodge them with Agility again!" Clair yelled.
I knew she was going to tell her Pokémon to do the same trick again. Kingdra sped up its movements and dodged the Mud Bombs, causing them to dissolve in the water again. It came much closer toward the edge of the pool where Kobra stood.
"Jump into the pool, Kobra!" I shouted.
"Shaar!" Kobra didn't hesitate to launch himself into the slight murky water.
"What are you doing, Ashley?!" Misty yelled out.
I showed her my hand to tell her not to disturb me. I was putting all my attention and energy at this battle and I didn't need any distractions. "Grab Kingdra with your coils, Kobra!"
Before we knew it, Kobra had trapped Kingdra in his coils after we lured it in closer to us with Mud Bomb. It struggled to get out of Kobra's tight grasp while they sunk underwater. "Dhroooh!"
"Kingdra!" Clair gasped.
"Now, Kobra! Glare!" I shouted.
I couldn't see what was happening underwater, but I did catch a gleam of yellow light reflecting in the light brown water.
"Kingdra, get out with Agility!" Clair shouted.
Kingdra's silhouette moved out of Kobra's coils and swam up to the surface. Kobra followed suit and took a deep breath of fresh air. Clair's Pokémon showed a slight moment of exhaustion and its body sparkled briefly. It was a sign that Kobra's Glare was successful.
"You may have paralyzed Kingdra, but it will take more than that to defeat him!" Clair smirked confidently. "Kingdra, use Hydro Pump!"
"Dhroooh…!" Kingdra fired a large water beam from his snout, but the paralysis caused him to lose focus. The Hydro Pump barely missed Kobra who dodged it with ease. The water hit the wall of the pool and sprayed it around the dry battlefield.
"Kobra, strike back with Gunk Shot!" I shouted.
Kobra's cheeks expanded immensely before he launched a large purple mass of toxic goo. Kingdra didn't have time to dodge the move, so it hit him head on. "Kingdra!" Clair yelled worriedly.
The toxic spread around in the water, turning it into a dark purple liquid. It was clear the water got polluted by Kobra's moves, which was now part of my plan.
"Kingdra, are you okay?" Clair asked.
"D-Dhrooh…", Kingdra panted through his snout.
"Use Twister to throw Arbok out of the pool!" the Gym Leader commanded.
"Dhrooooh!" Kingdra moved his fins while he summoned a twister above the water. The dragon move traveled to Kobra and caught him in the current. Kobra shrieked as he was lifted up from the pool.
"Kobra!" I called worriedly as I watched him get thrown onto the battlefield. "Kobra, are you okay?!"
"S-Shaar…!" Kobra hissed as he slowly got up, glaring angrily at Kingdra who swam in the toxic pool.
There was a moment of standstill. I studied the field and checked Kingdra's condition. He looked pale as he was not only affected by the paralysis but also by the poisonous water he was forced to swim in. Clair also seemed to analyze the current circumstances. I had one advantage and that was I could switch Pokémon whenever I wanted while she was stuck with Kingdra who got weaker for each minute.
"Kobra, fire a Gunk Shot at the water!" I shouted.
"Shaaaar!" Kobra spat a new mass of toxic goo from his mouth.
"Block it with Hydro Pump, Kingdra!" Clair yelled.
Kingdra fired the move and collided with the Gunk Shot. As a result, the mass exploded and scattered the goo around the field, but most of it landed in the water, adding more fuel to the toxic.
"Go and use Crunch, Kobra!" I shouted. I knew there was risk going into close combat, but Kingdra was weak so it was a risk I was willing to take. And Kobra believed in my choices.
"Shaaar!" Kobra hissed and slithered fast toward the pool.
"Kingdra, use Swift!" Clair shouted.
"Dhroo-!" Kingdra raised his head, but before he could summon energy stars he flinched by the paralysis.
"Kingdra!" Clair yelled worriedly.
"Strike, Kobra!" I shouted, feeling my blood pump rapidly as I could sense this first battle was coming to an end.
Kobra jumped into the pool and swam swiftly at Kingdra. "Shaaaar!" Before Kingdra could move, Kobra bit him hard on the underbelly that was a weak spot. My Pokémon then tackled Kingdra with all his strength so Kingdra got thrown on the wall.
"Kingdra!" Clair shrieked.
"D-Dhrooh…", Kingdra groaned as his body floated in the toxic pool, not moving an inch.
"Kingdra can no longer battle! Arbok wins!" Kaburagi announced.
"Alright! You did it, Ashley!" Ash cheered in the background.
"Rawr!" Firered growled happily.
"Great job, Kobra!" I smiled widely while he crawled out of the polluted pool.
"Shaar!" Kobra hissed eagerly, not looking exhausted at all. It was like he had recovered a little by being exposed to the poisonous water.
"You were great, Kingdra. Take a good rest", Clair recalled Kingdra with a soft smile. "I'm impressed, Ashley. You took advantage of the battlefield and intentionally turned the pool into a toxic waste for Kingdra to weaken him."
"Thank you", I blushed by the compliment. "I've learned from my brother to adapt to the environment."
"Good observation", Clair smirked and grabbed her second Poké Ball. "But don't relax just yet! This Gym battle has just started! Go, Dragonair!"
"Kryuuuh!" Dragonair chirped when she was summoned from her Poké Ball.
Dragonair was levitating above the ground, so she clearly didn't have any plans of diving into the polluted pool. I didn't want to use Kobra, even though he had fully restored himself. I had one Pokémon who felt suited against the dragon.
"Kobra, return!" I recalled him to his Poké Ball. "Firered, may I count on you for this battle?"
"Rawr!" Firered nodded and stomped out to the field.
"I had a feeling you were going to choose your Charizard", Clair commented and suddenly snapped her fingers. "Let's incorporate the elements of earth, wind and water!"
Kaburagi pulled a lever which made the roof open so our Pokémon could battle in the sky. It was a good thing the weather was clear so we didn't have to worry about getting wet and catch a cold.
"Begin battle!" the referee yelled out once the roof was fully open.
"Firered, start with Flamethrower!" I shouted.
"Raaawr!" Firered roared and breathed a large fiery beam toward Dragonair.
"Dragonair, dodge and use Hyper Beam!" Clair shouted.
"Kryuuuh!" Dragonair shrieked and floated to the side, dodging the fire attack. She then fired a Hyper Beam from her horn aimed straight at Firered.
"Dodge and counter back with Wing Attack!" I yelled.
Firered barely dodged the Hyper Beam when he flew up. Since Hyper Beam was such a powerful move, the Pokémon that used it needed to rest up for a short moment. That was an opening for Firered to slash Dragonair with his glowing wings.
"Kryuuuh!" Dragonair shrieked when she got slashed. She nearly fell into the toxic water, but she caught herself and levitated from it.
"Dragonair, stay strong!" Clair shouted. "Stop Charizard with Thunder Wave!"
"Firered, use Smokescreen!" I shouted quickly.
Dragonair launched a crackling Thunder Wave from her jewel under her chin just as Firered breathed a thick cloud of smoke around her. The Thunder Wave just missed Firered by an inch, which was a huge relief.
"Dragonair, clear up the smoke with Dragon Rage!" Clair yelled.
"Kryuuuuuh!" Dragonair shrieked as a swirling cyclone appeared in the midst of the smokescreen. The smoke was swiftly cleared up with the dragon levitating above the pool. If only I could force her to get into the pool so she could take massive damage like Kingdra…
"Firered, grab Dragonair with Metal Claw!"
"Raawr!" Firered flew toward Dragonair with his claws reflecting like metal, ready to dig them through his opponent's scales.
"Dragonair, use Safeguard and dive into the pool!" Clair yelled.
Dragonair enveloped herself with a blue protective aura before she swiftly flew into the toxic pool. Safeguard protected Pokémon from status conditions like paralysis or burn, so that was a smart move. And a smarter move to hide underwater.
Or was it really that smart of Clair?
I got an idea and decided to go after my instincts. "Firered, use Flamethrower on the water with full power!"
"RAAAWR!" Firered breathed so much fire at such a high heat it didn't take long before the poisonous water was evaporated. Dragonair sat at the bottom of the pool that had a thin layer of mud and toxic goo from Kobra's previous attacks.
"Kryuuh?!" Dragonair chirped in disbelief.
"You can't hide in the pool if there's no water there!" I shouted, not realizing I was using a taunting voice. "Come out and fight in the sky!"
"I like your confident voice!" Clair chuckled. "Dragonair, get up to the sky!"
Her Pokémon levitated up from the pool and stared intensely at Firered like she was trying to predict what kind of move he would do next. "Dragonair, use Iron Tail!"
"Kryuuuh!" Dragonair's tail including the blue jewels reflected like metal as she swung toward Firered.
"Block with Metal Claw!" I yelled.
Firered's claws got the same shine as Dragonair's tail and caught it before the dragon could strike him.
"Now, use Thunder Wave!" Clair yelled.
I gasped when Dragonair fired blue lightning bolt from her horn at Firered. He got hit and grunted as his body sparkled due to being paralyzed. "R-Rawr…!"
"Don't give up!" I shouted. "Use Flamethrower!"
"Counter with Hyper Beam!" Clair shouted.
Both our Pokémon launched their attacks at the same time and collided with one another up close, creating a massive explosion with thick smoke engulfing them. Clair and I stared intensely at the sky while the smoke dissipated revealing Firered and Dragonair. They looked exhausted and had soot and burn marks on their scales.
"Your Charizard is very strong", Clair commented.
"So is your Dragonair, even though she doesn't have as much experience in battle yet", I said. The Gym Leader told me before her Dragonair was the same Dratini we looked after back when the siblings were migrating to shed their skin. She evolved during that one week time period when we were preparing for our battle.
"Dragonair may be young, but she's resilient!" Clair exclaimed. "Dragonair, use Dragon Rage!"
"Firered, grab hold on Dragonair!" I shouted.
Firered was faster than Dragonair and grabbed her from behind. Dragonair shrieked by the move, but then she activated her neck jewel and summoned a cyclone. The cyclone engulfed both Pokémon, trapping them inside the vortex.
"Don't let go and use Flamethrower with the Dragon Rage, Firered!" I shouted as loud as I could, hoping he could hear me.
Firered definitely heard me because the cyclone slowly transformed into a fiery vortex. The heat hit me like a warm summer day the more violent the vortex got. It slowly vanished and showed Dragonair lying limp in Firered's arms. Firered flew down and placed the fainted dragon on the ground. He then grunted and got down on one knee.
"Dragonair is unable to continue battling!" Kaburagi declared. "Charizard wins!"
"Dragonair…!" Clair gasped in surprise.
"You were amazing, Firered!" I praised my very first Pokémon.
"Rawr…", Firered rumbled tiredly.
Clair recalled her Pokémon with a soft smile. "I'm very impressed, Ashley. You should be proud of your Charizard. He has trained very well with Liza in the Charicific Valley."
"I can't thank Liza and the other Charizards enough", I nodded. "Firered, come back and rest up."
"Rawr…", Firered limped over to my side and sat down to take a breather.
Kaburagi pressed a button and water started pouring into the dry pool. It was filled up in a couple of seconds so we could continue the Gym Battle. The roof also closed up now that the aerial battle was done.
"You just need to beat one more Pokémon of mine before you can earn a Rising Badge, Ashley", Clair reminded me and grabbed her third Poké Ball. "Gyarados, it's your turn!"
"Ghyaaaaah!" Gyarados screeched so loud it hurt my ears, so I covered them until the cry was over.
"Gyarados…", I mumbled. The best Pokémon against him would've been Hikaru, but I wanted to only use dragon Pokémon. The water in the pool was slightly mixed with the toxic goo from before, but most of it got evaporated before by Firered's Flamethrower. My third Pokémon could only perform well in water, so I was going to use her first and let Kobra rest a little more before we could use the toxic pool strategy again. "I choose you, Queendra!"
"Dhrooooh!" Queendra hissed at the large dragon.
"Oh, you've got a Kingdra too?" Clair arched a surprised brow.
"I evolved Queendra with the help of Professor Oak", I explained. "She's also another Pokémon I've had since Kanto."
"I look forward to see what your Kingdra can do", Clair smirked. "Gyarados, use Bite!"
"Ghyaaah!" Gyarados moved his head forward to get a bite on Queendra.
"Dodge with Agility, Queendra!" I shouted.
"Dhrooh!" Queendra swiftly swam in the water and dodged Gyarados so he dumped his head into the pool.
"Freeze his head with Ice Beam!" I shouted.
Queendra swam back to the front and fired an Ice Beam while Gyarados' head was still underwater. The water instantly froze around him including a part of his scales. Gyarados splashed the water around with his tail while trying to pull himself free from his cage.
"Gyarados, use Flamethrower!" Clair yelled.
The water started bubbling as Gyarados' Flamethrower thawed the ice. Queendra panicked a little as it got a little too hot for her. "Queendra, use Twister to throw yourself up!"
"Dhroooh!" Queendra summoned a twister beneath her that threw her up in the air just as Gyarados lifted his head out of the boiling water.
"Use Ice Beam again!" I shouted.
"Use Hyper Beam, Gyarados!" Clair yelled.
The Pokémon fired their moves and collided with one another, causing an explosion. Queendra fell through the smoke and landed safely in the water. "Okay, Gyarados! Use Bite!" Clair shouted.
"Dodge with Agility, Queendra!" I yelled.
Now it really was a Meowth-and-Rattata game. Gyarados snapped his teeth after Queendra who avoided each attempt with Agility, raising her speed to max.
"Enough of this!" Clair growled. "Gyarados, use Hydro Pump!"
"GHYAAAAAH!" Gyarados fired a massive water beam and hit the pool right in front of Queendra. The force pushed her into the wall, causing her to get a little dizzy by the hit.
"Queendra!" I yelled worriedly.
"Good job, Gyarados! Now, use Hyper Beam!" Clair called out.
"Queendra, dodge it!" I cried.
Gyarados fired the Hyper Beam aimed straight at Queendra. She in turn snapped out and dodged the normal-type move, which hit the wall of the pool instead. "Attack with Ice Beam!" I yelled.
"Dhroooh!" Queendra fired an Ice Beam while she swam around Gyarados who had to rest and recover his strength. The water froze around him and trapped his body so he couldn't move around freely.
"You know we will just melt the ice, Ashley!" Clair exclaimed. "Gyarados, use Flamethrower to free yourself!"
"Distract Gyarados with Twister, Queendra!" I shouted.
Gyarados was about to open his mouth when Queendra summoned a twister and sent it at her opponent. The sea serpent shrieked as the twister blew around his body.
"Don't give up, Gyarados! Use Flamethrower!" Clair yelled.
Gyarados glared and breathed a Flamethrower. The fire went around with the twister's current, engulfing himself with his own attack. I noticed the fiery inferno reached the ice and melted it away.
"Extinguish the fire with Hydro Pump!" Clair continued.
Now the fire was replaced with water as the twister calmed down. The water rained upon Gyarados' body, treating some burn marks he got after the fiery twister move. That actually gave me an idea.
"Queendra, use Ice Beam on Gyarados! Freeze him!" I yelled.
"Dhroooh!" Queendra fired an Ice Beam and struck Gyarados before he could cancel his water move. His whole body froze instantly into ice, his body glistering by the reflection of the spotlights and mouth wide open.
"Good job, Ashley!" Ash shouted in the background.
Queendra showed signs of exhaustion. I couldn't blame her. She had dodged multiple attacks from Gyarados and probably got affected by the boiling water. I had to come up a way to weaken Gyarados more with Queendra before I could call Kobra out.
"Use Ice Beam on Gyarados again, Queendra!" I shouted.
"Gyarados, thaw yourself out of the ice with Flamethrower!" Clair shouted.
While Queendra used Ice Beam to freeze Gyarados into a larger iceberg, a small fire burned inside the sea serpent's mouth and grew larger for each time his body got another thick layer of ice. I was getting concerned about Queendra's health. She looked very exhausted and it was shown by how thin her Ice Beam got every time she used it.
I guess this was enough for Queendra. Gyarados had a lot of endurance, which was proof that he had been trained for many years. It didn't help when the ice around him melted and broke apart, large bits falling into the pool. He let out a loud screech, relieved to be free from the icy prison.
"Let's finish this", Clair smirked. "Gyarados, Hyper Beam!"
"Use Hydro Pump, Queendra!" I yelled.
Gyarados fired a Hyper Beam at the same time as Queendra fired her move from her snout. The water beam was much smaller than it should be, so the Hyper Beam easily broke it apart and struck Queendra. She shrieked as the beam threw her out of the pool.
"Queendra!" I cried worriedly as she crashed on the dry battlefield.
"D-Dhroooh…", Queendra whimpered, shaking in pain.
"Kingdra is unable to continue battling! Gyarados wins!" Kaburagi announced, raising the Gym Leader flag.
"Good job, Gyarados", Clair praised her Pokémon. "That's one Pokémon down."
"Ghyaah!"
"Queendra, return", I recalled her to her Poké Ball and gave it a soft kiss. "You were great. Take a good long rest."
"I admit your Kingdra is a strong Pokémon", Clair complimented. "She did lots of damage to Gyarados."
"Thank you", I blushed, feeling a little embarrassed. "But your Gyarados is strong too. It won't be long before he goes down."
"Well then, prove it to me."
"Ghyaah."
Firered wasn't exactly the best Pokémon against Gyarados. He was still paralyzed and weak. One Hydro Pump and it would be game over instantly.
"Rawr…!" Firered grumbled, nodding like he tried to say he could battle.
I checked Gyarados' condition. He was breathing deeply and showed signs of exhaustion in his eyes. The best strategy would be going against him with a fully healed Pokémon. "Go, Kobra!"
"Shaaarbook!" Kobra hissed energetically once he was out of his Poké Ball.
"So Arbok is back", Clair smirked. "I was expecting that."
"Continue the battle!" Kaburagi yelled.
"Gyarados, use Hydro Pump!" Clair shouted.
"Dodge it, Kobra!" I shouted.
Gyarados fired his move at Kobra, but my Pokémon slithered away so the Hydro Pump hit the battlefield instead. The water actually helped Kobra slither faster on land.
"Kobra, use Glare!"
"Gyarados, use Flamethrower!"
Gyarados breathed fire to evaporate the water so it slowed Kobra's movement down. The fire crept closer to him when he leaped up and glared intensely at the blue Pokémon. Gyarados shrieked out at the glare and moved back, but he froze for a second.
"Gyarados!" Clair yelled.
"That Glare was a success!" I shouted eagerly. "Kobra, use Gunk Shot!"
Kobra spat a massive ball of toxic slime straight at Gyarados' face. He didn't have time to dodge it so the purple sphere burst as soon as it came in contact with him. He shrieked and slapped his tail fin on the water as the toxic goo burned his eyes.
"GHYAAAAAAH!"
"Don't panic, Gyarados! Wash off the poison in the water!" Clair yelled.
Gyarados put his head into the water and stirred around to get the toxic slime off. The water turned into a light shade of purple as the poison got once again mixed into the pool.
"Go, Kobra! Use Gunk Shot one more time!" I shouted.
"Shaaar!" Kobra spat another large slime ball that landed straight on Gyarados' face when he lifted himself up from the water. He screeched at the impact and fell backwards so he crashed on the battlefield.
Kobra and I eyed the sea serpent cautiously as he attempted to get up and continue the battle, refusing to concede. Gyarados grunted as he raised his body, but then something in him snapped and he fell back on the ground.
"Gyarados!" Clair gasped.
Kaburagi raised the green challenger flag. "Gyarados cannot battle anymore! Arbok wins! The winner of this Gym Battle is challenger Ashley Ketchum!"
The adrenaline in my body vanished as soon as he said that. I collapsed on my knees and laughed sheepish to get rid of the tension I didn't realize I had built up. "W-We… We did it."
"Rawr", Firered nodded and gave me a huge lick, which made me giggle.
"Shaarbok", Kobra slithered to me and nuzzled against me.
"Great job, both of you", I praised my Pokémon and hugged them. "Queendra did a great job too. You're going to get lots of delicious food tonight."
"Ashley!" Ash ran to me and embraced me from behind. "You did it! You won against a dragon master!"
"Pika pikaa!" Pikachu cheered from my brother's shoulder.
"I…guess I did", I laughed and hugged him back.
Ash helped me stand up as Clair and Kaburagi approached us. "Ashley, this was a wonderful match", the dragon master told me. "I never had such a great battle against someone using an Arbok with such skills."
"Me too", Kaburagi nodded. "It was very clever poisoning the pool to take advantage of the battlefield."
"Thank you", I flushed.
Clair held her palm out in which rested a black badge in the shape of a dragon's head and a pair of red eyes. "This is the proof of you winning a Gym battle in Blackthorn Gym; the Rising Badge."
"Thank you", I nodded and accepted my eighth Johto badge. "My very first badge from a dragon Gym. I'm going to treasure it."
"Great job, Ashley", Misty smiled. "I was worried for a second."
"Togiprii."
"I know, but I was so focused I couldn't let anyone distract me", I said in an apologetic voice.
"It's understandable, considering the heat of the battle", Brock nodded.
"And if I know Clair, she's going to get an Arbok herself and train it hard", Liza commented.
"Liza's right", Clair chuckled. "After all, Ekans and Arboks are part of the dragon egg group. If trained well, they can become as strong as other dragons. You've proved it to me today, Ashley."
My cheeks burned by all the compliments. "I-I'm happy I was able to inspire you, Clair."
"So, when will we battle, Clair?" Ash asked eagerly. "I'm itching to have our battle!"
"Rawr!" Charizard snorted.
"Well, we need to clean up the battlefield and my Pokémon have to rest up, so I'd say it's going to take four hours", Clair replied.
Ash's jaw dropped. "Four hours?!"
"We need to make sure all the poisonous goo is gone from the pool", Kaburagi explained. "We can't have the Pokémon become poisoned the second they dive into the water."
Ash grimaced to hold back his disappointment. "Okay…"
XXXXXXXXXX
True to her word, Clair had the battlefield ready for Ash when we went back for the second Gym battle. Ash used some of my tactics before when he battled with Charizard, evaporating all the water in the pool when Dragonair attempted to hide away.
The conclusion of the battle was the same as mine. Ash won his own Rising Badge with the help of Snorlax, Pikachu and Charizard. That same evening, Liza and our Charizards left to return to the Charicific Valley. It was tough saying goodbye to Firered, but I knew we would meet again if I ever needed him for an important battle.
The next morning, Ash and I registered for the Johto League, or the Silver Conference as it was also called, at the Pokémon Center before we went over to Clair's place for breakfast. It was also there where I got to meet her Dragonair's sibling who played around in a pool. I got to interact with Dratini before she accepted me as her Trainer. I decided to nickname her Sora and added her straight to my party. I learned from Clair that Sora was bred with the move Extreme Speed, which was an unusual move for a Dratini.
While we ate breakfast, Clair told us there was soon going to be a festival in a city called Alto Mare which was located south of Johto. When I heard the city was guarded by two legendary dragon Pokémon, I knew I had to go. Ash and our friends agreed to go there with a flying taxi. We still had time for the Johto League, which was going to start on the first week of November. It was still September, so we had a little over a month left to relax and train for the Silver Conference.
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Ashley's party:
Cedric the Pupitar (male)
Mystic the Togetic (male)
Poseidon the shiny Gyarados (male)
Hikaru the Ampharos (male)
Victor the Houndoom (male)
Sora the Dratini (female)
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Ashley's Pokémon at the Lab:
Trica the Furret (female)
Wanda the Gyarados (female)
Aria the Lapras (female)
Axel the Scyther (male)
Lily the Espeon (female)
Queendra the Kingdra (female)
Kobra the Arbok (male)
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Ashley's roaming Pokémon:
Crystal the Suicune (genderless)
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Ash's party:
Pikachu (male)
Bayleef (female)
Cyndaquil (male)
Dunsparce (male)
Croconaw (male)
Phanpy (male)
XXXXXXXXXX
Ash's Pokémon at the Lab:
Tauros (male)
Ivysaur (male)
Kingler (male)
Poliwrath (male)
Wartortle (male)
Shiny Noctowl (male)
Heracross (male)
Snorlax (male)
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Ash's roaming Pokémon:
Entei (genderless)
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Misty's party:
Staryu (genderless)
Psyduck (male)
Togepi (female)
Politoed (male)
Lanturn (female)
Corsola (female)
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Misty's Pokémon in the Cerulean Gym:
Goldeen (female)
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Brock's party:
Geodude (male)
Onix (male)
Crobat (male)
Forretress (male)
Magcargo (male)
