//------------------------------//
// Entering Clair's Lair 
// Story: Pokémon Turquoise Johto Adventures 
// by foxmaster 
//------------------------------//

After traversing the Ice Path Turquoise and Fluttershy finally arrived in Blackthorn City.

“Finally Blackthorn City now to find the Pokemon Center,” Turquoise said.

“Changing up your team?” Fluttershy asked.

“This is Clair we are talking about so her Dragon-Types are going to be quite a challenge,” Turquoise said remembering what she saw during the Dragon’s Cup. As soon as they arrived at the pokemon Center Turquoise wasted no time in using the vidphone to call Professor Oak.

“Turquoise good to hear from you again,” Professor Oak said.

“Finally arrived in Blackthorn City and getting ready to take on Clair,” Turquoise said.

“So you wish to change your team, who will you be using?” Professor Oak asked.

“I need my Milotic, Dragonite, and Dragapult,” Turquoise said.

“All good choices and you will be glad to know Dragonite learned a new move you may find useful,” Professor Oak said before asking what Turquoise would be sending over.

“I’m sending over Meganium, Hunchkrow, and Umbreon,” Turquoise said while getting them out. A few minutes later the exchange was complete.

“Good luck on your gym Battle,” Professor Oak said before hanging up. With her team now all set it was time to go challenge the gym for Turquoise’s final gym badge. The girls asked around for directions and soon arrived in front of a mansion-like building which was the gym. Before they could enter an old man stopped them.

“If your looking for Clair she is not in there at the moment,” The old man said.

“Then where is she?” Turquoise asked.

“At the Dragon’s Den doing some training with Lance,” The old man said before introducing himself. “I’m Kaburugi one of the dragon elders here in Blackthorn City. Turquoise asked him to take her to them but he refused since the dragon’s den is a sacred place only a select few may go. Before she could ask again Clair and Lance arrived, both surprised to see Turquoise and Fluttershy.

“Oh hi Turquoise, remember me?” Clair asked.

“Sure do Clair,” Turquoise said.

“I’m gonna assume you came all this way to challenge my gym?” Clair asked.

“Sure did,” Turquoise said.

“Well I would be more than happy to accept your challenge but my pokemon are tired from our training session with Lance so are you willing to wait a bit longer?” Clair said.

“I suppose I can wait a bit longer, but on the topic of Lance, what are you doing here? I thought you went after team Supernova?” Turquoise said.

“I still am but I'm taking a short break to do some training since there is no telling what they will be planning next,” Lance said.

“That makes perfect sense,” Fluttershy said.

“But while I'm still here may I watch your gym battle? Since I’m still one of Kanto’s Elite Four I would like to see how far you have grown as a trainer,” Lance asked.

“Sure I don’t mind,” Turquoise said. While they waited for Clair’s pokemon to heal Clair decided to chat with Turquoise and Fluttershy about their journey so far.

“So tell me what made you girls decide to come to Johto?” Clair asked.

“I saw Ho-oh and acquired one of its rainbow wings which inspired me to come here to challenge the Johto league and the Johto grand festival,” Turquoise said.

“Fascinating, Normally a trainer would only pursue one of those two routes but taking both at the same time? Are you sure you can manage that?” Clair asked.

“I did the first time and I already got the five ribbons needed for the Grand Festival,” Turquoise said before showing off her ribbons.

“But do you know where it is and if so how do you plan to get there in time?” Clair asked.

“It's on Candina Island off the coast of Olivine City and it's in a month,” Turquoise said.

“And just how do you plan to get there? Olivine City is quite a ways from here not to mention it would take a least a month to get there on foot even if you kept going without making any stops,” Clair pointed out.

“We will figure something out when we cross that bridge,” Turquoise said.

“Anyway, what made you decide to come to Johto Fluttershy?” Clair asked.

“I came to continue my studies to become a pokemon breeder,” Fluttershy said. Before they could continue talking Clair’s pokemon were all healed up and ready for battle.

“That’s nice and now let's return to the Gym, I believe it's time for our battle Turquoise,” Clair said.

“It most certainly is,” Turquoise said.





Sometime later Turquoise and Clair were in their spots on the battlefield waiting for the judge to arrive.

“Sorry for the wait,” Kaburugi said before taking his spot on the side of the battlefield since he was acting as the ref for this battle. “The battle between Clair the gym Leader and Turquosie the challenger will now begin. Both sides will use four pokemon and the battle will end once one side's pokemon are unable to battle, Also only the challenger may substitute pokemon, and one last thing, the battlefield will change depending on the pokemon that are used. As soon as he said the last part the floor of the battlefield opened up revealing a pool. “Now let the battle begin.

“Kingdra I chose you,” Clair said as she called out what looked like a big blue seahorse.

“So that’s a Kingdra huh,” Turquoise said before pulling out her Pokedex.

“Kingdra, The dragon Pokemon and the evolved form of Seadra, It lives in caves on the seafloor and creates giant whirlpools every time it moves,” The Pokedex said.

“In that case, Go Milotic,” Turquoise said as she called out Milotic who appeared in the water before sparkling like the shiny pokemon it was.

“Kingdra use Twister on the water. Kingdra began spinning around which was creating a big vortex of water that soon engulfed Milotic.

“Use your twister to break free. Milotic created her own twister that spun in the opposite direction thus causing both moves to cancel each other out. “Now use Ice beam. Milotic fired her Ice beam at Kingdra but Clair was not shaken by this.

“I see someone came prepared however that alone won’t help you. Kingdra use Hydro Pump. Kingdra fired its hydro pump which collided with the Ice beam. Both moves pushed against each other but in the end, Ice beam won and turned the Hydro pump into chunks of ice that fell into the pool. 

“Now Milotic use twister full power. Milotic managed to use her twister to create a huge vortex of water that trapped Kingdra before being bombarded with violent winds and chunks of ice. As soon as the attack ended Kingdra was still floating and able to battle despite the damage it took.

“I will admit that was clever but we have one more surprise up our sleeve,” Clair said.

“Bring it,” Turquoise said.

“Kingdra use Scale Shot. Kingdra fired a barrage of blue scales at Milotic who took all the hits before Turquoise could give a command. While she was taking damage Kingdra’s speed stat increased. “Now use Dragon Pulse to end this. Kingdra fired a sphere of light green energy from its mouth that was speeding toward Milotic.

“Dodge and use Breaking Swipe. Milotic dove underwater and delivered a powerful breaking Swipe that send Kingdra flying out of the water and then crashing back down. As soon as Kingdra resurfaced it was knocked out.

“Kingdra is unable to battle, Milotic is the winner,” Kaburugi said while pointing his right flag at Turquoise.

“Return Kingdra,” Clair said as she recalled Kingdra. “Great job as always. I must say that was a good counterattack especially since Scale shot lowers the defense of the pokemon using it.

“Is that what happened? good to know,” Turquoise said.

“But can you handle my next pokemon?” Clair asked.

“Bring it on,” Turquoise said.

“Very well, Go Gyarados,” Clair said before calling out her Gyarados who looked vicious and raring to go.

“Return Milotic,” Turquoise said before recalling Milotic.

“Clever girl switching out,” Lance said.

“How so?” Fluttershy asked.

“Because even though Gyarados make look like a dragon, it is a water and flying type which Milotic is not suited to face,” Lance said.

“I get it she is switching out to something more suited to the situation,” Fluttershy said.

“Let's just see who she picks,” Lance said.

“Go Dragonite,” Turquoise said before calling out Dragonite who looked ready to go. Suddenly the roof of the gym began to open.

“We will now be incorporating the Air element into the battlefield,” Kaburugi said before the roof was completely open giving Dragonite the freedom to soar as high as he wished. The battle resumed and Clair was not planning on holding back.

“Gyarados use Dragon Dance. Gyarados began spinning in place as its attack and speed stats rose. “Now use Ice fang. Gyarados suddenly began to swim fast while its fangs became ice.

“Fly up Dragonite and use Dragon Rage. Dragonite tried to fly but unfortunately, he wasn't quick enough and took a ton of damage which resulted in him getting covered in ice and floating in the pool.

“Now Gyarados. Finish this with Hydro Pump. Gyarados unleashed Hydro Pump thinking there was nothing Dragonite could do to stop it. Turquoise decided now was the time to put her faith in Dragonite’s new attack.

“Break free and use Thunder. Suddenly Dragonite began to use all of his strength to break free from the ice and then unleash a powerful Thunder that used Hydro pump as a conductor which nailed Gyarados with a critical hit and cause it to faint.

“Gyarados is unable to battle. Dragonite is the winner,” Kaburugi said while pointing his right flag at Turquoise.

“Return Gyarados,” Clair said as she recalled Gyarados. “You did great now rest.

“Looks like turquoise is going to win this no problem,” Fluttershy said.

“I wouldn’t count Clair out just yet,” Lance said before continuing. “Turquoise may have beaten two of her pokemon but at the same time, Milotic and Dragonite took some serious damage.

“So does that mean Turquoise is done for?” Fluttershy asked.

“What I mean is this is where Clair’s true strength shines,” Lance explained as the battlefield began to change again by covering the pool up again.

“We will now be removing the water element to incorporate the earth element,” Kaburugi said as the battlefield was now solid land again. Clair now looked serious as she pulled out her next Pokeball.

“Dragonair I chose you,” Clair said as she called out her Dragonair.

“I will stick with my Dragonite,” Turquoise said.

“So be it,” Clair said as the battle resumed.

“Dragonite Use Dragon Rush. Dragonite charged at Dragonair while covered in a field of energy shaped like a dragon.

“Coming at me like that won’t work. Dragonair dodge that and use Wrap. Dragonair managed to dodge the attack before wrapping itself tightly around Dragonite which was inflicting significant damage. “Now use Thunderbolt. Dragonair used its thunderbolt while wrapped around Dragonite which inflicted enough damage to finish him off.

“Dragonite is unable to battle. Dragonair is the winner,” Kaburugi said while pointing his left flag at Clair.

“Return Dragonite,” Turquoise said as she recalled Dragonite. “You did your best now rest. Turquoise wasted no time in choosing her next pokemon. “Go Milotic. Milotic came back out and despite being on dry land she was doing fine.

“Good luck trying to dodge on dry land,” Clair said as if Turquoise made the worse possible choice for this battle.

“Milotic use Ice Beam. Milotic fired her Ice beam at Dragonair but Clair was not fazed by it.

“Dodge and use Thunderbolt. Dragonair managed to move out of the way but was grazed by the Ice beam which inflicted decent damage. After unleashing thunderbolt Milotic could not move on account of still being in the middle of her attack. The damage was enough to finish her off.

Milotic is unable to battle. Dragonair is the winner,” Kaburugi said while pointing his left flag at Clair.

“Return Milotic,” Turquoise said while recalling Milotic. “You did great now rest. Both sides were now down to two pokemon each and while Turquoise had two pokemon who were still fresh Clair’s Dragonair looked worn from its previous two battles. Turquoise noticed this fact and made her choice. “Go Dragapult. Dragapult began flying around for a bit before floating in front of Turquoise. The battle resumed and Turquoise made the first move. “Dragapult use Phantom Force. Dragapult flew up before diving into a shadowy hole in the floor that closed behind her a couple of seconds later.

“Stay on your guard Dragonair. Both Clair and Dragonair observed the battlefield looking for where Dragapult would appear and a few seconds later the hole appeared from below Dragonair and Dragapult popped out and inflicted a ton of damage. Despite the damage, Dragonair was still able to battle. “I will admit that was a nice attack but it's time to wrap this up. Dragonair use Dragon Rush. Dragonair charged at Dragapult cloaked in the same dragonic energy as before.

“We will use Dragon Rush as well. Dragapult charged at Dragonair in the same way. Both of them pushed against each other with all they had until an explosion occurred which covered the battlefield in a plume of smoke. Once the smoke cleared both Dragonair and Dragapult were knocked out.

“Both pokemon are unable to battle so this round is a draw,” Kaburugi said while crossing his flags.

“Return Dragonair,” Clair said while recalling Dragonair.

“You return as well Dragapult,” Turquoise said while recalling Dragpult. Both sides were down to their final pokemon which meant the climax of the battle was coming soon.

“Druddigon I chose you,” Clair said as she called out a Druddigon with green and orange colors which meant it was a shiny pokemon.

“Go Garchomp,” Turquoise said as she called out her Garchomp. The battle resumed and Clair made the first move.

“Druddigon use Hone Claws. Druddigon began sharpening its claws which caused its attack and accuracy to rise. “Now use Metal Claw. Druddigon charged at Garchomp with claws made of metal.

“Garchomp use Dig. Garchomp leaped into the air before burrowing underground and successfully dodging Metal Claw. A few seconds later Garchomp pops out of the ground and inflicts a decent amount of damage on Druddigon.

“Druddigon use Outrage while Garchomp is still there. Druddigon suddenly unleashes a powerful attack on Garchomp who took a great amount of damage but was still able to battle. Druddigon continued to rampage with Garchomp continuously dodging its attacks since getting hit by it again would mean game over. Suddenly Druddigon stopped rampaging and was now confused which gave Turquoise an opening.

“Garchomp now is your chance, use Dragon Claw. Garchomp rushed at Druddigon before delivering a powerful dragon claw that managed to knock it out.

“Druddigon is unable to battle. Garchomp is the winner which means Turquoise wins the match,” Kaburugi said while pointing his right flag at Turquoise.

“We did we won,” Turquoise said with excitement. As soon as Clair recalled Druddigon she approached Turquoise.

“That was a well thought battle and as proof of your victory here at the Blackthorn City Gym I present you with the Rising Badge,” Clair said while giving Turquoise a black and red badge with a silver outline that looked like a dragon head.

“Thank you,” Turquoise said.

“I believe that now makes eight badges correct?” Clair asked.

“It does,” Turquoise said.

“Then that means you are now qualified to enter the Silver Conference at Mt.Silver which takes place in three months,” Clair said. Turquoise looked it up on her Pokegear and was surprised to see it was in the exact opposite direction as Candina Island.

“Looks like we have quite a distance to walk after the grand festival,” Turquoise said.

“Before you go there you must first register for the Silver Conference. By the way which town did you register to take the gym challenge in?” Clair asked.

“I believe it was in Cherrygrove City,” Turquoise said.

“Then I suggest going there first,” Clair said.

“We will,” Turquoise said before she and Fluttershy left for the Pokemon center to rest for the night.

To be continued