As Told By Hikari, ch. 46

Last time, Hikari met up with her childhood friends and soundly defeated Cheren in battle.  Having reached the Badge Check Gates, our heroine is about to take on the daunting Victory Road!

Standing in front of the first of the Badge Check Gates, I steeled myself for what was to come. Beyond these gates is Victory Road, I thought to myself. Who knows how many other Trainers I’ll encounter?

“You ready, champ?” Tatsuya asked me.

Nodding, I replied, “Let’s do this!”  And with that, the two of us approached the gate.

A guard saw us coming and quickly stepped in front of us.  “Halt!  Unqualified ones shall not pass!  The key to open this closed gate is the Trio Badge!”  Tatsuya and I reached into our bags and pulled out our badge cases, and then showed the guard our Trio Badges.  As a result, the gate before us opened.  “Oh, holders of the Trio Badge!  Challenge all that you face!”  The guard stepped aside, and we were allowed to pass.

The two of us stepped through the gate and into an area with several plants and trees, two torches and a stream with a bridge going over it, leading to the next gate.  There were even a couple of tables by the stream.  Just looking at it reminded me of the hot-headed Chili, the calm and cool Cress, and the shy but sweet Cilan.  “I can’t believe it’s been so long since I faced those three,” I said absent-mindedly.

“Same here,” Tatsuya agreed.  “These gates really bring back memories.”

Crossing the bridge, we were met by another guard.  “Halt!  The key to open this gate is the Basic Badge!”  As requested, the older boy and I flashed our respective badges.  “Oh, holders of the Basic Badge!  Show the knowledge you’ve obtained!”  

Once again, the gate opened and we walked into a space littered with pieces of ancient ruins and a few poles held together by red velvet rope.  My mind immediately went back to Lenora, who went to great lengths to protect a piece of history way back when.

This continued as we made our way through each gate, each time walking through an area that represented the Badge’s respective Gym Leader.  “Holders of the Insect Badge!  Fight valiantly like an insect!”  This area had a large insect sculpture in the center, reminding me of the artistic Burgh.

“Holders of the Bolt Badge!  Unfurl a shocking battle!”  In this area was a metal bridge with three glass tubes containing blue electricity on each side, connected underneath the bridge with electric blue wiring.  It truly reflected the shocking style that only Elesa could achieve.

“Holders of the Quake Badge!  Make your foes’ hearts tremble!”  This time, the path was surrounded by gem-encrusted walls of earth, making the path vary from wide to narrow.  I couldn’t help remembering the rough yet sincere Clay, who made his own mine into an amazing Gym.

“Holders of the Jet Badge!  Blast ahead with tremendous force!”  Past this gate was a large seemingly bottomless crevasse with a strong, constant gust coming out of it.  We were able to cross the crevasse by simply walking across, floating due to the gust, although I needed a little encouragement from Tatsuya before I could even step off the ground.  It was a thrill comparable to the cannons which sent us into a high-flying battle with Skyla.

“Holders of the Freeze Badge!  Show the sharp edge of an icicle!”  Tatsuya and I were met with a mass of ice, with icy pillars dotting the slippery ground.  I conjured up the same determination I used to solve the slippery puzzle of Brycen’s Gym, and the same determination he himself demonstrated in our battle and at Dragonspiral Tower.

Finally, the two of us reached the last gate.  “Holders of the Legend Badge!  Pass through Victory Road, which lies beyond here, and head for the Pokemon League.  Prove that one of you can become a legend!”  We then proceeded to walk along a cliff where two stone dragon heads, each with a single clawed hand, protruded from the cliff face.  I smiled, thinking about Drayden and Iris’s love of legends and Dragon Pokemon.

At long last, we made it to Victory Road where a huge mountain stood before us.  “At the top of that mountain lies the Pokemon League,” Tatsuya said, gazing upwards.  He then turned to me.  “We’ll need to navigate the area by going up through the cave and occasionally sliding down the cliff side in order to get to the next area.  It’ll be tough, think you’re up for it?”

“Tatsuya, if you think for one second that I’m turning back now, you’ve got another thing coming,” I told him, ending the sentence with a smile and a light punch to his arm.

The older Trainer grinned.  “That’s just what I wanted to hear.  Well then, since I plan to battle you before we reach the League, what do you say we split up for now?  Just to make things interesting.”

“Sounds good to me!” I replied, some of my old confidence coming back.  “I’ll be waiting for you at the end!”  And with that I ran off into the cave, leaving Tatsuya behind.

…

Not gonna lie, those caves were really tough to navigate.  I lost count of how many times I got lost, and was suddenly wishing that Tatsuya and I hadn’t split up.  (Although honestly, he probably wasn’t having much luck, either.)  I ran into some other Trainers and battled them, but I managed to beat them every time.

Eventually, I stopped at one of several ledges on the outside of the mountain.  “*Phew!* Ya know, when they said ‘Victory Road’, I was expecting more of an actual road,” I muttered to myself before looking out at the view.  I could see past the Badge Check Gates and could even see Twist Mountain.  Smiling to myself, I continued, “Still, gotta love this view.  I’ll bet it’ll be even more awesome from the top!”

I started sliding down to the next ledge, but suddenly someone came out from the opening in the side of the mountain.  Unable to stop myself, I could only shout “Heads up!” before narrowly avoiding a collision with the other person.

“Hey, watch it pal!” a male voice shouted, and as I straightened myself out, I turned to see Cameron looking at me with an annoyed expression.  His face brightened when he realized who I was.  “Oh, hey Hikari!  How’s it goin’?”

“Hi, Cameron!” I greeted.  “Pretty good, thanks.  So you made it here too, huh?”

Grinning, the blonde-haired boy replied, “Sure did!  I’m your rival, did you really think I wouldn’t try to catch up with you?”

My self-proclaimed rival, maybe, I thought before smiling back at him.  “Well, you’ve caught up.  Now how about that battle we’ve been meaning to do?”

“You took the words right out of my mouth,” Cameron said as he stepped backwards a bit.  “We’ll go by tournament rules.  You ever do a tournament?”

“Uh, refresh my memory,” I answered, not wanting to tell him that I had never been in a battle tournament before.

“OK, the two of us can only use three Pokemon,” Cameron explained.  “Switching is not permitted, and neither are items; once the Pokemon is out, they continue to fight until they are defeated or the battle is over.  Fair enough?”

“Fair,” I agreed with a nod.  “Give me a minute.”  After some thinking, I selected Samurott, Sawk and Zoroark to use in the battle.  I then faced the other Trainer again.  “I’m ready when you are!”

“Very well!” Cameron said, turning his cap backwards before pointing straight at me.  “Get ready to lose!”

Hikari vs. Cameron!

Hikari is challenged by Pokemon Trainer Cameron!

“Go, Sceptile!”  The Grass-type Pokemon I remembered from our first meeting leapt out of its ball.

“Zoroark, c’mon out!”  My Illusion Fox Pokemon was already ready for battle, his tail swishing in anticipation.

“Hit ‘im with Leaf Blade!”  The leaves on Sceptile’s arm glowed green and it rushed forward, the blades grazing Zoroark’s arm as he attempted to dodge.

Wow!  Sceptile’s fast! “Night Slash!”  Zoroark retaliated with his own glowing claws, just barely missing his speedy opponent.  Letting out a frustrated growl, the Dark Pokemon continued to try to slash Sceptile while it continually dodged his attempts.

Cameron smirked.  “Speed on speed, huh?  This’ll be fun!  Dragon Claw now!”  This time, it was Sceptile’s claws that glowed as it moved in to strike Zoroark once again.

“Quick, use Faint Attack!” Acting quickly, Zoroark used his illusions to appear as Cameron, causing Sceptile to skid to a stop.  The transformed Pokemon then launched a punch at the Grass Pokemon, turning back into himself before finally landing a hit on his opponent.

“Hey!  No fair using me as a distraction!” Cameron protested.

Shrugging, I said, “You never said I couldn’t, did you?”

“Thinking outside the box, eh?  Guess you really are the hero of this story,” he commented before giving his next command.  “X-scissor!” Sceptile crossed its arms in front of itself before leaping forward, slashing its glowing leaves at Zoroark once again.

“Time for some Foul Play!”  Grinning mischievously, Zoroark just managed to dodge the X-scissor attack before grabbing one of Sceptile’s arms and slamming it into the side of the mountain.

Gritting his teeth, Cameron shouted, “Leaf Blade!”

“Night Slash!”  Glowing flashes of green and red clashed as Zoroark and Sceptile continued trying to hit each other with their respective attacks. This is getting nowhere, they’re both so fast! I thought as I watched.

“OK Sceptile, use Focus Blast!”  The Grass Pokemon quickly backed off and started forming a glowing blue ball of energy in its hands.

Uh-oh!  We have to throw off its concentration!  “Return!”  Powered by his fondness towards me, Zoroark ran forward and slammed into Sceptile hard.

“Now!”  Despite getting hit by the Return attack, Sceptile was able to complete its energy ball and released it, sending Zoroark flying backwards.  Both Pokemon hit the ground, and all was still for a few seconds.  Finally, Sceptile managed to stand up shakily, but Zoroark remained on the ground.

Zoroark fainted!

“Zoroark!” I rushed over to my Pokemon and knelt down beside him.  “You OK?”

“Z-Zoro, zoroark, (S-Sorry, Hikari)” the Dark Pokemon whispered, his strength completely drained.

“Don’t be sorry, you did great,” I told him, patting his shoulder.  “Now get some rest.”  With a reassuring smile, I sent Zoroark back into his Poke Ball. OK, Samurott’s weak against Grass attacks, so that leaves just one other option. “Sawk-sensei, let’s do this!”  The Karate Pokemon quickly took Zoroark’s place on the battlefield and assumed a fighting stance.

Cameron tilted his head.  “Eh?  Sensei?”

“Oh yeah, you haven’t really met sensei yet,” I said.  “He’s the one who taught me self-defense.”

That seemed to impress the blonde Trainer.  “Seriously?!  That’s awesome!” he exclaimed before giving his head a quick shake.  “No wait, I shouldn’t get distracted.  You’re my rival, so that means I’ve gotta give it all I’ve got!  Sceptile, Dragon Claw!”

“Use Retaliate!”  I barely heard Cameron mutter a mild curse before Sawk unleashed a flurry of punches and kicks at Sceptile, all of them hitting their mark.  This time, the Grass Pokemon could not stand up and was utterly beaten.

The foe’s Sceptile fainted!

“Sceptile, return!”  As Sceptile disappeared into its ball, Cameron said, “You fought well, buddy.  OK Charizard, you’re up next!”  This time, he sent out an orange dragon-like Pokemon whose tail was lit by a flame at its tip.  The Pokemon gave out an intimidating roar, and Sawk braced itself for battle.

“Charizard, the Flame Pokemon.  It is said that Charizard's fire burns hotter if it has experienced harsh battles.”

“Flamethrower!”  Charizard opened its mouth wide and shot out super-hot flaming breath, hitting Sawk before he could dodge.

“Sensei, use Thunderpunch!”  Recovering from the flames, Sawk clenched his charged-up fist before landing an electrified punch at his opponent’s jaw.  With Charizard being half-Flying, I figured that the attack caused quite a bit of damage.

“Fly away, Charizard!”  The Fire Pokemon shot up into the sky before diving down and slamming into Sawk, sending him sprawling across the ground.

“Ooh!  That had to hurt.  Use Brick Break on its wing!”  Nodding as he stood up, the Karate Pokemon ran toward Charizard before delivering a painful chop to one of its wings.

“Hang in there, Charizard!  Use Dragon Claw!”  Charizard’s glowing claws lashed out at Sawk, and he was barely able to dodge the attack.  In response, Sawk tried to use Brick Break on the other wing only to be swatted away by the Flame Pokemon’s tail.  “Nice try Hikari, but we’re not beaten that easy!  Fire Blast now!”

“Endure!”  I managed to give the command just in time and Sawk held his arms in front of his face as a huge flaming star seemed to consume him.  As the smoke cleared, the Karate Pokemon was amazingly still standing.  “Sorry Cameron, sensei’s still in the game!  Thunderpunch!”  Once again, Sawk’s Thunderpunch sent Charizard stumbling backward, but it still wasn’t down.

“OK then, Flamethrower again!”  Charizard let loose another stream of fire and unfortunately Sawk was unable to avoid it.  “Now Dragon Claw!”  The Fire Pokemon’s claws struck Sawk and he hit the ground hard, sliding until he was lying right at my feet.

Sawk fainted!

“Sensei, return!”  I gulped quietly as I reached for my last Poke Ball.  “Let’s finish this, Samurott!”  It was finally time for my first Pokemon to take the field, his eyes fierce as he glared at his winged opponent.  “Use Surf!”  With a loud roar, Samurott summoned a huge wave of water.

“Take to the skies!”  Charizard flew up, albeit a little slower than before, just avoiding the wave before diving down.

Now’s my chance!  “Samurott, Razor Shell!”  Right on cue, Samurott drew his seamitar and slashed at Charizard, catching it just before it could slam into the Water Pokemon.  The attack proved too much for Charizard and it fainted the instant it hit the ground.

The foe’s Charizard fainted!

After recalling his Pokemon, Cameron said, “So it all comes down to this, huh?  You may be the hero Hikari, but that doesn’t mean I’m going down without a fight!”

Smiling at him, I replied, “I’m only a hero because N thinks so.  You really get into your battles, huh?”

“Of course!  I haven’t had such an amazing battle with a non-Gym Leader for a long time!” he answered with a grin.  “Now, for the climax!  Go, Aggron!”  A large Pokemon covered in armor stomped its foot as it appeared, ready to face Samurott in a final round of battle.

“Aggron, the Iron Armor Pokemon.  While seeking iron for food, it digs tunnels by breaking through bedrock with its steel horns.”

“OK Samurott, use Aqua Tail!” Water spiraled around Samurott’s tail and spun around to strike its opponent.

“Iron Tail!”  Aggron’s tail glowed as it too turned, striking Samurott before his attack could land and sending him into the wall.  “Now Rock Slide!”

My eyes widened when I heard Cameron’s choice of attack.  “No, don’t use that one!” I tried to warn him, but large rocks were already falling towards Samurott.  The large Water Pokemon froze and could not move as the rocks fell on top of him.  “Samurott!”  After a few moments, Samurott finally burst out with a frightened roar.  It seemed that even in his evolved form, he still had a fear of caves and rock slides.

The Rock Slide seemed to disturb some wild Pokemon who dashed or flew out of the entrance opposite of the one Cameron had walked out of.  “What the heck’s going on?” Cameron asked, puzzled by the wild Pokemon’s behavior as well as that of Samurott.

“Woobat, the Bat Pokemon.  Its habitat is dark forests and caves. It emits ultrasonic waves from its nose to learn about its surroundings.”

“Deino, the Irate Pokemon.  It tends to bite everything, and it is not a picky eater. Approaching it carelessly is dangerous.”

While trying to soothe Samurott, I also tried to translate any stray PokeSpeak I could pick up from the wild Pokemon.  “It sounds like something woke up in the caves,” I told Cameron.  “And by the way Cameron, do me a favor and don’t EVER use Rock Slide against Samurott again!  He’s afraid of that attack!”

“Really?” the blonde asked, his eyebrows shooting up.  “Sorry, I didn’t know.”

Turning back to my Pokemon, I stroked his furry face gently.  “Hey bud, you’re OK.  There aren’t any more rocks falling.  Everything’s OK now.”

“Look out, here comes another Rock Slide!” Cameron’s voice shouted as there was another rumble.  I managed to help Samurott get away from the falling rocks and I shot a glare at Cameron, who had also avoided the boulders.  “Wasn’t me!” he said, holding up his hands in defense.

“Well if your Aggron didn’t do it, then who… uh-oh.”  My voice trailed off when I saw a large Pokemon emerge from the cave entrance.  It stood on four legs and had a black, rounded forehead adorned with two sharp brown horns that curved forward, and at that moment it did not look happy.

“Terrakion, the Cavern Pokemon.  This Pokémon came to the defense of Pokémon that had lost their homes in a war among humans.”

Gulping, Cameron said, “Aw man, that’s a Terrakion!  I’ve heard stories; it protected Pokemon in a war against humans a long time ago.  Maybe it thinks we were endangering those wild Pokemon?”

“I won’t know unless I ask him,” I said, hoping to settle this peacefully.  But before I could do anything, Samurott seemed to have realized that Terrakion was responsible for the second Rock Slide.  Now more angry than scared, the Formidable Pokemon roared as he surrounded himself with water, shooting forward in an Aqua Jet attack that hit Terrakion dead on.

“Your Samurott’s gone bonkers!” Cameron exclaimed.  “That’s a legendary Pokemon he’s attacking!”  The blonde Trainer could only watch as Terrakion used its own version of Retaliate, striking Samurott repeatedly with its horns.

“Stop it, both of you!” I shouted, trying to get the Pokemons’ attention.  The enraged Samurott paused for a second before getting hit by a glowing orange energy sword coming from between Terrakion’s horns.  I would later learn that that was Terrakion’s special move Sacred Sword.  “I said STOP IT!”  Desperate to stop the fight before it got any worse, I tried running in-between the two Pokemon.

“Hikari, no!”  I didn’t see the second Sacred Sword attack coming until it was almost too late, and I braced myself for impact.  Instead, I felt myself being shoved to the ground just before I heard a cry of pain.

“Samurott!  Samurott?  (Hikari!  Are you hurt?)” Samurott asked as he rushed to my side.  “Samu! (Stay back!)” he then shouted at Terrakion, who was still looking at me warily.

“Calm down Samurott, I’m fine,” I said with a groan as I sat up.  “But where’s…” Glancing around, I saw Cameron lying on his stomach motionless on the ground a little ways away.  “Cameron!” I cried before scrambling over to him.  “C’mon, say something!  Anything!”

I nearly breathed a sigh of relief when the blonde Trainer moaned, “Oww…  Did a train hit me?”  He then glanced up at me, wincing even from the small movement.  “You OK?”

Letting out a sigh, I told him, “Idiot, you’re the one who’s hurt!  Why did you do that?”

“Heh… couldn’t let the hero get hurt… could I?” he whispered with a smile.  “You still… have to take down Team Plasma…”

“Stop talking, I’ll try to call for help,” I told him firmly, about to turn on my Xtransceiver before being interrupted.

“Hey… did I seem like… a hero?  Like… in the movies?” Cameron asked.

Smiling and shaking my head, I answered, “Yeah, you were really heroic back there.”

“Good.  Guess the rest… of our battle… will have to wait…” he muttered before his eyes slipped closed and he passed out.

Don’t worry Cameron, help will be here soon, I thought, recalling Aggron to its ball in Cameron’s place.  I then slipped the Poke Ball into his bag before turning to the two remaining Pokemon.  “Now then, have you both calmed down?” I questioned, folding my arms.

Suddenly, I heard a rough voice in my head. The boy called you a hero.  Just what does he mean by that?

I immediately looked at Terrakion.  “Was that you?” I asked in surprise.  At that point, only one other Pokemon had spoken to me telepathically, so I really wasn’t used to it.*

Answer the question, it responded. Are you truly a hero?

“Uh, sort of,” I tried to explain.  “Terrakion, there is a group of people who are trying to separate people and Pokemon for good.  I’m trying to stop them before that can happen.”

You’re trying to protect Pokemon, then? the Cavern Pokemon inquired. Then why did your Samurott attack me?

“You scared him,” I answered simply.  “Samurott is afraid of being surrounded by rocks, and I guess he didn’t take too kindly to being almost buried twice.”

I see, Terrakion thought before turning to Samurott.  I didn’t hear what it said to the Water Pokemon, but Samurott bowed his head to Terrakion as if he was apologizing.  The Cavern Pokemon also bowed its head before contacting me again. I am sorry for attacking you, hero.  The Pokemon were scared by the battle between you and your friend, and so I was trying to deal with the situation.

Nodding in understanding, I said, “In that case, then I’m sorry for causing a disturbance.  I guess we were pretty rough on the mountain.  But my friend is hurt and we need help.”

I can help you, Terrakion offered, smiling for the first time. It’s the least I can do after that confusion. It then seemed to communicate with a couple of nearby Woobat, who used Psychic to lift the injured Cameron onto the legendary Pokemon’s back.  Follow me, I know the way to the top.

“Just one second,” I said before turning to Samurott.  “I’m glad you apologized Samurott, but I don’t want you lashing out at someone like that again.  Only if I’m in real danger, then you can attack without my order, OK?”

“Samu, (OK)” the Formidable Pokemon agreed.  “Samu samu… samu samurott.  (I suppose I… overreacted.)”

“Well you were scared out of your wits, so that’s understandable,” I conceded.  “As long as you understand, then that’s good.”  Patting Samurott one more time, I finally returned him to his Poke Ball before going back over to Terrakion.  “I’m ready, now please lead me to the top.”  With a single nod, the Cavern Pokemon led me back into the caves.  

Things were rough for a while, but Hikari has managed to befriend the legendary Terrakion!  Soon she will reach the end of Victory Road, where the Pokemon League and N await her arrival.  Stay tuned!

*see chapter 42