"Thanks, Nurse Redheart!" said Rainbow, taking back her now-healed Pokémon.
"Have a nice day!" said Nurse Redheart.
Rainbow exited the Pokémon Center, just as Pinkie bounced up in front of her.
"Wow, Dashie!" she said, "You sure are fast! I mean one minute you were at the gym, and then VROOM! You were running off to the Pokémon Center!"
"Sorry!" said Rainbow as the others walked up, "I just wanted to get Charmander and Dewpider healed as soon as possible."
"Well, well, well, if it isn't Rainbow Crash!" said an all-too-familiar voice from behind Rainbow, "I thought you fell off a cloud."
Rainbow sighed, "Not good to see you, too, Lightning," she said, turning around towards the turquoise pegasus with a glare, "What do you want?"
Lightning was smirking, and it was greatly aggravating Rainbow, "Well, you might recall that we had challenged each other to a battle back in Cloudstale."
"You want a battle?"
"Well, looks like you aren't as stupid as I remember!"
"Neither are you."
Lightning's smirk wavered slightly, "Well, why don't you say we finish that battle? Or are you too scared to take an a pony with a gym badge more than you?" she pulled out a small case and opened it up to reveal the Ponyville gym badge.
"I think you meant to say a pony with the same exact gym badge as you." said Rainbow, pointing at the badge pinned on her shirt.
Lightning's eyes widened in surprise, but she still maintained the smirk, "Well, looks like you're barely managing to keep up with me."
"Stop saying 'well' so much!" Rainbow stomped her hoof in frustration.
Lightning pulled out a Pokéball and held it ready in her hoof, "Well."
Rainbow instantly grabbed Dewpider's Pokéball and tossed it into the air. Lightning tossed her Pokéball into the air, too, and their Pokémon came out. Twilight and the others backed away from Rainbow to give her space to battle.
"Dew!" cried Dewpider as it came out.
"Tas!" cried Lightning Dust's brown and tan Pokémon as it came out.
Both trainers instantly pulled out their Pokédexes, and pointed them at each other's Pokémon. Rainbow read over the entry as quickly as possible, because she knew that Lightning wasn't going to wait for her to finish.
Hippopotas, the Hippo Pokémon; it lives in arid places. Instead of perspiration, it expels grainy sand from its body.
Huh, thought Rainbow, tucking her Pokédex back in her pocket, I wonder where Lightning got that...
Lightning quickly put her Pokédex away, her smirk completely gone and replaced with determination, "Hippopotas, use Bite!"
"Dewpider, use Bubble!" called Rainbow.
Both Pokémon moved at the same time, and Dewpider hit Hippopotas with Bubble before getting hit by Bite. Dewpider broke away from Hippopotas, and stood back up angrily.
"Dew!" she cried.
"Now use Infestation!" called Rainbow.
"Use Sand Attack!" yelled Lightning as Hippopotas was hit with Infestation.
Hippopotas kicked up a torrent of sand at Dewpider, and it hit her eyes. Dewpider squinted her eyes to see through the sand, and Rainbow gritted her teeth.
"Bubble!" she called out.
"Dew!" said Dewpider, launching the bubbles at Hippopotas.
"Tas!" cried Hippopotas as it was hit.
"Use Bite, again!" yelled Lightning.
Hippopotas ran up to Dewpider, who tried to dodge the attack, but didn't manage to.
"Bubble!" yelled Rainbow.
Dewpider launched more bubbles at Hippopotas, but missed because she was also trying to break free. Hippopotas flinched from the prior use of Infestation, which allowed Dewpider to break away and launch off another stream of bubbles.
"Hiiii!" cried Hippopotas, before fainting.
Rainbow smirked at Lightning Dust, who quickly pulled out another Pokéball.
"Looks like you aren't as lame as I remember." said Lightning, before tossing her Pokéball into the air. "But it me see you deal with this!"
"Wartortle!" cried the Pokémon as it came out.
Behind Rainbow, Twilight pulled out her Pokédex and pointed it at the Pokémon. Lightning didn't give Rainbow a moment to pull her's out, and just continued the battle.
"Wartortle, use Bite!" yelled Lightning.
"Spider Web!" called Rainbow quickly.
Wartortle ran up towards Dewpider, who quickly launched a Spider Web at it. Wartortle managed to dodge it, and attacked Dewpider. Wartortle grabbed Dewpider, and then threw her roughly on the ground, to which she let out a cry.
"Dew!"
"Bubble!" called Rainbow.
Lightning smirked, before calling out, "Bubblebeam, like we practiced!"
Wartortle quickly turned towards Rainbow and let out a torrent of bubbles, Rainbow took a step back in surprise, and behind her, Twilight tossed out Espurr.
"Espurr, use Psychic!" called Twilight.
"Purr..." said Espurr softly, before quickly deflecting the bubbles away from Rainbow.
"That's interference!" called Lightning. "Which means I win!"
"And that's called cheating!" called Twilight. "Which means you lose!"
Lightning simply return Wartortle to its Pokéball. "Guess you don't like my battle style. Oh well. Guess you lose." She turned and sprinted away. "Later, Crash!"
Rainbow scowled, and pulled out Dewpider's Pokéball.
"Nice job, Dewpider." she said, returning her Pokémon. "Against that stupid cheater..."
"Rainbow, are you okay?" asked Twilight, walking up to her.
"I'm fine." Rainbow glared at Lightning's retreating figure.
"You know, you did end up winning."
"Oh, I know." Rainbow started walking back towards the Pokémon Center. "But that jerk finds a way to make me feel like I lose, anyways."