The Dragon's Den

Ashlyn and the gang were on the way to Blackthorn City, where Ashlyn could earn her last gym badge for the Johto League. Along the way they had run into some adventures.

First, they ran into a fire Pokémon trainer named Egan, who loved fire Pokémon very much, and he had a Flareon and a Magcargo.

Next, they came across a mysterious lake that electric Pokémon always gathered to, and in the process they met a wild Zapdos, and the gang swore to never tell anyone about this.

And last of all, they encountered the icy path, which was a very long icy cave filled with lots ice Pokémon. But now they were getting near to Blackthorn City.

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The gang was walking along the forest path when they saw a Dratini sleeping on the ground next to a lake.

"A Dratini." Brock said.

"It's so cute." Misty awed.

"What's it doing there all by itself?" Ashlyn asked.

"Do you think its trainer is nearby?" Volkner questioned.

"Let's hope so." Ashlyn answered.

Just then a Gyarados popped out of the lake and fired a hydro pump attack at them.

"Hey what did you do that for?" Ashlyn demanded.

"Gyarados, that's enough!" A blue haired woman came up to the gang, "What do you want with that Dratini?"

Ashlyn easily recognized the woman in front of them; Claire, the Blackthorn City Gym Leader.

"We just wanted to know if its trainer was nearby." Ashlyn replied.

Claire narrowed her eyes at Ashlyn, "Don't tell you wish to capture Dratini?"

"No I don't. I already have a Dratini and she's now a Dragonite." Ashlyn explained.

Claire blinked in confusion, "Oh, you do?"

"Yes ma'am." Ashlyn confirmed.

"I see. Then I apologize for scaring you. My Gyarados protects my Dratini whenever there are strangers about." Claire apologized.

"It's okay." Ashlyn assured her, "By the way, my name's Ashlyn."

"I'm Misty."

"Volkner."

"And I'm Brock."

"My name's Claire." Claire replied.

"Claire? As in Clair the Blackthorn City Gym Leader?" Ashlyn questioned.

Claire nodded, "That's right."

Suddenly Brock was right in front of Claire and held her hands.

"As a gym leader, you must be the most beautiful of all!" Brock declared with a dopey smile.

Claire chuckled nervously, slightly creeped out. Then Misty grabbed his ear and started pulling him away.

"OW! My ear!" Brock yelped.

"As a gym leader, you're the dumbest of all." Misty stated.

"Toge Toge!" Togepi chirped.

"Well it's great that we found you because I want to challenge you to a gym battle." Ashlyn stated, changing the subject.

"I gladly accept your challenge Ashlyn, but I have to perform an important ritual later today before I can accept any gym challengers first." Claire explained.

"What important ritual is that?" Volkner asked, curiously.

"I can answer that question." A voice said behind them.

The voice belonged to an old man and he was carrying a green rucksack on his back. He looked slightly out of breath.

"My name is Kaburagi," the man introduced, "and I'm Claire's assistant at the gym."

Kaburagi explained that Claire had to take the old dragon fang to the Dragon's Den. He showed them a very old dragon fang from his rucksack.

"Hey, I read one time that a dragon fang can power up dragon type moves." Ashlyn said.

"That is correct," Kaburagi said, "and this old dragon fang is a priceless treasure to the Blackthorn Gym." He explained that the old dragon fang had been in the Blackthorn Gym ever since the first gym leader. "It's a tradition that the gym leader of Blackthorn Gym takes this old dragon fang to the shrine that's in the dragon's den, and perform a special ritual in there."

"Claire, can we watch the ritual?" Ashlyn requested.

"Yeah could we?" Misty asked, "It sounds exciting to watch."

"I don't see why not?" Claire stated.

"Alright then, follow us." Kaburagi announced.

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So Claire and Kaburagi led the gang the way to the Dragon's Den. The Dragon's Den was located just outside Blackthorn City.

"Hey do all Dragon type trainers come here?" Ashlyn asked.

"Well sometimes my cousin would come here just to visit." Claire replied.

"Your cousin?" Misty questioned.

"Lance of the Elite Four." Claire answered.

"Really?!" Misty exclaimed, shocked.

"Lance is your cousin?" Brock asked, shocked.

"Yes he is. Why?" Claire questioned.

"We actually saw him a few days ago before we arrived in Mahogany Town. He took down a Team Rocket operation and got a shiny Gyarados as a Pokémon partner." Ashlyn answered.

"Really? A shiny Gyarados? Lance caught a shiny Gyarados?!" Claire blinked in shock.

Ashlyn nodded, "We were all there when Gyarados accepted him as his new trainer." She said.

"We know for sure that the two are doing just fine now." Volkner added.

Claire smiled at that, "I'm glad."

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Soon they reached a lake, and the entrance to the Dragon's Den was on the other side of the lake, in the cliffs.

Suddenly a familiar trio came running out.

"Team Rocket!" The gang gasped.

"Its the twerps!" The trio gasped.

"What are you three doing here?" Misty demanded.

"Oh, just picking up a treasure that we wish to sell." James held up a wooden box that had a dragon symbol on it.

Claire and Kaburagi gasped, "A Dragon Fang!"

"Give that fang back to us!" Kaburagi demanded.

"Sorry, no can do. We'll need it to help us get some good old dough." James taunted.

At that moment, Ashlyn's eyes glowed blue and blue outlined the wooden box. Before James could say another taunt, the box was snatched out of his hands and placed into Ashlyn's. Everyone blinked at what had just happened. Then everyone turned and glared at Team Rocket who flinched at their glares.

"I sensing déjà vu here." James muttered.

"Definitely." Jessie agreed.

"Tesla, Thunderbolt!" Ashlyn called out.

Tesla let out her electrical attack, zapping the trio, and sending them up in the air.

"Whose idea was it to steal that thing?!" Jessie exclaimed angrily.

"I believe it was James!" Meowth snapped.

"Fangs' for reminding me!" James awfully punned in a whiny tone.

Then the trio disappeared into the sky.

Claire, Kaburagi, and the gang let out sighs of relief.

Ashlyn handed the box to Claire, "Here you go, Claire."

Claire accepted the box, "Thanks, Ashlyn."

"You're welcome, Claire." Ashlyn smiled.

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As it turns out, Team Rocket had made a huge mess while trying to get the Dragon Fang, so Clair and Kaburagi had to think of somewhere else to do the ceremony.

"So where should we do the ceremony?" Kaburagi pondered.

Dratini pulled on Claire's pants. Claire looked down at Dratini, "What is it, Dratini?" She asked.

Instead of answering, Dratini slithered over to the river nearby and pointed her head to her right. Then she took off down there.

"Dratini! Where are you going?!" Claire called out.

Claire, Kaburagi, and the gang followed after Dratini.

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It was night time when they followed Dratini and arrived at where the little dragon led them to. They gasped in awe at the landscape in front of them. There was a waterfall right in front of them with two curved peaks where the moon was. Almost like the moon was pinched between the two peaks.

"I've never been here before." Claire said.

"I think they call this the Riverhead Falls." Kaburagi said.

"Beautiful." Misty awed.

"The water from these falls flows down and straight into the mouth of Blackthorn Lake." Kaburagi informed.

"I think Dratini brought us here for the ritual to take place." Ashlyn said.

"I believe you're right, Ashlyn." Claire agreed.

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It was now time for Claire to perform the ritual. Clair was standing in the middle of the pond with a flat boulder in the middle of it. Kaburagi and the gang were on the shore, watching the ritual. On the boulder was a small tray with the cloth that the dragon type symbol on it. Claire held the old dragon fang in her hands as she prayed. Then she placed the dragon fang on the tray. She spread her arms out.

"We ask the universe to bring peace and happiness to all dragons. Be they dragons of the sky, dragons of the earth, or dragons of the water." She said before she scooped up some water and carefully poured it onto the fang.

At that moment, the dragon fang began to glow. The gang gasped at this. Then the glow began to expand and shot up into the sky in the shape of a dragon.

"What's that?" Misty asked.

"A light dragon!" Brock gasped.

"Wow!" Ashlyn smiled.

The light dragon headed up into the sky and towards the moon. It soon disappeared, leaving behind a trail of sparkles that rained down on everyone. Claire and Kaburagi smiled at this.

"It went right up into space." Misty smiled.

"It looks like it stopped in mid air and turned into a star." Brock smiled.

Volkner nodded, "Yeah."

"Yes, once a dragon Pokémon becomes a star, it watches over all dragon Pokémon," Kaburagi turned to the moon, "At least that's what the popular legend tells us happens."

Suddenly Dratini glowed which caught everyone's attention.

"Dratini?" Claire blinked.

Dratini's shape began to change as it grew bigger and longer. When the glow died down, everyone noticed that Dratini's new form, Dragonair.

"Dratini, you evolved!" Claire smiled.

Dragonair went over to her trainer and nuzzled her cheek. Claire continued to smile as she rubbed Dragonair's head.

"So you were getting ready to evolve, huh?" Claire asked.

Dragonair nodded.

Claire chuckled, "I should have known." She said.

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With the ritual over, Claire, Kaburagi and the gang headed to Blackthorn City.

"Ashlyn, you and I will have our gym battle tomorrow." Claire decided.

"I can't wait for it, Claire." Ashlyn smiled.

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Pokémon Caught: Heracross (M), Furret (F), Stantler (F), Meganium (F), Typhlosion (M), Togetic (F), Feraligatr (M), Steelix (M), Ampharos (F), Girafarig (F), Misdreavus (F), Inteleon (M), Rillaboom (M), Shiny Greninja (Genji)(M), Shiny Chestnaught (Cybele)(F), Kommo-o (M), Goodra (Nessy)(F), Meowstic (Orin)(M), Meowstic (Bella)(F), Thievul (F), Gothitelle (F), Rapidash (F), Houndoom (M), Shiny Noctowl (M), Zeraora (Raiden)(M), Alolan Raichu (Nariko)(F), Marshadow (M), Murkrow (M), Elekid (F), Celebi (Moriko)(F), Shiny Corsola (Coraline)(F), Ho-Oh (Aveline)(F), Phanpy (Tantor)(M)