[3] The Daughter of Nurse Joy: Johto Journeys

The Dragon's Den

Cora and the gang were on the way to Blackthorn City, where Cora 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 of ice Pokémon. But now they were getting near to Blackthorn City. They soon met up with Ash and his friends.

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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." Mairin awed.

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

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

"Let's hope so." Cora 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?" Ash demanded.

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Yes ma'am." Cora confirmed.

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

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

"I'm Mairin."

"Alain."

"Ash"

"Misty."

"And I'm Brock."

"My name's Claire." Claire replied.

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

Claire nodded, "That's right."

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

"Even though everyone calls me Brock, you can call me your boyfriend!" Brock declared with a dopey smile, "To think, someone with the beauty of a Sunflora has the passion of a Magmar!"

Claire chuckled nervously, slightly creeped out. 

Then Misty grabbed Brock's ear and started pulling him away, "For someone like you, you have the brains of a Slowpoke." 

"Toge Toge!" Misty's Togepi chirped.

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

"Me too." Ash nodded.

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