Pokemon teen hopes dragon fire is in the cards.

Byline: Tricia Jones

Dec. 14--Salamence, be ready to attack. Vancouver's Tayler Quon is counting on you.

The dragon, whose name is a combination of the words "salamander" and "menace," has been an ally for the Camas teenager whenever he needed a boost in past tournaments. Now Tayler is hoping to improve his standing with the aid of the dragon character as he prepares for Sunday's Vancouver Pokemon City Championships.

"Most people recognize that Salamence EX is like my signature card," said 14-year-old Tayler, referring to a particularly powerful version of the red-winged creature. "I could be losing, and as soon as I draw that card and play it, I can easily turn (the game) around."

Derived from Nintendo video games released in the mid-90s, Pokemon soon entered pop culture history, …