Route 8

After being given clear instructions I decide to head directly to Opelucid City, though I still take the opportunity to recruit. A shelmet appears, pokéball go!

Shelmet: Did a slug steal a piece of armour from a museum?

- Welcome to the bench, Shelly!

Shelly ♀ Lv. 31

After defeating a few rangers who insisted on battling, Scrappy evolved!

Scrappy ♀ Lv. 39

Just before I reach the bridge I hear a familiar voice behind me.

Caldaaaar!

- Hm?

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about what I wanna do in the future.

- Oh?

I’m gonna be a pokémon researcher!

- OK…

But to do that I’m going to have to know a whole lot about pokémon!

Maybe you should recharge the battery on your pokédex…

Will you battle with me?

- Er…

Go Stoutland!

- Go Scrappy!

- Hi jump kick!

Retaliate!

Stoutland bashes Scrappy across the face with it’s paw before she leaps up and kicks stoutland upside the head.

- Brick break!

Bianca uses a full restore on stoutland while Scrappy chops at it’s spine with her palm.

- Brick break!

Retaliate!

Stoutland bashes Scrappy once more before she knocks out stoutland with a mighty chop to the head.

Go Emboar!

- Scrappy come back! Go Bushi!

Take down!

Emboar greets Bushi by recklessly slamming into him.

- Surf!

Take down!

Bushi summons a tidal wave that washes emboar away.

Go Simisage!

- Bushi, come back! Go Gamey!

Seed bomb!

Gamey receives an exploding seed to the face as she leaves her pokéball, dealing critical damage.

- Fly!

Seed bomb!

Simisage blasts Gamey with another exploding seed before she takes flight above.

Seed bomb!

Simisage throws another seed bomb but it fails to reach Gamey and explodes in mid-air. Gamey dives down onto simisage, driving it’s head into the ground.

Go Musharna!

- Gamey come back, go Scrappy!

Psybeam!

As Scrappy leaves her pokéball, the psybeam passes right through her with no effect.

- Crunch!

Lucky chant!

Musharna chants to itself while Scrappy chomps down on it’s hide.

- Crunch!

Bianca sprays a full restore on Musharna while Scrappy keeps chomping on it.

- Crunch!

Defense curl!

Scrappy keeps chomping on musharna and flings it against a tree.

Wow I sure learned a lot!

- Right.

Oh, one more thing… Don’t lose to N, please. I don’t want to lose my pokémon again!

Tubeline Bridge

I run across the bridge, it would have been uneventful were it not for the shady three stopping me.

Hold, for just a moment…

I see you’ve acquired the Light Stone. No matter, N will still become the champion. He will have all trainers release their pokémon and then none will oppose me– err Team Plasma!

- What?

I’ve raised that boy and educated him for this very day! I’ve even had a castle built for him. With the legendary dragon on my– our side, nobody will dare oppose us!

- Why are you telling me this?

Nobody will believe you, and you’ll never be able to awaken the other dragon! What could some nobody like you, who isn’t even from Unova, know about legends anyway? You’re hopeless, you can’t win! Hahaha

- Thirteen…

Ghetsis doesn’t listen and swans off towards Opelucid City.

- I’ve met thirteen pokémon that were considered legendary.

Route 9

After dealing with a few bikers and thugs I take the opportunity to recruit, a pawniard! Pokéball go!

Pawniard: It’s literally made of knives!

- Welcome to the bench, Rook!

Rook ♂ Lv. 31

Opelucid City

By the time I reach the city Ghetsis is already making speaches to a crowd.

Hmph, look at him, spewing lies. He knows nothing.

- Yeah…

He talks about pitting the legendary dragons against eachother?

But the dragons are friends!

- Hm?

Oh, hello there. I take it you’re Caldar?

- Yeah.

I’m Drayden, the gym leader here. I understand you have the Light Stone?

- Yep.

There’s probably a few things you’ll need to know. Before you consider battling that N before he becomes champion.

But I'm going to be champion one day!

- Oh?

Reshiram and Zekrom were once the same being. Long ago the legendary dragon of ancient Unova befriended two brother princes. When the princes came to power they had a disagreement about how to rule.

I can see where this is going.

The dragon split into two, each half following a prince as they fought. But they were evenly matched and eventually the princes made a truce. But when their sons came to power they renewed the conflict. This time Reshiram and Zekrom all but destroyed Unova and then went into hibernation.

We can’t have this happen again! Not if I’m to be champion one day!

I will allow you to battle me for your final league badge, find me in the gym.

While being given a history lesson Ghetsis has already left with his posse of plasm people. I check in at the pokémon center before heading to the gym.

I’m glad to see you’re committed, but I won’t hold back. Are you ready?

- Yes.

Go Fraxure!

- Go Bushi!

- Blizzard!

Dragon dance!

Before fraxure can move it’s buffeted by a gale of icy wind and chunks of ice from Bushi, throwing fraxure against the arena wall.

Go Druddigon!

- Blizzard!

Chip away!

Bushi blows another gale of ice and wind bit druddigon deftly ducks around it and punches Bushi.

- Blizzard!

Chip away!

Druddigon fails to avoid Bushi’s next blizzard as it moves in an punches him again.

- Blizzard!

Drayden sprays a hyper potion onto druddigon but it gets blown away along with druddingon in Bushi’s blizzard and ends up getting frozen to a wall.

Go Haxorus!

- Blizzard!

Dragon tail!

Haxorus slams Bushi with it’s tail, sending him flying back into his pokéball and dragging Blaze into the arena.

- Yawn!

Dragon dance!

Haxorus gathers strength while Blaze yawns loudly at it.

- Flame burst!

Slash!

Haxorus slashes at Blaze with it’s mighty claws, Blaze counters with a burst of flames to Haxorus’ face. Haxorus suddenly figures now would be a good time for a nap.

- Blaze come back! Go Bushi!

Dragon tail!

Haxorus sleeps through the switch.

- Blizzard!

Dragon tail!

Haxorus continues to sleep as Bushi blasts it with an icy gale, eventually encasing it in ice and freezing it to the floor.

Congratulations! I bestow unto you, the Legend Badge!

Proceed onto route 10 and you’ll find the gates to Victory Road.