literature

As Told By Hikari, ch. 44

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Previously, Hikari and Tatsuya made it to Opelucid City and learned more about the legendary Dragon-type Pokemon from the Gym Leader Drayden and Iris.  Tatsuya also revealed that he likes Hikari!  Now the two are preparing for Hikari’s final Gym Battle…

“You’re doing great, Hikari!  Now lay off the kicks!” Tatsuya shouted from the sidelines.

“Got it! Hear that, sensei?” I told Sawk-sensei, who nodded in response seconds before dodging a swipe from a wild Beartic.

I know it sounded like I was training to go up against Brycen again, but actually I was trying to capture a Beartic in Twist Mountain for my battle against Drayden.  I had trained with Caraway for a while, and she suggested that the more Ice-type Pokemon I had, the better.

“Thunderpunch!”  Sensei managed to land one last hit on Beartic with his electrically-charged fist.  Acting quickly, I pulled out an Ultra Ball and threw it at the Freezing Pokemon, who went into the ball and didn’t break out.  “Gotcha!”

Gotcha!  Beartic was caught!

“Alright, nice work!” Tatsuya said, walking over to me.  “So you now have Beartic, Vanilluxe and Zoroark as your team.”  Now before you start nitpicking, let me explain: during our training, Vanillish evolved into his final form Vanilluxe and even learned a new move, which I was pretty excited about!

“Sounds good to me!” I agreed with the older Trainer before letting Beartic out of its ball.  I also let Zoroark (in his teenage form) and Vanilluxe out so they could meet the bear Pokemon.  “Alright, now I want you three to get along, OK?”

“Vanilluxe, the Snowstorm Pokemon and the evolved form of Vanillish.  Swallowing large amounts of water, they make snow clouds inside their bodies and attack their foes with violent blizzards.”

Vanilluxe seemed a little nervous.  “(Hey Zoroark, doesn’t that Beartic seem familiar to you?)” I heard him ask his partner-in-crime.

“Now that you mention it…” Zoroark muttered, glancing sideways at Beartic who was warily glancing at the two Pokemon.

Beartic lumbered over and sniffed Vanilluxe, making him duck behind Zoroark.  It then sniffed the Illusion Fox Pokemon.  “Beartic bear beartic… (You smell familiar…)”

“Uh, you must be thinking of some other Pokemon!” Zoroark said hastily.

“?  Did I miss something?” I asked, cocking an eyebrow at their strange behavior.

The Dark-type Pokemon quickly shook his head.  “It’s nothing to worry about, Hikari.”

After a few more hours of training, Tatsuya and I finally flew back to Opelucid City to rest up for tomorrow.  Once we got there, I noticed a reporter and her cameraman walking around interviewing someone.  “Eh?  A reporter?”

“I guess she heard about Ghetsis’s speech the other day,” Tatsuya said.

The reporter suddenly spotted us.  “Excuse me, you two!  Can I get an interview?”

“Uh… sure!” I said, shrugging my shoulders as the woman walked over.

“I heard that Team Plasma was sighted in this city recently,” she began.  “Did you see anything?”

“Yeah, one of the higher-ups was here giving a speech,” I answered.  “He was trying to convince a crowd to release their Pokemon.”

“There have been quite a few speeches like that recently,” the reporter went on.  “Can you give me your opinion on the situation?”

“All I can say is, be extremely wary of Team Plasma,” Tatsuya said.  “Those people have been stealing Pokemon, but they will be stopped very soon.”

“And what about this N person?  Do you believe that he is the hero Team Plasma claims he is?”

I paused for a second, thinking before answering.  “I’m not quite sure.  I’ve met him several times, and he certainly believes himself to be a hero.  I don’t think I can really answer that question.”

“You met N?!” the reporter exclaimed.  “I’ve been trying to locate him for a while!  What’s he like?”

Again, I tried to think of a good answer.  “He’s… hard to describe.  He’s very kind towards Pokemon and considers them his friends.  His actions, however, are still questionable.  I hope to find more answers when I face him at the Pokemon League!”

The reporter grinned and turned back to the camera.  “Did you hear that, folks?  This young Trainer is boldly challenging Team Plasma’s leader!  May we wish her the best of luck!”

Once the reporter and cameraman had left, Tatsuya remarked, “I noticed you didn’t mention that you’re technically a hero, too.”

“Meh, why make things more complicated for her?” I said with a shrug.

“Good point,” the male Trainer said before patting me on the back, causing me to blush.  “Come on, let’s get to the Pokemon Center and get some rest.”

“O-Okay,” I stammered, trying to control my blushing and failing miserably.  Ever since Tatsuya confessed his true feelings to me, I became much more nervous whenever he touched me.  I knew I liked him back and I also knew that he didn’t want an answer until Team Plasma was defeated, but it was getting increasingly difficult to keep my feelings in check!

Unconsciously, I started walking a little faster than Tatsuya and just before going into the Pokemon Center, I ended up crashing into someone.  “Ow!  I’m sorry…” a familiar voice said before I realized that it was actually Caraway.  “Oh, hi Kari!  Hi, Tatsu!”

“Hiya, Cary!” I greeted as we walked through the door together.  “What’s up?”

“Oh, not much except Pixie got into a rough battle with another Pokemon so I had to bring her here,” Caraway replied in her usual rambling manner.  “How’s your training going?”

“Great!  I caught a Beartic to help me out in the battle,” I bragged, holding up the Ultra Ball that held the Ice-type Pokemon.

“Oh, sweet!” the redhead exclaimed as she hopped up and down excitedly.  “Of course, a Dewgong would be a much cuter choice, but I guess you can’t really find one around these parts…”

“Dewgong are hard to come by in Unova, yes,” an accented voice said, and I turned to see Damien walking over from the counter.  “Hello again, you two.”

“Hey, Damien,” Tatsuya greeted, although he seemed to be keeping an eye on the older Trainer.

Once the four of us got settled in, we just talked about random things.  “So Cary, do you have any goals?” I asked, remembering that she didn’t mention her goal as a Trainer.

“Hmmmmmm…” She thought for a few seconds before replying.  “Actually, I’m looking for a certain Pokemon called Shaymin.”

“Shaymin?” I asked, tilting my head.

“It’s a legendary Pokemon that I read about,” Caraway said.  “They say that if it is lovingly hugged or senses gratitude, the flowers all over its body will burst into bloom.  …Plus, it’s just so darn cute!” The rest of us fell out of our seats in response to both her reason and her abrupt change in tone.  I should’ve known she couldn’t stay serious for long…

As we straightened up again, Tatsuya piped up, “Uh, I hate to break it to you Caraway, but I’ve always heard that Shaymin is in the Sinnoh region.”

“Well I won’t know for sure if it’s just in the Sinnoh region if I don’t look somewhere else first, right?” the redhead retorted.

Damien shook his head.  “It’s no use, Tatsuya.  I’ve given up trying to completely understand the way she thinks.”  He then looked at me with a smile.  “So I saw your little interview, m’lady.  That was quite a bold challenge, given that you haven’t beaten Drayden yet.”

“Oh hush, I’m working on it!” I told him, feeling my cheeks heat up.  “I’ll head to the Gym tomorrow.  With all the training I’ve been doing, I’ll be sure to win!”

“Well I’m sorry we won’t be around to see it,” the blonde Trainer said.  “Cary and I will be leaving in the morning.”

“Already?” Tatsuya and I asked simultaneously.

“We never really stay in one place for very long,” Caraway explained.  “After all, traveling is one of the best parts about being a Trainer!  Oh!  But before that Kari, which Pokemon are you using in the battle?”

“Vanilluxe, Zoroark and Beartic,” I told her, not sure what she was up to.

“Can I see their Poke Balls?  I wanna sing something to them for good luck,” the redhead said, holding out her hands.  Deciding to go along with it, I took the three balls from my belt and gave them to her.  She then closed her eyes and began singing a short but pretty tune.  When she was finished, she handed the balls back to me.

“That was a pretty song,” I commented.  “I don’t think I’ve ever heard it before.”

“It’s called ‘Relic Song,’” Caraway said.  “My mother told me that long ago, a Pokemon sang that song and spread joy to others.”

“That sounds kinda familiar…” I heard Tatsuya mutter.  “Wait a second… that Pokemon wouldn’t be Meloetta, would it?”

The redhead’s eyes lit up.  “Yeah, that’s the one!”

“Caraway, that Coordinator we mentioned before; she’s looking for Meloetta’s lost melody,” I told her.  “I’ll bet your Relic Song is it!”

“Really?!  Now I wanna meet this girl!  What’d you say her name was again?”  I gave her Caria’s contact information, and after talking for a while more, we finally said good night.

Before he stepped out of the Pokemon Center, Damien turned to me.  “Best of luck on your quest, m’lady,” he said, reaching out to take my hand, but he was stopped when Victini floated in front of him glaring.  “Ah, he’s protective of you, I see.  As well he should be; you’re a rare kind of lady, Hikari.”  And with that, the blonde Trainer bowed his head and left.

I smirked at Tatsuya, who was standing behind me.  “Was that really necessary?”

“Sorry, couldn’t resist,” he said with a shrug before pulling me into a hug.  “Get plenty of sleep tonight, OK?  Good night, Hikari.”

My whole face turned red, but I returned the hug.  “G’night, Tatsuya.”



“Opelucid City Pokemon Gym
Leader: Drayden
The Spartan Mayor”

The next day, before I knew it I was standing inside the Opelucid City Gym.  Two dragon heads, one black and one white, seemed to stretch themselves all throughout the Gym, and I could see the platform where Drayden was waiting.

“We need to step on the switches on the dragon’s arms to change the path,” Tatsuya explained.  “I haven’t been here in a long time, so I can’t remember exactly how it goes…”

“Don’t worry about it,” I told him.  “We’ll figure it out together.”  The older Trainer smiled and nodded, and then we started down the path.

It took us a while to figure out the correct path, but Tatsuya and I eventually made it to the platform, where Drayden greeted us.  “Welcome.  Thank you for coming.”

“Good to see you, Drayden,” I said with a bow of my head.  Tatsuya and Victini went off to the sidelines along with, to my surprise, Samurott.  “?  Samurott, you wanna watch?”

“(If I’m not battling, then I’ll watch you, Hikari,)” the Water Pokemon explained before walking over and lying next to Tatsuya.  The Trainer responded by letting out Minnie, who kissed Samurott’s snout before sitting on his front legs.  I couldn’t help but smile; one way or another, my first Pokemon was determined to support me.

I turned my attention back to Drayden.  “Sorry about that; I’m ready to go!”

“Good,” Drayden said as he brought out a Poke Ball.  “As the mayor, I’ve given everything to developing the city.  As a Trainer, I’ve simply been pursuing greater strength.  But what I’m searching for now is a young Trainer who can show me a bright future.  Perhaps you can show me that future, the way Iris has?”

“I’ll do my best!” I answered.

Iris appeared, and it became pretty clear that she would be our referee.  “This battle between the Gym Leader Drayden and the challenger Hikari is about to begin!  Each Trainer shall use three Pokemon!  Ready?  Start!”

Hikari vs. Drayden!

Hikari is challenged by Leader Drayden!


“Go, Fraxure!” Drayden threw his ball and a Dragon-type Pokemon with long tusks appeared.

“Fraxure, the Axe Jaw Pokemon and the evolved form of Axew.  Since a broken tusk will not grow back, they diligently sharpen their tusks on river rocks after they've been fighting.”

“Vanilluxe, go for it!”  The Snowstorm Pokemon appeared, raring to go.  “Start with Hail!”  A large cloud appeared and snow and hail started to fall, pelting Fraxure but not bothering Vanilluxe.

“Dragon Dance!”  Red and blue energy crackled around Fraxure, and I knew I had to be more careful with my next moves.  “Now Dragon Tail!”  The Dragon-type Pokemon’s tail glowed light blue, then Fraxure leapt forward and struck Vanilluxe hard, sending him flying back.

Yikes!  What a strong attack! I thought, flinching from the impact.   Time for that new move… “Vanilluxe, use Weather Ball!”  A light blue ball of energy with icy streams swirling around it appeared before Vanilluxe, then shot out at Fraxure, causing quite a bit of damage.

“Assurance!”  This time, Fraxure rushed forward and struck Vanilluxe across both of his faces.

Judging from Vanilluxe’s condition, if I didn’t do something fast he would faint from the damage.  Acting fast, I gave my Pokemon a Hyper Pokemon to restore his energy.  “Hang in there, pal!  Let’s try Ice Beam!”  Unfortunately, the icy attack just barely missed its target, but on the bright side the Hail was still coming down and causing damage.

“Dragon Tail!”  Once again, Fraxure attacked with its glowing tail, landing another solid hit.

“Get it together, Vanilluxe!  You can do this!” I encouraged, helping him get some confidence back.  “Blizzard now!”  Now fully focused, Vanilluxe unleashed a powerful Blizzard, which along with one last hit from the Hail proved to be too much for Fraxure.

“Fraxure is unable to battle.  Vanilluxe wins!”

The foe’s Fraxure fainted!

“Alright!  Nice work, Vanilluxe!” I exclaimed, earning smiles from both faces of the Ice Pokemon despite his exhaustion.  Taking advantage of Drayden’s distraction from switching Pokemon, I quickly switched out Vanilluxe for Zoroark, who used his illusions to appear as his tired partner-in-crime.

Drayden recalled his Fraxure and sent out a Druddigon.  “Chip Away!”  The Dragon Pokemon rushed forward, ready to strike.

“Faint Attack now!” “Vanilluxe” smirked before quickly moving to the side, turning back into Zoroark a split second before striking Druddigon.

Drayden’s eyebrows raised a bit.  “Switching Pokemon while I’m not looking… I didn’t see that coming.  You are a very difficult opponent.  Dragon Tail!”  Druddigon’s glowing tail slammed into Zoroark, knocking the Illusion Fox Pokemon away.

“Zoroark!” I cried as my Pokemon hit the ground in front of me.  “Are you alright?”

Standing up shakily, Zoroark looked back at me with a reassuring smile.  “Zoro, zoroark, (I’m fine, Hikari)” he told me.  “Zoroark, zoro. (This guy’s slow, but tough.)”

“Good to hear,” I said before giving the next command.  “Night Slash!”

“Druddigon, use Night Slash as well!”  Both Pokemon bared glowing red claws and ran at each other, scratching each other across the face, with Zoroark’s attack causing more harm than Druddigon’s.

“You’re doing great!” I said, giving Zoroark a Hyper Potion while Drayden did the same for his Pokemon.  “Dang.  Use Return!”  Zoroark’s newest move turned his fondness towards me into his strength as he rushed forward, slamming into his opponent with all his might.

“Revenge!” Shaking its head after the strong hit, Druddigon prepared to launch a strong uppercut at Zoroark’s jaw.

“Uh-oh, time for a little Foul Play, Zoroark!” I called out, much to Zoroark’s delight.  Foul Play was a move that used the opponent’s power against it.  Just as Druddigon tried to hit its opponent, Zoroark dodged, grabbed its arm and slammed the Dragon Pokemon to the ground.  “Now finish it with Night Slash!”  The Dark Pokemon’s claws glowed red one last time before slashing Druddigon’s chest, defeating it.

“Druddigon is unable to battle.  Zoroark wins!”

The foe’s Druddigon fainted!

“Yeah!  You did it, Zoroark!” I cheered as Zoroark turned into his teenage form, picked me up and spun in a circle, causing me to laugh.

“Don’t get too comfortable yet,” Drayden warned as he recalled Druddigon.  “Now is the moment of truth!  This really gets my blood pumping!  Haxorus, go!”  This time, a tall Dragon Pokemon with scythe-like tusks entered the battlefield.

“Haxorus, the Axe Jaw Pokemon and the evolved form of Fraxure.  They are kind but can be relentless when defending territory. They challenge foes with tusks that can cut steel.”

Zoroark set me down and returned to his true form as he retook his place on the field.  “Return!”  Once again, the Dark Pokemon charged and slammed into his opponent.  As he backed off, I noticed Zoroark’s legs shaking a little bit; he was reaching his limit, even if he was trying not to show it.

But before I could do anything about it, Drayden commanded, “Slash!”  Using its tusks, Haxorus Slashed Zoroark badly, sending him flying back to me.

“Zo… zoro… (No… not yet…)” Zoroark grunted as he tried to get back up with no success.

“It’s OK, Zoroark,” I said, catching the Pokemon’s attention.  

“Zo! (But!)”

“No, Zoroark!” I said firmly, cutting him off mid-protest.  “You’ve already done enough.  Get a good rest; you’ve more than earned it.”

“Zoroark… (Hikari…)” he murmured, amazed by my decision.  “Zoro zoro… zoroark?  (Can I at least… watch you win?)”

“You bet!” I said with a nod.  

“Zo… (Thanks…)” he said, smiling weakly as he collapsed on the battlefield, completely and utterly exhausted.

“Wow…  Uh, I mean…  Zoroark is unable to battle.  Haxorus wins!”

Zoroark fainted!

“Samurott, (I’ll get him)” Samurott said, walking over and helping Zoroark off the field.

“Thanks, Samurott,” I told the Water Pokemon before facing Drayden again and taking an Ultra Ball off my belt.  “It’s up to you, Beartic!”  My newest Pokemon stormed his way onto the field, growling at its opponent.  “Frost Breath!”  Beartic blew freezing wind and snow at Haxorus, causing it to shiver from the cold.

“Dragon Dance!”  Haxorus let out a roar as red and blue energy crackled around it.

“Icicle Crash now!”  Several large icicles appeared and fell down towards Haxorus, most of them hitting and causing significant damage.

“Dragon Tail!”  Its speed boosted by Dragon Dance, Haxorus raced towards Beartic and slammed its glowing tail into the Ice Pokemon.

“I know you can do it, Beartic!  Use Slash!”  Beartic nodded once before baring its claws, swiping Haxorus and giving it a nasty scratch.

“Assurance!”  The Dragon Pokemon roared before lowering its head and headbutting Beartic.

“Ooh, that hurt!” I heard Tatsuya say as Victini and Samurott flinched.

Haxorus is so powerful!  I gotta think fast, I don’t know how many Hyper Potions Drayden has left, I thought as I quickly used my last Hyper Potion.  “Blizzard now!”  Beartic let out a roar of its own as a strong Blizzard whipped around the Gym, buffeting Haxorus with ice and snow.

“Dragon Tail once more!”  As Haxorus prepared its next attack, I quickly shouted my next command.

“Finish it with Icicle Crash!”  Just as Haxorus took off, the large icicles began falling again.  They crashed on top of the Axe Jaw Pokemon just before it reached Beartic, ensuring its defeat.  Beartic roared triumphantly, and I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding.

“Haxorus is unable to battle.  Beartic wins!  The victory goes to the challenger Hikari!” Iris announced, resulting in cheers from the sidelines.

Drayden folded his arms and closed his eyes.  “The intense feeling that floods me after a defeat… I don’t know how to describe.”

The foe’s Haxorus fainted!

Hikari defeated Leader Drayden!


“Yeah!  We did it!” I shouted, pumping my fist.  After recalling Beartic, I rushed over to the sidelines to check on Zoroark, who watched the rest of the battle from Samurott’s back.  “How are you holding up?”

“Zoroark, (Felt better)” he remarked before flashing a smile.  “Zoroark, zoroark!  Zoro zoro… (You beat him, Hikari!  I’m so happy…)”

“You all did a good job,” I said, hugging Zoroark and smiling when I got hugs from both him and Tatsuya.

“Whoooa!  That was so cool!” Iris’s voice piped up behind me, startling me and causing the three of us to quickly separate.  “I’m glad Drayden got to battle someone as strong as you!”

“Oh!  Sorry Drayden, I was just…” I spoke quickly, noticing the mayor standing next to Iris.

The Gym Leader shook his head.  “No, never apologize for showing kindness towards your Pokemon.  You realized Zoroark couldn’t battle in his condition and talked him into leaving the battlefield.  That’s a quality that not many Trainers possess nowadays, and I’m grateful we had a chance to meet and battle.”  He then held out his hand, and in it was a Gym Badge shaped like a black dragon’s wing.

Hikari received the Legend Badge from Drayden!

“YES!  My last Badge!” I cheered, holding up the Legend Badge.  I had won all eight Gym Badges!  I could go to the Pokemon League!  Samurott would’ve let out another loud roar if Minnie hadn’t hopped up and silenced him with a kiss, which he quickly returned.

“I knew you could do it, Hikari!” Tatsuya cried as he hugged me again, and this time I hugged him back, both of us laughing with excitement.

“Congratulations, Hikari!” Iris exclaimed with a big smile on her face.

Drayden then spoke up, getting our attention.  “I also want you to have this.  It’s a TM I’m particularly fond of.  It’s called Dragon Tail.”

Hikari obtained a TM82 Dragon Tail!

As I took the disc from the Gym Leader’s hand, he continued to speak.  “Now, I have something to ask of you.  Head for the Pokemon League and go after Alder.  The Pokemon League is past Route 10, which runs from Opelucid City to Victory Road.”  The old Leader’s eyes closed, his face full of concern.  “I know Alder’s strength, but I don’t know the depths of N’s power…”

Clutching my last Badge, I replied, “You can count on me!”

“Oh!  One more thing, Hikari!” Iris piped up.  “You were so, so awesome in that battle!  Do you think maybe, someday… you and I can have a battle?”

“Sure thing!” I answered with a grin.  “We’ll battle when this is over, Iris.  That OK?”  The purple-haired girl nodded her approval.

Hikari has finally won her eighth Gym Badge and has gained access to the Pokemon League!  Her next move is to head to the Pokemon League, where Alder and N await.  Stay tuned!
I wanna thank everyone who has read, reviewed, and followed Hikari on her journey for this long!  This makes me so happy; virtual hugs for all!  :tighthug:

Hikari is a tomboyish ten-year-old who has just started her Pokemon journey. She travels the world meeting new people and Pokemon, fighting Team Plasma, and pursuing her dreams. Based on the game Pokemon Black

Author's note: About Zoroark's ability to speak the human language, I probably should've clarified something.  Zoroark can only do this when he is in a human guise; otherwise, he uses Poke Speak like any other Pokemon.

P.S. I do not own Pokemon. Caraway and Damien belong to :icontipitiwitchet:.  Cover by :iconyomonkeysuncle:.

© 2014 - 2024 EliseArainai
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cyndaquilgirl's avatar
Awesome, I can't wait to see what happens next
And Tatsuya, why don't you let Hikari reveal her feelings? D: