AUTHOR'S NOTE: Greetings, readers! Here is chapter 37 of the continuing adventures of Tristan, Hillary, and Pikachu as they continue their journey through the Hoenn region. You may recall the mysterious Meteor Falls in the games, but never once was it mentioned or shown in the anime. So I think I'll have Tristan and Hillary make that their first stop of many on their way to the next Gym. Drake from the Hoenn Elite Four will make his appearance, too. You may recall him appearing in the Pokémon: Advanced Battle episode: "Vanity Affair" where he battles Ash to teach him a lesson about overconfidence and concentration. I hope you enjoy this one.
TEASER: Tristan and Hillary arrive at Meteor Falls and encounter a very sensitive Bagon. Drake from the Hoenn Elite Four observes the Bagon and decides to test out its compatibility with Tristan in a battle!
Chapter 37: SLEEPING LIKE A BAGON
(Music Cue: Oldale Town (full version))
Tristan and Hillary walked along a mountain trail on the outskirts of Fallarbor Town the next day.
Hillary still couldn't contain her excitement about winning her second Ribbon. She giggled endlessly about it. "This is so cool! Just three more Ribbons and I'll be able to enter the Grand Festival!"
"I know, Hillary, I know." Tristan was starting to become annoyed by her constant bragging.
"Aw, come on, Tristan. It's okay if I gloat a little bit, right? And besides, it's time to fulfill the promise we made to each other."
"What promise?"
"The promise to go to Lavaridge Town after Falarbor Town's Contest was over."
Tristan stopped being annoyed and became excited. "Yeah, now I can focus on my fourth Gym Badge!"
Pikachu eagerly agreed with him.
Our heroes, in the wake of Hillary's win in the Second-Chance Pokémon Contest in Fallarbor Town, and earning the coveted Fallarbor Ribbon, continue on their journey through Hoenn. Next stop: Lavaridge Town.
Presently, they came to the mouth of a cave with the sound of rushing water heard inside.
"This can't be right, can it?" said Hillary nervously. "Are you sure this is the way to Lavaridge Town?"
Tristan checked the map on his PokéNav. "Hmm...according to this, we're on the east side of Meteor Falls."
"Meteor Falls, huh? Wonder why they call it that?"
Tristan checked for information on Meteor Falls on his PokéNav. "Meteor Falls has a waterfall inside that is said to have been the site of a meteor shower. An ancient group of people is said to have made this place their home at one time."
"Do you think we'll meet them someday?" asked Hillary. "I'd sure like to learn about them. How about you, Togepi?"
Togepi trilled in agreement.
"It's hard to tell for sure if any of these descendants exist, but I know we'll find out when the time is right."
Just then, a Pokémon's happy and healthy cry was heard from the top of the cave.
Tristan and Hillary quickly looked up and saw that it was a blue bipedal reptilian Pokémon resembling a pachycephalosaurus. It had a round snout and three thick gray ridges on the top of its head.
"Cool! Who's that Pokémon?" wondered Tristan as he scanned it with his Pokédex.
(Music Cue: Hoenn Pokédex (as heard in the 4Kids dub))
"Bagon, the Rock Head Pokémon. Bagon bashes itself against large rocks, until its head eventually grows as hard as steel."
"But why is Bagon on top of the cave?" wondered Hillary nervously. "If it falls from that high, it could get really hurt."
(Music Cue: Crazy Bike Ride (full version))
And it looked as though Hillary's fears would be confirmed, for at that instant, Bagon leaped off the top of the cave and headed straight for her and Tristan at a high rate of speed!
"Look out!" cried Tristan. "If that Bagon hits us, we're gonna be pancakes!" He, Hillary, Pikachu, and Togepi narrowly got out of the way of Bagon's rock-hard head just in time, causing Bagon to crash into a large rock headfirst, smashing it to smithereens.
Fortunately for everybody concerned, there were no injuries, for even though Bagon fell from a great height, its rock-hard head protected it from sustaining any damage. So it shook itself off and acted as if nothing had happened.
"Inconceivable!" exclaimed Hillary. "Bagon smashed the rock into pieces from that high up and didn't get a single scratch!"
Tristan sighed. "Let's just be glad the danger's passed and Bagon's back on the ground again."
Wearily, Pikachu seemed to agree with him.
But, unbelievable, though it may seem, Tristan was wrong, for Bagon walked back to the cave and began to climb up again.
"What's that Bagon doing now?" wondered Hillary.
"It looks like it's trying to climb up to the top of the cave again!" replied Tristan, who was beginning to get nervous again himself. "Bagon, stop! You're gonna get hurt!"
But Bagon didn't hear him and continued upward. Then when it reached the top, it leaped off again.
Tristan and Hillary quickly got out of Bagon's way, causing it to smash into another big rock headfirst with the same result.
Once again, Bagon emerged from the debris none the worse for wear.
"Is that Bagon crazy?!" exclaimed Hillary.
Tristan came over to Bagon. "What were you thinking, Bagon? You know you can't fly like that."
But Tristan's comment inadvertently caused Bagon to tear up, and it started crying so loudly that everyone had to cover their ears.
"Augh! Big mouth for a little Pokémon!" bellowed Tristan.
"You can scream that again!" agreed Hillary.
Bagon quickly ran inside the cave, still crying loudly.
"Hold on, Bagon!" cried Tristan as he and Pikachu rushed into the cave after it.
"Tristan, wait!" called Hillary as she and Togepi raced after them.
(Music Cue: Kanto Title Card)
(Music Cue: Messenger (full version))
The sound of a large waterfall could be heard just inside; the echoes made the sound even louder than normal.
"Wow, it's really loud in here," remarked Hillary.
"That's because there's no outside source for the sound to get to," explained Tristan.
"That explains it, but where's Bagon?"
Sure enough, Bagon had disappeared from sight.
"We'd better go look for it," advised Tristan. "There's no telling what it's up to or where it's going."
"Good idea," agreed Hillary.
And together, they set off deeper into Meteor Falls to try and find Bagon.
Meanwhile, just out of sight, their old nemesis, Taz, had watched Bagon from his hiding place, and was readying another fiendish plan just inside the cave. "So, a Bagon this time, huh? Now that's what I call power!" He then proceeded to follow Tristan and Hillary deeper inside Meteor Falls. "With a rock-hard head like that, it's no wonder it'd make a perfect addition to my little team. I can hardly wait to start putting this scheme to woik." And he quickly snuck away to capture Bagon.
An hour went by, but there was still no sign of it.
"We've gone pretty far inside this place, Tristan, and we haven't found Bagon yet. We'd better get out of here before we lose ourselves, too."
Tristan nodded in agreement. "I know Bagon means well, and I know it wants to practice doing something with its head...but what?"
"Tristan, look there!" shouted Hillary.
Bagon had come to the top of a huge waterfall just feet away from them.
"It's Bagon!" gasped Tristan.
Then Bagon got into position to jump over the edge.
"If we don't stop it, it'll fall a long way to the rocks below!" exclaimed Hillary.
"No, don't do it, Bagon!" warned Tristan.
(Music Cue: Danger! Pikachu! (as heard in "Enter the Dragonite"))
But it was too late, for Bagon leaped off the top of the waterfall, flapping its arms as it did.
"Bagon!" cried Tristan as he leaped off the edge after it.
"Careful, Tristan!" shouted Hillary.
Tristan dove after it as fast as gravity would allow.
Bagon didn't realize the extent of the danger it was in, for there were was only water to splash into, Suddenly, it saw there were no big rocks as targets for its rock-hard head, and it yelled out frantically for help.
"Hang on, Bagon, I'm coming!" cried Tristan as he fell a short distance behind it. Judging his moment, he stretched out his arms and grabbed it. Then, thinking fast, he took out Beldum's Poké Ball and threw it.
Beldum emerged from the white light that shot out of it at the bottom of the falls. Seeing its Trainer in danger, Beldum quickly floated up and caught him and Bagon just in time.
"Phew!" sighed Tristan. "That was close. Thanks for the catch, Beldum."
Beldum nodded. Then it carefully floated Tristan and Bagon back up to the top of the waterfall, much to everyone's relief.
"You okay, Tristan?" asked Hillary. "That was a really big fall."
"Yeah, I'm fine," replied Tristan. "Thanks, Beldum, you were great." And he recalled Beldum safely back into its Poké Ball. Then he turned to Bagon. "How are you doing, Bagon?"
Bagon slowly opened his eyes and smiled. It then gave a happy reply to Tristan; it was grateful to him for saving it.
"Why'd you leap over the edge like that, Bagon?" wondered Hillary.
Bagon felt sad, thinking that she'd scold it just like Tristan did earlier.
But instead, Hillary became curious. "We're not angry at you, Bagon. We just want to know what you were trying to do."
"Right, and I'm sorry for saying you can't fly," added Tristan. "We're just glad you're okay."
Bagon felt better and shook its head; it had already forgiven Tristan after he went to great lengths to protect it from harm.
"Do you know why Bagon was trying to do that?" asked Tristan to Hillary.
"You got me, Tristan," replied Hillary. "If I did, I'd be happy to tell you."
"Perhaps I can tell you," said a voice.
(Music Cue: Slowpoke Eyecatch (as heard in "Don't Touch That 'dile"))
Tristan and Hillary turned to see an old, but tall and muscular man standing behind them. He had a white mustache and was wearing a captain's hat.
"Who are you?" asked Hillary nervously.
Tristan gasped and said, "Wait a second! You look familiar! Aunt Amy told us about you! You're Drake from the Hoenn Elite Four!"
The man smiled. "Well, well. Word does get around, doesn't it?"
(Music Cue: Surf 1999-2001 (full version))
"So, you're Tristan," smiled Drake as he had lunch with Tristan and Hillary a few minutes later. "And you're his sister Hillary. It's a pleasure to meet two grandchildren of the great Veronica."
"You know about our grandmother, Drake?" asked Hillary.
"I used to train alongside her when we were growing up," explained Drake. "Or, rather, she was helping to train me. She was the one who gave me valuable lessons on battling many years ago."
"That's awesome!" smiled Tristan. "Hey, Drake, I have a question for you."
Drake saw Bagon happily chowing down on Tristan's Pokémon food. Then he turned back to him and replied, "Ask away."
"We saw Bagon leaping from the top of the cave and used its rock-hard head to bash against the rocks down below. Do you know why it was falling like that?"
"Hmmm...this will take some thinking." He paused. "How many times did you see Bagon fall from that great height?"
"Three."
"We tried to tell it that it couldn't fly, but it didn't listen," added Hillary.
When Bagon heard Hillary say that it couldn't fly, it began tearing up and crying loudly again.
Everyone had to cover their ears.
"I'm sorry, Bagon! I didn't mean what I said!" bellowed Hillary.
Bagon stopped crying and continued eating its lunch.
"You know, Hillary, maybe we ought to watch what we say around Bagon," suggested Tristan.
"I never knew that little Bagon was so sensitive," replied Hillary.
"Perhaps that's part of the problem," said Drake. "Bagon wants to learn how to fly, but it's going to take some time before it gets there. It also seems to me that this Bagon hates to be reminded that it can't do certain things, and that can affect a Pokémon's self-esteem."
"What do you mean, Drake?" asked Tristan.
"You see, Bagon, like all Pokémon, has to start out small," explained Drake. "Over the years, I learned from Veronica that I had to concentrate on my Pokémon's abilities. That's especially true when it comes to battling and praising your Pokémon for doing a good job. Idle thinking will only bring you closer and closer to your downfall."
Tristan, Hillary, Pikachu, and Togepi listened in amazement as Drake gave words of wisdom.
Hillary then spoke up. "What made you want to start training Pokémon in the first place, Drake?"
"Believe it or not, Hillary, when I was your age, I was losing a lot of battles. I went from battle to battle to prove I could beat everybody. But I would lose time after time. What started as confidence had become overconfidence, and that robbed me of my concentration. My advice is to keep challenging stronger opponents, but without arrogance or fear of defeat. Only then will you and your generation of Trainers grow. It is my opinion that both you and Tristan possess a great deal of potential."
Tristan and Hillary smiled.
"We'll be sure to remember that," promised Hillary.
Pikachu and Togepi agreed.
Presently, Bagon stood up and jumped up and down.
"What's up, Bagon?" asked Tristan.
Bagon motioned something to Tristan as it drew its right arm toward itself.
"You know, it seems to me that Bagon wants to issue a challenge," smiled Drake as he turned to Tristan. "So, Tristan, are you up for it?"
This made Tristan excited. He couldn't pass up an opportunity to add a strong Pokémon with a rock-hard head to his team. "You bet! I accept your challenge, Bagon!"
(Music Cue: Team Aqua & Magma Grunt Battle (full version as heard in "Watt's with Wattson"))
A moment later, Tristan and Bagon faced each other on opposite sides of the stream as Hillary and Drake watched.
Tristan remembered the advice Drake gave him just moments ago. I have to remember that Bagon's really strong. I must maintain my concentration if I want to stand a chance against it. Then he said to Bagon, "I know you're grateful to me for saving your life, Bagon, but that doesn't mean I'll go easy on you." He turned to Pikachu, who was standing by. "Are you ready, pal? Let's catch that Bagon."
Pikachu nodded and charged in front of Tristan, readying itself for battle.
"Why did Tristan choose Pikachu?" wondered Hillary.
"Yes, it seems strange to me, too," agreed Drake. "Bagon's Dragon-type characteristics make it resistant to Pikachu's Electric attacks. Perhaps, he wants to concentrate on his opponent's strength."
Hillary then became a little nervous. "I hope he knows what he's doing."
"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" ordered Tristan.
Pikachu unleashed a powerful yellow bolt of electricity at Bagon, who dodged the attack twice; however, on the third attempt, Pikachu scored a direct hit.
Unfortunately, when the shock was over, Bagon shook it off and charged towards Pikachu.
"That Bagon really is strong!" gasped Hillary. "And it absorbed Pikachu's Thunderbolt like it was nothing!"
Bagon then unleashed a stream of little fireballs from its mouth at Pikachu.
"Look out! Bagon's using Ember!" exclaimed Hillary.
"Quick Attack, Pikachu, now!" commanded Tristan.
Pikachu jumped up as a white line streaked behind it. Then it dove down at Bagon, scoring a clean hit on it with ease.
"Smart move," remarked Drake. "Tristan used Pikachu's Quick Attack to dodge and for his next attack."
Bagon slid back on the ground, but easily got back up. Then it charged at Pikachu and struck it hard using its rock-hard head.
"Pikachu!" cried Tristan.
"Wow, that was a strong Headbutt attack!" exclaimed Hillary.
Then Bagon unleashed a thick green beam at Pikachu, scoring another direct hit.
"Yikes! That was strong!" gasped Hillary. "And two direct hits to boot!"
"That was Bagon's DragonBreath," explained Drake. "That attack can sometimes paralyze the opponent. Pikachu could be in trouble."
Pikachu slid on the ground after taking damage from DragonBreath.
"Hang in there, Pikachu!" encouraged Tristan.
Pikachu struggled back up, but refused to give up so easily.
Using straightforward attacks won't be enough, thought Tristan. I have to defeat Bagon somehow. But how? Then he saw that there were platforms on the waterfall. That's it!" All right, Pikachu, use Quick Attack to jump on those platforms!"
Pikachu charged toward Bagon with a white line streaming behind it.
Sure enough, Bagon managed to evade Quick Attack and jumped onto the first platform, then it jumped up to the second.
"Now, stay on its tail!" instructed Tristan.
Pikachu, still using Quick Attack jumped from one platform after platform, sticking close to Bagon like glue.
"Now what's Tristan up to?" wondered Hillary. "Do you know, Drake?"
Drake didn't answer. He just kept watching.
Bagon was close to the top of the waterfall; however, as it tried to jump on another platform, it lost its balance and fell off, causing it to hit the water.
"All right, this is it, Pikachu," advised Tristan. "When Bagon comes up for air, get ready to attack it again."
Pikachu stood by as sparks crackled from its cheeks, ready for the next command.
Seconds later, Bagon came up for air.
"Now, Pikachu, Thunder!" shouted Tristan.
Pikachu unleashed an even bigger bolt of electricity from its body at Bagon, scoring a clean hit on it and causing a huge amount of damage.
"Of course!" gasped Hillary. "Pikachu used Thunder on Bagon while it was soaking wet, doubling the damage!"
"Tristan must've known that water conducts electricity, so even Bagon's resistance to Electric attacks won't be enough to save it from Thunder this time," smiled Drake.
Bagon fell into the water and lay seemingly immobile.
"Nice job. All right, go, Poké Ball!" shouted Tristan as he threw a new Poké Ball.
The ball hit Bagon, causing it to shoot inside as a red beam of energy; then the ball landed in the water and wiggled as the button's red light flashed over and over.
Everyone watched anxiously as the seconds rolled by.
The Poké Ball's button stopped flashing and emitted a tone, signaling that Bagon had been caught.
Tristan was delighted. He picked up the Poké Ball and proclaimed, "Yes! Bagon is ours!"
"Pi-Pikachu!" added Pikachu as it did a victory pose with Tristan.
"Congratulations, Tristan," smiled Hillary. "You were great as always."
"Thanks, sis," replied Tristan.
"Why don't we all have a little rest?" suggested Drake. "After an exciting battle, we could use it, including that newly caught Bagon. Afterwards, I'd like to test its strength in battle. So Tristan, will you be up for it?"
"You bet," agreed Tristan. "As soon as we rest up, I'll accept your challenge."
Meanwhile, Taz, who was watching them, was grumbling. "Drat! I missed my chance to catch that Bagon myself. Now I'll just have to go to Plan 'B." And it's what I do best: stealing!" And he darted off to lie in wait for the right moment to strike.
Just outside the falls an hour and a half later, everyone felt much better.
Tristan and Drake faced each other on a nearby rocky terrain as Hillary, Pikachu, and Togepi watched.
Drake may be strong, but I can't be overconfident, thought Tristan. Even if I lose this battle, I have to stay focused at all times, just like he said."All right, Bagon, I choose you!" he shouted aloud as he threw its Poké Ball.
Bagon emerged from the white light that shot out of it. It was raring to go after that rest.
"As I expected," smiled Drake. "Bagon looks ready. And so is this! Go, Shelgon!" And he threw his Poké Ball.
(Music Cue: Hoenn Elite Four Battle (full version as heard in "Come What May!"))
A white quadruped Pokémon resembling a pupal stage emerged from the white light that shot out of it.
"What's that?" wondered Tristan as he scanned Drake's Pokémon with his Pokédex.
"Shelgon, the Endurance Pokémon. Shelgon is the evolved form of Bagon. It is covered with a thick, hard shell, making its movements rather sluggish. It hardly eats while waiting for its next evolution. The shell peels off the instant it begins to evolve."
"So that's a Shelgon," said Tristan to himself. He turned to Bagon. "Okay, Bagon, this is our first battle together, so let's make it a good one. But remember, Shelgon is strong, so we need to concentrate."
Bagon nodded.
"Okay, Tristan, you may have the first attack," said Tristan.
"Fine by me, Drake!" replied Tristan. "Bagon, hit it with Ember!"
Bagon unleashed a stream of little fireballs from its mouth at Shelgon, but Ember seemed to do very little damage, if any.
"Just as I expected," smiled Tristan. "Shelgon's resistance against Fire attacks is top-notch."
"Why would Tristan use a Fire attack on a Dragon-type like Shelgon?" wondered Hillary to herself. "He should've known that Fire attacks aren't very effective on it. Unless, he's planning to follow up with something else!"
"Bagon, use another Ember attack!" commanded Tristan.
Bagon unleashed another stream of little fireballs from its mouth at Shelgon.
"Shelgon, use Double-Edge, now," instructed Drake.
Shelgon started running as fast as it could, but although it dodged Bagon's Ember attack, it was moving so slowly.
This surprised Tristan, but he maintained his concentration. "Listen up, Bagon, wait till the last second, then dodge it when I say."
Bagon closed its eyes and waited for Tristan's signal as Shelgon got closer and closer.
Just as Shelgon got within striking distance...
"Dodge it now!" ordered Tristan.
Bagon leaped up into the air, making Shelgon just an instant too late.
"Now, Dragon Breath, go!" commanded Tristan.
Bagon unleashed a powerful thick green beam of energy from its mouth at Shelgon, scoring a direct hit on it.
"Yeah, that's the way, Bagon!" commended Tristan.
Drake was pleased. "Hey, not bad."
"Awesome!" said Hillary excitedly. "Dragon Breath was super-effective against Shelgon! So that's why Bagon started off with Ember, to catch Shelgon off guard."
Bagon landed neatly on the ground waiting for Tristan's next command just as Shelgon struggled back onto its feet.
"Okay, Bagon, we've got it on the ropes, let's finish it off with another Dragon Breath attack!" ordered Tristan.
Bagon nodded and unleashed another thick green beam of energy at Shelgon.
"Use Dragon Breath right back!" instructed Drake.
Shelgon unleashed a thick green beam of energy of its own out of its mouth to counter Bagon's Dragon Breath.
Both attacks seemed to be evenly matched.
"You can do it! Don't give up, Bagon!" encouraged Tristan.
Bagon, wanting to fulfill the trust Tristan had in it, increased the power of its Dragon Breath and slowly began to push Shelgon's Dragon Breath back.
But Drake seemed to be ready for it. "Full power, now!"
And just like that, Shelgon increased the power of its own Dragon Breath and was so strong that it successfully pushed Bagon's Dragon Breath back and unfortunately scored a direct hit on Bagon.
Pikachu and Togepi gasped in shock.
"Bagon's been hit!" exclaimed Hillary.
"Follow it up with Dragon Claw!" ordered Drake.
The tips of Shelgon's front legs glowed green and it slashed Bagon with them, scoring another direct hit.
"No, Bagon!" cried Tristan.
Bagon slid on the ground and had a dazed expression in its eyes; it had been knocked out.
"Looks like that ends this battle," said Drake.
Tristan quickly rushed over to Bagon and held it in its arms. "Hey, Bagon, are you okay?"
Bagon opened its eyes and gave a weak, but happy, reply.
"Thanks so much. You were great." And he and Bagon embraced.
"And so were you, Tristan," smiled Drake as he walked over. "You really focused on the match from beginning to end, especially at the end. I'm very proud of you."
"Thanks, that's very nice of you to say, Drake, but I'm nowhere near as good as you."
"Don't sell yourself short so easily, Tristan. When Bagon was pushing as hard as it could against Shelgon's Dragon Breath with its own Dragon Breath, I could tell that you and Bagon were in perfect sync, trusting one another along the way. Keep on training with your Bagon and maintain your focus at all times, and I'm sure you'll raise it into a great Pokémon."
"Thanks, Drake, I will," promised Tristan.
Suddenly, a mechanical claw snatched Bagon from out of Tristan's hands, much to everyone's alarm.
"Bagon!" cried Tristan.
"What's going on here?!" demanded Hillary.
Presently, a loud triumphant cackle was heard from above.
(Music Cue: Johto Rival Theme (as heard in the Japanese version of AG036 "Protect the Ocean Museum! Attack of Team Magma!"))
Sure enough, it was Taz in his Electabuzz-shaped balloon. "Ha! Hello, kiddies! Didn't expect to see me, did ya? And just look what I got here!"
Bagon struggled and strained to break free from Taz's demented grip to no avail.
"It's Taz again!" exclaimed Hillary.
"Give me back my Bagon!" ordered Tristan.
"Correction, it's MY Bagon now," retorted Taz. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I must be going." And he slowly started drifting further away in the sky.
Tristan was angry. "Come back here, Taz!"
Drake bent his head low in disgust and said, "Anyone so low as to steal another's Pokémon...to them I will show no mercy! Go, Salamence, I choose you!" He threw his Poké Ball.
A large quadrupedal blue Pokémon resembling a dragon with a thickly scaled underside and large red wings emerged from the white light that shot out of it. It flew up towards Taz's balloon with a vengeance.
"Whoa, that Pokémon is fast!" remarked Hillary.
"And really mad, too," added Tristan.
Indeed it was, for in just a few seconds, Salamence caught up with the balloon.
"Shoo! Go away!" barked Taz. "Or I'll bust you down to an egg!"
"Now, Salamence, Dragon Claw!" ordered Drake.
Salamence's claws glowed green and it struck the mechanical claw with such force that Bagon was released from it, allowing it to land safely on its back.
"Bagon!" smiled Tristan.
"Finish with Flamethrower!" commanded Drake.
Salamence unleashed a powerful stream of fire from its mouth at Taz and the balloon, scorching it and causing an explosion that sent Taz skyward.
"No fair," groaned Taz. "I got boined and I got nothing. I'll remember this!"
DING!
(Music Cue: Route 26 (full version))
"That was awesome," remarked Tristan. "And really strong, too."
Pikachu and Togepi agreed impressively.
"Yeah, when it comes to sheer power, whatever it is, it's one of the best Pokémon I've ever seen!" agreed Hillary.
"I want to find out more about it." And Tristan scanned Salamence with his Pokédex.
"Salamence, the Dragon Pokémon. Salamence is the final evolution of Bagon. It is able to exhale powerful blasts of fire while flying."
Tristan looked up and saw Bagon happily enjoying itself as Salamence flew along. "Of course! I understand now!"
"What?" asked Hillary.
"When Bagon flew down and crashed into those rocks outside the cave, it was dreaming of flying and training itself for the day it finally would, and now that it's riding on Salamence, it's finally getting to see what it's like!"
"I see! So that's why Bagon flew down like that earlier!"
Drake was impressed. He could tell that Tristan and Hillary's observations were spot-on, and looked proudly at Bagon and Salamence as they continued flying high in the sky.
"So, Bagon, how'd you like your first flight?" asked Tristan later that evening.
Bagon gave a happy reply. It couldn't wait to go flying again.
"Someday, Bagon, you're going to earn your own wings and fly on your own, too. So, would you like me to help you make your dream of flying come true?"
Bagon gave a happy nod and leaped into Tristan's arms, making him fall flat on his back and tickling him.
"Okay, okay, Bagon, cut it out! That tickles!"
"You know, I think Tristan and Bagon will make a great team," remarked Hillary.
"Indeed," agreed Drake. "As long as he maintains his focus in battle and during his training, I have a feeling he'll come out on top every time. And I'm sure you'll do the same."
"You bet I will." Then Hillary turned to Pikachu and Togepi. "And you'll help us, too, won't you, guys?"
Pikachu and Togepi agreed excitedly.
Drake stood there, looking proudly at Tristan and Bagon and said to himself. "Yeah, I can just tell. They will be great together. I look forward to the day when we battle again."
Thanks to a chance encounter with Drake of the Elite Four, Tristan has a new friend and Pokémon in Bagon, and he and Hillary have been given some valuable life lessons. So stay tuned as our heroes continue their journey.
TO BE CONTINUED...