Chapter 111: Blackthorn City, Battle Against Clair
After days of rushed travel, Ron and his companions finally arrived in Blackthorn City. These past few days had been tough on Ron—he was starting to understand Ash and his Bayleef a little better.
Ron now felt that if his little Rayquaza weren't genderless, it would definitely be a clingy little girl. It was ridiculously attached to him. Because of this, Ron had already gone through more than twenty Ultra Balls.
If the little Rayquaza lost sight of Ron for even a moment, it would break out of the Ultra Ball on its own to get some fresh air and cling to him. When Ron tried to recall it, it would obediently return to the ball, but before long, it would break out again.
Ron just wanted to collect all the badges as soon as possible, finish the tournament, and get a Master Ball to properly capture his little Rayquaza so it would calm down.
Upon reaching the Blackthorn Gym, Ron and his companions quickly found the Gym Leader, Clair. When Clair saw them, she smiled and said, "Ron, you're here. Lance has told me about you."
"Yeah. So, Gym Leader Clair, can we start the Gym Battle now?" Ron asked.
"Of course, I accept your challenge," Clair replied. "Follow me."
She led the three of them to a battlefield. The battlefield was different from usual—it had a pool in the middle, allowing Water-type Pokémon to battle.
Ron stood in his position, and Clair smiled. "The battle will be three Pokémon each. Is that okay?"
"No problem," Ron said.
"Then, my first Pokémon will be this one," Clair said. "Go, Kingdra!"
A seahorse-like Kingdra appeared in the pool. Ron nodded and said, "Then—"
Before he could finish his sentence, a flash of white light appeared, and little Rayquaza materialized on the field. Ron shook his head, feeling speechless, but he knew this was troublesome. Little Rayquaza had shown itself—knowing the League's tendencies, they would likely try to make him hand over Rayquaza for research.
But now wasn't the time to fall out with the League. Ron felt a headache coming on. However, after thinking it through, he realized that Team Rocket had already settled in Johto, which would divert the League's attention. Other villainous teams across the regions were also stirring up trouble, further distracting the League. If they really came after him... then he'd tear off the pretense and face them head-on! Ron's expression turned cold, his eyes showing a chilling determination.
"Oh? A Pokémon I've never seen before," Clair remarked.
"Yes, it's a rare Pokémon, so I'd appreciate it if you kept it a secret, Gym Leader Clair. It's my hidden trump card," Ron said with a smile.
"No problem. It's best to keep trump cards hidden for as long as possible. I understand," Clair replied.
Ron narrowed his eyes—he had managed to bluff her for now. Hopefully, he could keep this secret for a while longer. However, he knew he had to lose this first match. If he performed too well, even if Clair kept the secret, she would definitely mention it to Lance. And unlike Clair, Lance wasn't so easy to fool. Just from seeing Rayquaza, he would likely figure out what it was.
"Alright, use Crunch," Ron commanded. At the same time, he used his bond with little Rayquaza to tell it to hold back.
Little Rayquaza looked a bit aggrieved—it wanted to help Ron win! But it was obedient and lunged at Kingdra, jaws wide open.
"That looks weak... Kingdra, Hydro Pump!" Clair ordered.
Kingdra fired a massive jet of water, blasting the defenseless little Rayquaza out of the field, knocking it out instantly.
"Uh... Ron, that was way too weak," Clair said, looking speechless.
"Yeah, it's just a newborn—it's always eager to show off," Ron said as he recalled little Rayquaza. "But now, my real ace is coming out, so be careful, Gym Leader Clair."
With that, Zeraora appeared on the field. This was Ron's strategy—to have Zeraora perform spectacularly and overshadow little Rayquaza entirely.
Zeraora beckoned to Kingdra, signaling it to come at him. Clair, seeing the electricity crackling around Zeraora, spoke seriously, "A strong opponent... Very well, Kingdra, use Twister!"
Kingdra spun rapidly, summoning a waterspout that rushed toward Zeraora. But in an instant, Zeraora's body flashed with electricity, stimulating its muscles and doubling its speed.
This technique came from a battle against a rookie trainer. Seeing their Mareep charge itself had given Ron an idea.
With lightning-fast speed came devastating power. Plasma Fists struck Kingdra with immense force, sending it flying. A surge of electricity coursed through Kingdra's body, knocking it out instantly.
"Kingdra!" Clair recalled Kingdra with a pained expression and looked at Zeraora. "Ron, this Pokémon of yours is seriously powerful. Even though I know I can't win, I'll keep fighting! Go, Dragonair!"
Clair sent out her Dragonair. Ron shook his head—still not enough. He had to make her realize Zeraora's overwhelming power so she would completely forget about little Rayquaza.
"Zeraora, enter Overcharged State," Ron commanded.
"Dragonair, use Agility, then Dragon Tail!" Clair planned to avoid a head-on clash and force Zeraora out of the battle.
"How naive. Plasma Fists!" Ron said calmly.
Electricity crackled as Zeraora's fists struck the ground, leaving charred marks behind.
"Oh no! Dragonair, use Protect!" Clair shouted.
"You think Protect will help?" Ron smirked.
Zeraora's Plasma Fists suddenly appeared right in front of Dragonair. Dragonair swiftly put up a protective shield, but to Clair's horror, Zeraora's punch shattered it instantly and struck Dragonair directly, knocking it out in one hit.
Clair silently recalled Dragonair and looked at Zeraora. "Just as Lance said... Ron, your Zeraora is a Legendary Pokémon, isn't it?"
"That's right," Ron admitted bluntly.
"I thought so. I can't win against you in my current state. I forfeit the last match—if we continue, my Gyarados will just get injured for nothing," Clair said. "So, this Rising Badge is yours."
Ron took the Rising Badge from Clair and thanked her. After recalling Zeraora, he left the Gym with Rosa and Ruby, who both seemed puzzled.
Outside the Gym, seeing their confused expressions, Ron sighed. "Sorry, I didn't want to keep this from you."
He then explained the situation between Rayquaza and the League. Ruby fell silent. After all, in a way, he was Rayquaza's benefactor—if he hadn't defeated that Salamence and injured it, causing it to land where it did, Rayquaza might still be in the League's hands.
But at the same time, he had unknowingly made things worse—after all, the person in charge at the time was Norman.
Understanding the full story, Ruby nodded. "Ron, I support you. The League's actions aren't any different from those villains."
Rosa pouted angrily. "Yeah, yeah! We support you, Ron!"
But Ron didn't respond. He was replaying Ruby's words in his head, and suddenly, a realization struck him. His expression darkened, and he muttered, "No way...?"
Ron's face grew serious. If his suspicions were correct, the road ahead would be more dangerous than he had ever imagined.