After getting off to a good start in the Hoenn League tournament, Summer made it to the Top 32 matchups against Viola Voss. The batfam dazzled the crowd, and frustrated Summer, with her strategies. But the Hoennese was able to defeat her rival with unique tactics of her own. Now, her next opponent is another familiar rival: Lín Huánglóng. Summer plans to use Olive for this battle, but the Grovyle is still nervous about battling against her former Trainer. Will she be able to overcome her past trauma and prove herself?

Chapter 58- Duel of the Forest Dragons

I spent the last hours of training for the Top 16 match at one of the forest clearings.

"All right, Olive! Climb onto Rocky!"

Nodding, the Grovyle bounded up her teammate's body until she reached his head.

"Now, use Leaf Blade on that log!"

She jumped off and slashed the log with greater intensity. The wood split easily from the force, making me excited.

"That's it! Great job, you two!"

My Pokémon beamed as Aster watched nearby. "That was marvelous teamwork," she praised. "Olive has improved greatly since our battle against Tate and Liza."

"Thanks, Aster. I don't know why, but Olive and Rocky work really well together."

The Lorekeeper gave a sly smile. "Most likely due to their shared experiences is what I recall."

"Yeah, that makes sense. Wait, were you listening in on our conversation outside Meteor Falls?"

"Indeed I was."

"But how? I thought you can only speak to Dragon type Pokémon."

"Normally yes, if I was a regular Draconid. But since I am the leader of my clan, I can also understand Pokémon born within the Dragon Egg Group. I was not able to understand Rocky, but I was able to get the context through understanding Olive."

"Hmph…and you still saw that worthless Grovyle is better than my Sceptile?"

I raised my guard as Huánglóng and his partner Zhànshì entered the clearing. The fully evolved Pokémon glared at each other as Olive hid behind her friend.

Aster crossed her arms. "Yes, Huánglóng. Though, I may have a different opinion if you have truly changed since we last met in Meteor Falls."

The arrogant teen laughed. "Oh please. What has strong bonds done for anyone? It only makes you weaker."

Suddenly, I felt a dull pain in my heart. Is that…what Huánglóng's really feeling?

Sensing that I understood something, the Lorekeeper said, "Then I believe you will change your mind after you battle Summer."

Huánglóng flipped his hair. "We'll see whose battle philosophy reigns supreme. Come, Zhànshì."

The two left, and I breathed a sigh of relief. Olive was still a little nervous but Rocky moved her away to console her.

"That Huánglóng," Aster muttered. "Still as arrogant as ever."

"I don't know, Aster. I think he's hiding his true feelings behind that brashness."

I looked at his bio on the PLA website.

"Lín Huánglóng is the youngest member of the great Lín family, known for their use of Grass type Pokémon. However, Huánglóng decided to train Pokémon who can use Electric type moves after watching a lightning bolt strike the tallest tree near his house. Due to this, he has become estranged from his family, who refuse to contact him unless he follows the family tradition. With Zhànshì, his Sceptile, at his side, he has prevailed through the struggles of isolation and mockery, making him a Trainer worthy of attention in the Hoenn League."

The Draconid stroked her chin. "Hm…it appears I was incorrect. The estrangement could be a potential source of his current personality. The empath abilities of the Spirit Necklace are not to be trifled with."

Chuckling, I replied, "I guess you can say that." I saw the two Pokémon were still in deep conversation. "Since Olive and Rocky are still occupied for the time being, do you want to do some stargazing, Aster?"

"Of course, I always have time for stargazing."

We lay our backs on the cold grass and watched the stars twinkle in the night sky.

I turned to the Lorekeeper. "Aster, I never really got to talk to you after everything that happened two months ago. Now that you met Rayquaza and saved the region, what will you do now?"

"Hm… That is an excellent question, Summer. I will likely have my hands full with leading the Draconids, being the Lorekeeper, and taking care of Zinnia. But after traveling with you and seeing you battle, it seems my horizons have expanded past my home, even past Hoenn. However, I will approach those things one at a time."

"That's a good answer, Aster. I hope you do get to travel more."

"Thank you. How about you, Summer? What do you hope to do after the Hoenn League?"

"I'm not sure. Besides going back home to see my family, I don't know where to go next. Like you said, there's so much to see outside of Hoenn, it's hard to make a choice. But in the end, I would like to find someone…someone I lost a long time ago."

Aster sat up. "I did not know you lost someone. But I understand if you do not want to share this information with me."

"Thanks, Aster. I would like to tell you, but not right now."

Nodding, she laid back down, and we spent the rest of the night admiring the sparkling sky.

The next day…

As I waited to enter the Emerald Battlefield, I reflected on the first interaction with my opponent.

Lín Huánglóng, Olive's former Trainer. I don't know why he thought the Treecko line would evolve via lightning strikes, but that doesn't give him a right to train Olive the way he did. Still, he's a really good Trainer, and I can't underestimate him. Plus, knowing his grudge against Olive, Rocky and I need to make sure she isn't always targeted.

My ears perked at the intercom informing me of my match. I headed to the southern hallway, where the green partitioned battlefield was. After I went to the box furthest from the entrance, Huánglóng entered, his eyes giving off a strong loathing.

The referee shouted, "The Senior Division match between Lín Huánglóng from Olivine City and Summer Scorcher from Littleroot Town will soon begin. The field type and move choice will now be chosen."

We looked at the screen; the field type dial and light on our faces started to move. Soon they landed on a leaf icon and my face.

"This match will take place on the grass field, with Summer making the first move!"

After the ground shifted to a rectangle covered in dark grass, I let out my two Pokémon. "Go, Olive and Rocky!"

The Grovyle and Steelix appeared on the field. Olive saw her former Trainer and slightly cowered.

My opponent smirked. "I'll show you a better combination, Scorcher! Go, Zhànshì and Qiángdà!"

His Sceptile and a long-horned bipedal Pokémon covered with gray scales landed on the grass and roared, scaring Olive. But she regained her focus after Rocky gave her a reassuring nod.

[Rhydon, the Drill Pokémon and the evolved form of Rhyhorn. Its horn, which rotates like a drill, destroys tall buildings with one strike. It stands on its hind legs, and its brain is well developed.]

If I'm not mistaken, I'm sure that Rhydon knows some Electric type moves as well. This really will be a difficult battle.

The referee waved his flags and shouted, "Battle begin!"

"Olive, use Quick Attack on Zhànshì! Rocky, follow up with a Stone Edge on Qiángdà!"

The Grass type dashed towards her evolved form. The Steelix then slammed his tail onto the field, creating a row of pillars heading towards the Rock type.

"Ha! You think that's enough to stop us?!" Huánglóng taunted. "Zhànshì, block with X-Scissor! Qiángdà, stop that Stone Edge with Rock Blast!"

The Sceptile countered his rival by crossing his glowing light green blades, knocking her back. The Rhydon formed a boulder with his hands and shot three of them at the approaching rocks. They broke through and struck Rocky. Both of my Pokémon shook off the moves and waited for the counterattack.

Huánglóng raised his right fist. "Zhànshì, follow up with Thunder Punch on that Grovyle!"

The Forest Pokémon mimicked his Trainer's hand movement and charged his right hand with electricity.

"Olive, block with Leaf Blade!"

Despite her slightly flinching, she swung the glowing green blade on her left arm upwards, stopping Zhànshì in his tracks. But her former Trainer smirked.

"Now, Qiángdà, help Zhànshì by using Megahorn on that weakling!"

The Sceptile grappled his opponent as his partner's horn glowed light green.

"Oh no you don't! Rocky, protect Olive with Iron Tail!"

The Steel type nodded. He charged his tail and swung at the charging Drill Pokémon. Qiángdà was caught off guard, taking the full force of the super effective move.

Looks like I was right about Olive being targeted first. Let's see how he reacts to this. "Olive, attack Qiángdà with Leaf Blade instead!"

She let Zhànshì overpower her, making him fall onto the field as she slipped underneath to switch targets.

While she ran towards the stunned Rock type, Huánglóng gritted his teeth. "How dare- Zhànshì, stop her!"

The Sceptile leapt at his pre-evolution with his blades outstretched, but she was able to land the second super effective hit on his teammate and dodge Zhànshì's retaliation. The Rock type roared in pain but refused to go down.

"Qiángdà, use Take Down on that Grovyle!"

The Rhydon moved his arms back and slammed head first into his attacker. When he didn't receive any recoil damage from the move, I frowned, realizing Qiángdà had the Rock Head Ability. But I remained calm.

"Rocky, protect Olive then use Dragonbreath on Zhànshì!"

Rocky caught his friend with his body, then sprayed the Forest Pokémon with green flames. Zhànshì braced himself and blocked them with Leaf Blade, but the Dragon type move still did damage. Olive landed on the grass and was in awe of the attack. This angered Huánglóng.

"Zhànshì, Qiángdà! Attack Rocky with Leaf Blade and Rock Blast!"

The green Pokémon readied his blades again as his partner shot more boulders at his fellow Ground type.

Now he's targeting Rocky?! Not on my watch! "Rocky, use Stone Edge on the rocks! Olive, protect Rocky with Fury Cutter!"

The Wood Gecko Pokémon climbed the Steelix's back as he formed shards of rock around him. Then, the shards shattered the boulders and hit Qiángdà. Olive finished climbing to the top and, with her blades extended, jumped off and slashed her rival with the glowing green appendages. Zhànshì winced but was able to toss her aside with a Leaf Blade. She rolled on the grass to reduce the impact and returned to her feet.

"I'm getting tired of this!" my opponent growled. "Get rid of that weakling! Zhànshì, X-Scissor! Qiángdà, Megahorn!"

The two charged their Bug type moves and headed towards the tiring Grovyle.

"You know what, I'm getting tired of this too!" I retorted. "Olive, counter Zhànshì with Fury Cutter! Rocky, stop Qiángdà with Crunch!"

She blocked the X-Scissor with one arm and landed the super effective attack with the other one. The Sceptile growled and continued his onslaught, despite taking increasing damage from the multiple Fury Cutters. The Rhydon was about to intercept his target, but the Steel type grabbed the horn with his teeth and threw the Drill Pokémon onto his back. The Wood Gecko Pokémon was able to knock Zhànshì back as well, making his Trainer furious.

"How hard is it to take down one Pokémon?!"

Taking advantage of Huánglóng's lack of focus, I shouted, "Olive, use Leaf Blade on Qiángdà!"

She charged at the defenseless Ground type, but to my surprise, her former Trainer laughed. "Trying to trick me, Summer? What an amateur move! Qiángdà, use Thunderbolt!"

I told Olive to dodge, but she was frozen by the lightning bolt heading towards her. Rocky slithered in front and, after sticking his tail into the ground, absorbed the electricity. Before I could breathe a sigh of relief, Huánglóng pounced.

"Now, Zhànshì! Use Leaf Blade on that Steelix!"

The Sceptile leapt onto Rocky's head and pounded him with the Grass type move.

"Rocky, shake Zhànshì off!"

He tried to, but the Forest Pokémon held on and continued the pressure. Olive could do nothing as she watched her friend crumble under the constant Leaf Blade attacks.

"Rocky!" I shouted as he slammed onto the field.

The referee looked at the collapsed Pokémon and said, "Rocky is unable to battle!"

From the stands, Summer's friends grew worried as they saw the Steelix fall onto the grass.

"Oh no!" Aster exclaimed. "Summer is now at a disadvantage!"

"I wouldn't worry about Summer just yet," Weldon replied, his arms crossed. "She won't let this hurdle stop her."

"That's right!" Trin added. "Summer will persevere through this."

Then, someone caught the Kantonian's eye. It was a familiar-looking man with dark hair and blue eyes. He was focused on the south end of the field, where Huánglóng was standing.

Is he who I think it is? I should investigate after the match's over.

Feeling a little disheartened, I was about to return him when I saw Olive kneeling next to her friend. She was on the verge of tears, but Rocky was able to open his eyes and give her an encouraging nudge.

He gave me a determined look, and I nodded. "Thanks, Rocky. We won't let you down."

After he returned to his ball, Olive tried to look brave, but it didn't help that she was outnumbered.

Huánglóng grinned and cracked his knuckles. "Finally! Let's finish her off, boys! Use Dragon Pulse and Rock Blast!"

Zhànshì prepared the purple orb from his mouth as his teammate formed several boulders.

I took a deep breath and said, "Olive, let's win this for Rocky!"

Despite her anxiety, she felt my calmness and gave me a firm nod. Then, she braced herself as the moves headed towards her.

"Olive, dodge with Double Team then use Leaf Blade on Qiángdà!"

She made five illusory copies, and the orb and rocks passed harmlessly through two of them.

"Wh-What the?"

My stunned rival could only watch as the real Olive brought his Rhydon to his knees with the super effective move. Qiángdà tried to stand, but it was too much.

"Qiángdà is unable to battle!" the referee shouted through the roar of the crowd.

It was now down to the two Grass types, who looked exhausted.

"So…the result comes down to this," my rival said with fire in his eyes. "This time, Zhànshì and I will make sure you and that weakling never battle again, Scorcher!"

"I don't think so!" I countered. "Olive, let's show Huánglóng how strong you really are!"

The Sceptile and Grovyle glared at each other and raised their arms.

"Leaf Blade!" we shouted simultaneously.

The Grass types slashed at each other, landing and missing hits. But Zhànshì's experience was evident as he was able to counter some of her attacks. Olive panted, but she remained on her feet.

Huánglóng waved his arm. "Now, Zhànshì! Finish her with Dragon Pulse!"

The Forest Pokémon jumped back and shot the purple orb at the Grovyle. Olive felt the Dragon type move course through her body and fell to her knees.

"Olive!" I shouted. "Can you keep going?"

She struggled to get up, and her rival smirked. His Trainer mimicked the gesture.

"I knew it. You may have gotten stronger, but you're still weak."

Those last words gave her a second wind. "I-I won't lose!"

She stood up and roared; a green light temporarily appeared around her.

Olive activated Overgrow!

The Wood Gecko Pokémon took a deep breath and harnessed the remnant energy from the Dragon Pulse. Then, she released green flames from her mouth, hitting a startled Sceptile.

I grinned. "You learned Dragonbreath, Olive!"

Invigorated, she smiled at her snarling opponent, who activated the same ability.

A shocked Huánglóng stuttered, "H-How is it possible? Zhànshì wasn't able to learn Dragon Pulse until he became a Sceptile! Wh-Whatever! It won't matter since we also have Overgrow on our side! Leaf Blade!"

"Counter with your own Leaf Blade, Olive!"

The two's blades grew longer than normal as they once again collided. It was another back and forth duel, but this time, Olive was beating Zhànshì at his own game. He shoved her away to get some space, but the battle was taking on obvious toll on both Pokémon. Huánglóng and I knew this would be the last attack.

"Dragon Pulse!"

"Dragonbreath!"

The orb and flames collided, refusing to yield to each other. Olive's eyes flashed yellow, and she intensified the attack with everything she had. The Dragonbreath pushed the Dragon Pulse back to the exhausted Sceptile, and he did his best to hold on. However, it wasn't enough.

After he fell onto the grass, the referee shouted, "Zhànshì is unable to battle! The winner is Summer Scorcher from Littleroot Town!"

I felt numb watching the last moments of the battle, but the sounds of the crowd brought me back to my senses. Seeing Olive fall to her knees, I ran over to her.

"You did it, Olive! I'm so proud of you!"

Grinning, she replied, "Thanks, Summer… But I wouldn't have done it if it wasn't for you and Rocky…"

I helped her up just as Huánglóng approached us. He still looked angry, but it wasn't as intense.

He reluctantly held out his hand and said, "That was…a good battle, Scorcher."

"Thanks, Huánglóng. You and your Pokémon are really strong."

The teen bit his lip as he saw his former Pokémon standing next to me. "So are yours," he muttered, glancing away.

I hid a smile, knowing he finally understood Olive's true strength. We returned to the locker room amidst the cheers and separated. I saw Aster waiting for me.

"Congratulations, Summer. That was an excellent match."

I beamed. "Thanks, Aster. It was a nerve-wracking one, that's for sure. But it turned around with Olive learning Dragonbreath."

"Just as I anticipated." She chuckled when she saw my confusion. "From the beginning, I knew Olive would unlock her true power when faced with her inner adversity. But it will still be a long road for her to achieve her full potential as a Sceptile; that is only my perception though."

Olive beamed. "You're really spot on, Aster. I would like to become a Sceptile one day, now that I have respect for it after watching Rhoda and facing against Zhànshì several times." Then she paused. "But…I still don't feel like I'm ready to evolve."

I patted her head and replied, "Take all the time you need, Olive. I don't want to force you to evolve like Huánglóng tried to."

"Thanks," she said as she gave me a hug. "I'm glad Rocky was right when we talked last night. You're a really great Trainer, Summer."

"And you're a really great Pokémon, Olive."

After I returned the Grass type, I looked at my friend. "Where are Weldon and Trin?"

"They are at the Pokémon Center. Weldon wanted to do some research and view the latest matchups ahead of you."

"That does sound like something he'd do. Let's get going."

We returned to the Pokémon Center after a short walk. As I was healing my Pokémon, I noticed there were Trainers in front of the television screen, but they weren't looking at the results.

"How dare you tarnish the Lín family name with that loss!" a man looking similar to Huánglóng shouted at that said person.

"Since when did you care about me upholding the family name, Father?" the teen scoffed. "Last I remember, I'm no longer a 'Lín' in your eyes."

His dad crossed his arms. "Yet you still use our name. How disgraceful."

The teen bit his lip, unable to give a retort.

Aster offered to stay behind to get my Poké Balls, so I stepped in and said, "How could you say that to your son?!"

Huánglóng was bewildered to see me, but his dad chuckled. "Speak of the Giratina. You must be Summer Scorcher. I must congratulate you for defeating my useless excuse of a son. Hopefully this loss will make him realize why he needs to return to our traditions."

Holding back my anger, I responded with, "That's very disrespectful to Huánglóng. He gave me my toughest battle so far in this tournament, and he was able to get to where he is now without your family's help. You should be proud of him."

"Scorcher," my rival muttered.

Huánglóng's dad glared at me. "You're quite bold for a Trainer not associated with a well-known family."

"She's associated with me, Mr. Lín Yìngmù."

The man smirked as Weldon joined me. "Ah, the forsaken Leland. I'm surprised you're here, considering your…hiatus and all."

To his surprise, the Kantonian laughed. "Well, isn't that the best time to watch a tournament? You could learn a lot from the matches, Mr. Lín, considering I saw you in the stands. It's very ironic that you're scolding your son for not following the Lín traditions when you and the rest of your family have been recently struggling in competitive battling."

The small crowd whispered amongst themselves, making the family head irritated.

"I-Is that true, Father?"

Mr. Lín didn't look at his son, hiding his anger. "That is none of your concern, Weldon Leland. Now, if you'll excuse me."

He walked away, and the spectators returned to their conversations. Huánglóng was still a little shocked about what happened, but he was able to sit at a chair in a quiet part of the lobby.

"I'm…sorry both of you had to meet my father. He's…a difficult person if you're not used to him."

I noticed tears in my rival's eyes and handed him some tissues. "Here, Huánglóng."

"Sniff… Thanks… Why're you two so nice to me when I was so horrible to you?"

I stayed strong as I felt his inner sadness spill out in front of us. "Because we've experienced what you felt. I know it makes it seem like you can only rely on yourself, but you're never alone. You have your Pokémon with you."

Huánglóng exhaled sharply. "I guess you're right about that. After all, you were able to beat me with a Pokémon I…didn't give a chance towards." He crossed his arms, deep in thought. "If I didn't abandon Olive…would things have been different?"

I frowned, unsure of how to respond. Then, I saw Aster approach with my Poké Balls.

"Here are your Pokémon, Summer." She noticed the crestfallen teen and added, "Oh, I apologize if I interrupted your conversation."

"No, you didn't. Thanks, Aster." I fastened the balls to my belt until I reached Olive's. I thought about letting her out, but decided not to. After all, she was a different Pokémon now.

My rival got up and bowed. "I apologize for my previous actions, especially to you, Scorcher and Lorekeeper Aster. Losing my match and seeing you and Leland stand up to my father…it made me realize you were right about what you told me yesterday. I'll become a better Trainer by working on restoring the bonds with my Pokémon."

"That's good to hear. I hope you do, and we can battle again."

Chuckling, he shook my hand. "Count on it, Scorcher."

He left the building, and, after reuniting with Trin, our group walked to the building that housed Glalie's Onigiri and Snorunt's Parfaits. As we enjoyed our lunch of appropriately shaped rice balls and desserts, I got a text from the Hoenn League tournament.

"Oh, they announced the Top 8 matchups."

"Are you battling Andy or Marissa, Summer?" Trin asked.

Weldon waited for my response with bated breath.

"It's…neither of them. I'm battling someone else."

My coach exhaled. "I guess that's good, but don't let your guard down, Summer."

"I won't. After we digest, let's do the research."

Nodding, we finished our food and spent the rest of the day preparing for my next match.

Summer's Pokémon:

Blaze (Blaziken, male): Brave Nature, Blaze Ability, moves: Fire Punch, Flamethrower, Blaze Kick, Sky Uppercut

Errol (Noctowl, male): Rash Nature, Keen Eye Ability, moves: Psychic, Hypnosis, Air Slash, Heat Wave

Aurora (Dewgong, female): Calm Nature, Thick Fat Ability, moves: Water Pulse, Ice Beam, Aqua Tail, Signal Beam

Lightning (Raichu, female): Adamant Nature, Static Ability, moves: Thunderbolt, Iron Tail, Thunder Punch, Grass Knot

Rocky (Steelix, male): Lonely Nature, Rock Head Ability, moves: Stone Edge, Crunch, Dragonbreath, Iron Tail

Olive (Grovyle, female): Timid Nature, Overgrow Ability, moves: Fury Cutter, Double Team, Leaf Blade, Dragonbreath

Weldon's Pokémon:

Venusaur (male): Serious Nature, Overgrow Ability, moves: Razor Leaf, Earthquake, Sludge Bomb, Vine Whip; in rotation- Solarbeam, Body Slam

Fearow (male): Adamant Nature, Keen Eye Ability, moves: Heat Wave, Steel Wing, Fury Attack, Aerial Ace; in rotation- Drill Peck

Golem (male): Bold Nature, Rock Head Ability, moves: Rock Slide, Earthquake, Rollout, Double Edge

Gyarados (male): Sassy Nature, Intimidate Ability, moves: Surf, Ice Fang, Payback, Waterfall

Arcanine (male): Naughty Nature, Flash Fire Ability, moves: Hyper Beam, Extremespeed, Flare Blitz, Fire Blast

Electabuzz (male): Rash Nature, Static Ability, moves: Thunder, Ice Punch, Brick Break, Shock Wave; in rotation- Mega Kick, Thunder Punch

Questions for the Chapter:

What did you think of Summer and Aster's talk?

What did you think of Summer's battle against Huánglóng?

What did you think of Huánglóng's backstory?

How will Summer to against her next opponent?