Chapter 114: Blackthorn City, Battle with Clair
After days of travel, Ryan and the other two finally arrived in Blackthorn City. These days had been tough for Ryan, and he began to understand Ash and his Bayleef.
Ryan now felt that if baby Rayquaza wasn't genderless, it would definitely be a little girl—incredibly clingy. He had already gone through over twenty Ultra Balls because of this.
If baby Rayquaza lost sight of Ryan, it would break out of its Ultra Ball, emerge for some fresh air, and pester Ryan. Ryan would use the Ultra Ball to catch it again, and it would obediently stay inside. But soon, it would do it all over again.
Ryan's only hope was to quickly collect all the badges and finish the Silver Conference so he could obtain a Master Ball to contain baby Rayquaza and calm it down.
Arriving at the Blackthorn Gym, Ryan and the others easily found the gym leader, Clair. Seeing Ryan and the others, Clair smiled and said, "Ryan, you're here! I heard about you from Cousin Lance."
"Yes. Gym Leader Clair, can we begin the gym battle?" Ryan said.
"Yes, I accept your challenge," Clair said. "Follow me."
She led the three of them to a battle arena. The arena was a little different from the usual ones. There was a pool in the center, allowing Water-type Pokémon to battle as well.
Ryan stood at his position. Clair smiled and said, "Three Pokémon are allowed in this battle. Is that okay?"
"No problem," Ryan said.
"Then this will be my first one," Clair said. "Go, Kingdra!"
A seahorse-shaped Kingdra appeared in the pool. Ryan nodded and said, "Then go—"
Before he could finish his words, a flash of white light appeared, and baby Rayquaza emerged on the field. Ryan shook his head, feeling somewhat exasperated, yet he knew in his heart that trouble was brewing. With the appearance of baby Rayquaza, given the League's nature, they would likely demand that Ryan hand over Rayquaza for study.
But now wasn't the time to antagonize the League, and Ryan felt a headache coming on. Then he thought again: Team Rocket had already established themselves in Johto, drawing the League's attention. Furthermore, villains in other regions were frequently causing trouble, further distracting the League. If they truly wanted to target Ryan, then he'd have to stand his ground! Ryan thought calmly, a determined look in his eyes.
"Oh, a Pokémon I've never seen before," Clair said.
"Yes. It's a very rare Pokémon, so please, Gym Leader Clair, keep it a secret. This is my trump card," Ryan said with a smile.
"No problem. The less I reveal about trump cards, the better. I understand," Clair said.
Ryan narrowed his eyes. "I've fooled her for now. Hopefully, I can keep it a secret for a while." However, he had to lose this first round, otherwise, if the performance was too impressive, Clair would undoubtedly consult Lance about it. Lance wasn't as easily fooled as Clair, and knowing the appearance, he'd easily identify it as Rayquaza.
"Bite!" Ryan commanded. At the same time, he used the power of his bond to tell baby Rayquaza to hold back.
Baby Rayquaza felt a little upset—it wanted to help Ryan win the match. But baby Rayquaza still obeyed Ryan's instructions and lunged directly at Kingdra, opening its jaws to bite.
"Looks a little inexperienced! Kingdra, Hydro Pump!" Clair said.
Kingdra unleashed a massive jet of water, sending baby Rayquaza flying completely defenseless, knocking it out.
"Ryan, that was too weak," Clair said, speechless.
"Hmm. A newborn, just recently hatched, always eager to prove itself," Ryan recalled baby Rayquaza and said, "But, next up will be my main force, so Gym Leader Clair, be careful."
With that, Zeraora appeared on the field. This was Ryan's backup plan—having Zeraora perform exceptionally well, completely overshadowing baby Rayquaza.
Zeraora beckoned to Kingdra, signaling it to attack. Clair observed the electric current crackling around Zeraora and said seriously, "This is a formidable opponent. So, Kingdra, Twister!"
Kingdra spun at high speed, sending a waterspout hurtling towards Zeraora. Zeraora's body flashed with electricity, and the current stimulated her muscles, increasing her speed by more than double. This was an idea Ryan had developed during a match against a novice trainer, when he saw the opponent's Manectric using Charge.
With extreme speed came immense destructive power. A single Plasma Fists sent Kingdra flying, violent electrical energy coursing through its body, knocking it out with one blow.
"Kingdra!" Clair recalled Kingdra with concern and said to Zeraora, "Ryan, your Pokémon is truly formidable. Even though I feel like I'm no match for it, I'll keep fighting! Go, Dragonair!"
Clair sent out her Dragonair. Ryan shook his head: "That's not enough. I need to make her realize Zeraora's absolute power and completely forget about baby Rayquaza."
"Zeraora, Charge up," Ryan said.
"Dragonair, Agility, then use Dragon Tail!" Clair decided not to directly confront Zeraora, but simply force her back.
"Won't work! Plasma Fists!" Ryan said calmly.
A powerful electrical current enveloped Zeraora's fists, and the powerful surge struck the ground, leaving a charred mark.
"Oh no! Dragonair, Protect!" Clair shouted.
"Do you think Protect will work?!" Ryan said.
Zeraora's Plasma Fists suddenly appeared before Dragonair, and Dragonair quickly erected the protective barrier. But as Clair watched in horror, the punch shattered the barrier and struck Dragonair directly, defeating it with another blow.
Clair silently recalled Dragonair, looked at Zeraora, and said, "It's just as Cousin Lance said. Ryan, your Zeraora is a legendary Pokémon, right?"
"That's right," Ryan said bluntly.
"As expected. I'm no match for it right now. I'll forfeit this final battle. After all, any further fighting would only injure my Gyarados," Clair said. "Then, this Rising Badge is yours."
Accepting it from Clair, Ryan thanked her. He recalled Zeraora and left with the somewhat bewildered Rosa and Ruby.
Leaving the Blackthorn Gym, Ryan looked at the confused Rosa and Ruby and said, "I'm sorry. I don't want to hide this from you anymore."
He then explained the conflict between Rayquaza and the League, causing Ruby to fall silent. In truth, Ruby was Rayquaza's benefactor. If Ruby hadn't defeated the Salamence, causing it to crash and accidentally free Rayquaza, it's very possible Rayquaza would still be in the League's custody.
But Ruby also felt conflicted, after all, the person responsible for that incident was Norman, her father.
Knowing the whole story, Ruby nodded and said, "Ryan, I support you. What's the difference between the League doing that and those villains?"
Rosa also said angrily, "That's right, we support you on this matter, Ryan."
But Ryan remained silent, mulling over Ruby's words. A realization struck him, and he muttered, "No way...!"
Ryan's face turned serious. If his thoughts were correct, then he would have to be very careful in the future.
(End of Chapter)
If you enjoyed this chapter, leave a Power Stone or Review!
P@atreon/Soulforger (45+ advanced chapters)
Buy me coffee - ko-fi*com/soulforger01