"Dragonite, use Hurricane to disrupt it—at the same time, create Double Team!" Yozora shouted.
With a mighty beat of its wings, a violent storm burst forth.
Midair, the Weavile, deprived of stable footing, immediately felt the crushing resistance of the raging wind.
But that alone was not enough to stop it!Weavile let out a sharp cry, bracing its will—it was determined to break through and strike Dragonite head-on.
Yet in the very next instant, the Dragonite before its eyes suddenly split into ten identical figures. Despair flickered in Weavile's gaze.
Without balance, Weavile plummeted, splashing hard into the water below.
"Dragonite, hit the whole surface with Thunderbolt!" Yozora commanded.
"BOOM!!"
Thunder and lightning poured down, engulfing the entire pool. Electricity coursed through the water, and Weavile let out a shrill cry of pain.
When the thunderous glow finally faded, Weavile lay motionless atop the rippling surface, utterly defeated.
"Return, Weavile… You fought well enough."
Pryce closed his eyes briefly before releasing a long breath. At last, he smiled faintly. "Yozora, your strength is impressive. This Glacier Badge is yours."
He stepped forward and handed over the frosty emblem.
With that, Yozora had now earned seven badges from the Johto region. Only one more remained before he would be qualified to participate in the grand Silver Conference.
After leaving Mahogany Town behind, Yozora pressed onward toward his next destination: Blackthorn City.
It was said that Blackthorn was the ancestral home of the Dragon-taming clan, and within its domain lay the legendary Dragon's Den. Where dragons gathered, there were bound to be rare Dragon-type Pokémon.
But Yozora held little interest in it…
After all, Johto's Dragon's Den could at best house Dratini, Dragonair, Dragonite, Magikarp, Gyarados, Horsea, Seadra, and Kingdra.
Among them, he already possessed both a Dragonite and even a rare Golden Magikarp. Having those two in his hands, there was no longer any particular urge to hunt down more of the same.
As for the Horsea line, Yozora wasn't especially eager.
Kingdra was certainly powerful, but being restricted to aquatic environments made it less practical.
Rather than Kingdra, what had caught Yozora's eye was—Weavile.
Yes, after witnessing Pryce's Weavile in action, Yozora now wanted one for himself…
About a week later, Yozora arrived in the forest stretching between Mahogany Town and Blackthorn City. If he could cross this forest, Blackthorn would be within reach.
His Johto journey was drawing toward its end. Yozora had long yearned for a Scyther, but until now, none had crossed his path.
This would likely be the last forest he passed through in Johto, and he intended to treasure the chance—he must capture a strong Scyther here.
As for Weavile, rumor had it that Sneasel could be found on Mt. Silver.
Mt. Silver was the final trial before reaching Silver Town, where trainers had to scale its heights before earning the right to participate in the Silver Conference.
That climb was unavoidable, and Yozora decided he would seek out a Sneasel then. For now, his goal was Scyther.
"Aura!" Yozora whispered, finally unleashing the power he had long restrained.
He no longer needed to keep his Aura sealed away—ever since fully mastering the Mind's Eye, there was no fear of losing control.
As the Aura field spread outward…
Yozora froze. Somehow, his Aura had grown stronger yet again. The pulse expanded, blanketing the entire forest at once.
Through it, he sensed several strong presences lurking among the trees. One in particular burned brighter than the rest—at Gym Leader level.
Whether or not it was Scyther, Yozora had to see for himself. He urged Dragonite forward.
Dragonite's speed carried them swiftly. Within ten minutes, they had reached the source of that overwhelming presence.
A waterfall.
At its base, a Machamp stood firm, training beneath the thundering cascade.
"So it's just a Machamp…" Yozora chuckled, shaking his head.
Indeed, wild Machamp were known to relish training. This one was clearly the strongest in the forest—its aura confirmed it.
Had Yozora not already owned a Machamp, he might have tried to capture it on the spot.
But since he did, there was no need.
He patted Dragonite's neck, ready to depart—when suddenly, the Machamp roared up at him, muscles flexing, its eyes blazing with challenge.
The provocation was unmistakable.
"Heh… interesting. Fine, I'll humor you. Dragonite, let's go down." Yozora grinned, guiding Dragonite to land.
If this Machamp was king of the forest, then defeating it might earn him the information he needed about Scyther's whereabouts.
No sooner had they landed than Machamp vaulted from the pool, stomping onto the bank to face Yozora directly.
"OOOH!!" Machamp bellowed, raising all four arms, demanding battle.
It was no wonder this one ruled the forest—its bloodlust for combat was unmatched.
"Then let's play along. Go, Ampharos!" Yozora sent out his electric partner.
The clash was swift. Ampharos's power overwhelmed Machamp in short order.
Even so, Machamp's sheer endurance was staggering—it was back on its feet after only a brief collapse.
"Hey, big guy," Yozora called, "is there a Scyther clan somewhere in this forest?"
Machamp nodded.
There was no malice in its eyes—only a fighter's respect. It had been defeated, and so it acknowledged Yozora's strength.
"Then could I trouble you to lead me there?" Yozora tossed it a high-grade Berry with a smile.
Machamp caught it, bit in, and its face lit up. The energy within would aid its training immensely.
Satisfied, it nodded with a goofy grin and took the lead.
Dragonite and Ampharos were returned to their Poké Balls; Yozora set out on foot, with Machamp guiding him through the forest.
Time was on his side. He would gladly spend a month if it meant capturing a Scyther worthy of him.
Thus, Yozora and Machamp, this strange pair, trekked steadily onward.
The forest was close to Blackthorn City, and travelers were plentiful. Along the way, they crossed paths with many trainers.
Yozora had thought to spar with a few, but Machamp eagerly stole every battle for itself.
Yozora could only sigh helplessly—who would have thought he'd be robbed of battle experience by a "wild" Pokémon?
But he had to admit, Machamp was formidable. It swept aside every challenger with brutal efficiency, leaving the other trainers groaning in defeat.
"Yozora!"
Suddenly, a voice called from ahead. A boy with violet hair came running toward him.
He was handsome, around fifteen or sixteen years old, clearly a rookie who had just begun his journey. His full gear and flowing cape gave him a showy, almost ostentatious air.
"You know me?" Yozora blinked in surprise. He was certain he didn't recognize the boy.
"Of course!"
The violet-haired youth puffed his chest proudly. "You're the Champion of last year's Indigo League!"
He struck a pose. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Shōshi, of the Blackthorn Clan—the cousin of Ryūnan!"
"Ryūnan?"
Yozora's eyes lit up as the memory surfaced. It had been quite some time since he'd seen Ryūnan. "And where is he? Didn't he challenge the Johto League?"
Shōshi shook his head. "No. He went to Hoenn."
"Hoenn again…" Yozora mused. Red had gone there too. Perhaps they both sought Pokémon that Johto simply could not provide.
Indeed, many of Johto's Pokémon were also found in Kanto. For those who had already traveled through Kanto, Johto offered little novelty.
Still, Yozora's Johto journey was nearly over. Whatever choices others made, his own road lay clear.
But it was a pity—when next he met Red or Ryūnan, it might be years later, when they were all grown and striving for the World Championships.
"Yozora," Shōshi said earnestly, "I witnessed your battles last year. You surpassed even my cousin Ryūnan, who was once our clan's brightest rising star."
He clenched his fists. "That day, I swore to surpass you myself—to restore the honor of the Blackthorn Clan's new generation. And now, at last, I've found you! The time has come!"
Yozora applauded lightly, smiling. "Ambition is a fine thing. But you're still just a green rookie. To think you can take down a Champion right from the start—isn't that pushing your luck?"
Shōshi flushed red. "Green rookie? When you became Champion, weren't you a rookie too? Rookies are the ones who create miracles!"
He flung back his cape, striking a dramatic pose. "Come! Or are you afraid of losing to me?"
"What a crude provocation…" Yozora chuckled. "Very well. But don't blame me if you lose too badly and your confidence gets shattered."
At that moment, "OOH!"
Machamp roared, stepping forward, eager to snatch this battle just as it had the others.
"So your first Pokémon is Machamp, huh? Fine then—go, Alakazam!" Shōshi hurled his Poké Ball.
An Alakazam emerged, gleaming spoons in hand.
Yozora's eyes narrowed. A formidable choice indeed—few Alakazam were weak. For Shōshi to command one spoke volumes of his talent and lineage.
[Alakazam (Psychic): Lord-tier peak. Potential—Elite level.]
"Alakazam, its strength is high. Don't let your guard down!" Shōshi warned.
Even as he spoke, Machamp lunged of its own accord, without waiting for Yozora's command.
Shōshi's eyes widened. "So… Aura resonance with perfect synchronicity? Incredible. No wonder he's the Indigo Champion!"
"Alakazam, Teleport!"
With a shimmer, Alakazam vanished from sight. Machamp stumbled, startled.
"Now—Psychic!" Shōshi cried.
Reappearing behind Machamp, Alakazam struck its spoons together, releasing a violet wave of psychic force that slammed into Machamp's back.
"OOOH—!" Machamp howled, collapsing instantly.
Psychic overwhelmed Fighting—super effective, double the damage.
And with both spoons in hand, Alakazam's Psychic power was doubled yet again. One clean strike was all it took.
"I won!" Shōshi clenched his fist in triumph, eyes shining.
Yozora merely shook his head, smiling. "Sorry to disappoint you—but that Machamp isn't mine. It's a wild Pokémon."
"What? A wild one? Impossible—it's been following you this whole time!" Shōshi snapped, anger flashing. He was certain Yozora was mocking him.
"You sore loser…"
But Yozora only spread his hands. "I simply asked it to help me locate Scyther. Nothing more."
"Tch… Fine then! Send out your next Pokémon. We'll battle three rounds—best two out of three!" Shōshi demanded.
"Best two of three? Interesting." Yozora nodded. After tending to Machamp's injuries, he selected his own battler.
"Go, Ampharos."
Shōshi's breath caught as the towering Electric-type appeared. Its aura was even stronger than Machamp's.
"So… that Machamp really was wild?" he muttered.
"Well? Will you use Alakazam against my Ampharos? The last battle doesn't count. I'll let you choose again," Yozora said with calm confidence.
Times had changed. With his newfound mastery of the Mind's Eye, Yozora radiated unshakable composure. To stand against him was to face a predator poised to strike.
Even Shōshi, proud scion of Blackthorn, felt the pressure like a mountain bearing down.
"…I'll continue with Alakazam," he decided after a pause.
His true trump cards were Dragonite and Gyarados, but Dragonite he would not send out lightly. And Gyarados, with its quadruple weakness to Electric, stood no chance.
Thus, Alakazam would remain his choice.
"Then I'll take the first move. Ampharos—Thunderbolt!" Yozora commanded.
(End of Chapter)