//------------------------------//
// Battling According to Plan 
// Story: Pokémon: Harmony and Chaos 
// by Banshee531 
//------------------------------//

The day of Flash's Trottingham City Gym battle had finally arrived.

After having met the Trottingham City Gym Leader Time Turner, and seeing his overly planned out battle style, Flash was doing some last minute training. He, his Pokémon and their friends were now in the Pokémon Center's battle area, working on their moves. Flash and his Pokémon stood on one side of the field, while a bunch of targets had been set up on the other side.

"Alright guys," Flash said as he pointed at the targets, "Force Palm, Wing Attack, Water Gun and Energy Ball!"

"Ri!"

"Chick!"

"Ak!"

"Fay!"

The four Pokémon unleashed their attacks, Springer and Skyler rushing forwards while Riptide and Prongs fired a stream of water and sphere of energy. Springer's paw tore the target in half while Skyler sliced the target like was nothing. At the same time, the Water Gun and Energy Ball struck the two others, reducing them to nothing but splinters.

"Yes!" Flash cheered with an arm pump. "Great work guys! Doc's not gonna know what hit him."

Over at the side, Twilight and Spike were sitting around a table watching. Spike was drinking a soda, while Twilight continued to stare at Flash, her lip biting her thumb as worry started to build in her mind. She was thinking about how Flash didn't seem to understand how difficult beating Doc was gonna be. Having watched him take complete control of the battle when he fought three on one, she knew Flash was going to be in trouble about battling him one on one. She then watched as Flash returned all to their pokeballs except Springer before moving over to them.

"You're Pokémon are all looking great Flash," Spike told him as he finished his drink. "This battle's gonna be awesome."

"You know it," Flash said as he sat down, a huge grin on his face. "First badge, here I come."

"Riolu!" Springer added as he jumped up onto the table with a mimicking smile on his face.

Twilight however, was frowning as she began tapping her fingers on the table, "Hey Flash?"

"Yeah?"

"Um....I was thinking," Twilight replied as she looked slightly away before saying, "Maybe you should hold off on challenging Doc."

The boys all stared at her in shock, Flash completely wide-eyed. "What the-why would I do that?!"

"Yeah!" Spike added as he nudged his sister, "after coming all this way, you want him to forget about his battle?!"

Twilight shook her head at this, ignoring her brother as she looked back at Flash. "I just...I don't think you're ready Flash." Flash tilted his head at this as Twilight continued, "You heard what Doc said. He has a plan for everything, and he's seen what all of your Pokémon can do. You've only seen one of his, so how are you supposed to strategize for that?"

Flash just rolled his eyes, chuckling. "Like I told Doc, coming up with a plan isn't my style. I'll take on whatever comes my way, then I'll think up a way to stop it."

"That style of battling is dangerous," Twilight told him, leaning forward with a slight glare. "Your winging it fighting style didn't help you when you fought those thugs."

"That was different," Flash replied while putting his hands behind his head, "It was three on one that time. This time, I'll be facing one opponent and be using one Pokémon at a time. I've got this."

Twilight groaned at hearing his optimism, still unable to understand why he was so confident. She shook her head again as she asked, "Could you at least tell me you know which of your Pokémon you're using for this battle?"

Flash did a slight shrug. "Well, since he has a Higear, I'm guessing its a Steel-Type Gym Leader."

"So what's strong against Steel-Types?" Spike asked as he glanced back at Twilight.

Twilight pushed her glasses up to her nose as she replied, "Steel is one of the toughest types there are. They're completely immune to Poison-Types, and many other types do little damage to them. They're Pokémon that most see as tanks, Pokémon that can take a ton of damage. The only thing they're weak to are Fire, Ground and Fighting-Types."

Hearing this, Flash turned to Springer and smiled, soon patting his partner on the head. "Looks like you're up then bud."

"Ri!" Springer cheered, raising his paws to the sky.

"But Doc knows you have Springer," Twilight quickly countered. "And he's seen him use Aura Sphere, your secret weapon. I can easily tell you that he'll come up with a way to counter him, and since Springer is the only Pokémon you have with an advantage, if he's beaten, you'll be in serious trouble."

"Maybe...." Flash hummed as he just winked at her, "but I'm still gonna win."

Twilight let out a long sigh at this, quickly seeing that she wasn't going to be able to change his mind. It was here that the thought of Flash losing would help him understand what she was saying was also in her head. After a quick adjustment of her glasses, she got up and said, "Fine. Let's get going then."

"Sounds good to me," Flash replied.

The four of them all got up and left the Pokémon Center before making their way to the Industrial Complex, luckily not getting lost this time. When they arrived, they headed to the reception and asked for directions to the Gym, which they followed all the way to the back of the complex.

"Wow!" They all exclaimed as they looked up at the building. It looked like the other warehouses, but it was painted dark blue and was about the size of a modern day house. It had a large Pokeball symbol between the door and the roof.

"So this is the Trottingham City Gym?" Spike asked.

"It's got the symbol," Twilight said as she scanned the building over. "So, I guess it is."

"How are we supposed to battle in something so small?" Flash mumbled as he tilted his head at the sight.

"Ri..." Springer agreed as he crossed his paws and turned his head to the side as well.

"Maybe it's bigger on the inside?" Spike guessed.

In that moment, the doors opened and out of them stepped Doc. The Gym Leader smiled when he saw the group, "Hello again. Come for your battle?"

"You know it," Flash said as he pointed to himself, "And I'm gonna win."

"We'll see about that," Doc replied as he reached into his coat and pulled something out. "Since this is your first Gym Battle, it's customary for us to hand these out."

Flash soon took the object and saw that it was a rectangular black vinyl leather case with a Pokeball symbol on the front along with a zip lock. He unzipped and opened it up, seeing it was empty but had eight indents in it.

"It's a badge case," Twilight commented as she blinked at the case.

"Wow...." Flash said before looking back up at Doc. "Thanks."

Doc nodded at this, soon turning to Twilight before reaching back into his jacket, pulling out Twilight's digital journal. "And this is for you. I uploaded the most recent mapping software. It'll allow you to find the best route to anywhere you want to go in the Equestria Region."

"Wow..." Twilight gasped as she turned it on and opened the map function. "Thanks Doc."

"No problem," he replied before turning back towards the Gym. "Come on in."

The group walked inside and soon saw that the inside of the building was just a large flight of stairs. Seeing this, Spike spoke up, "Oh cool, It's underground!"

"So that's why it looked so small..."

Doc let out a hearty laugh, "I get that a lot. Come on down you four." Doc then lead them down before arriving at a long metal corridor. Lining the walls of the hall were large picture frames, each of them having blueprints in them.

"Are these your inventions?" Spike asked.

"They sure are. They represent everything I've worked to achieve here." Doc turned back to them with a huge smirk, "My dream is to make a better Equestria Region by creating devices that will allow people and Pokémon to live easier lives. For that, I worked hard to learn everything I could about machinery and devices. I learned how far I can go just by coming up with a plan and then taking it as far as it can go. These blueprints are a testament to that belief."

"Incredible..." Twilight gasped as she looked at all the frames, even spotting one for her journal. Flash also had to admit that these blueprints were impressive, but he couldn't help but feel like they were completely soulless.

The group soon arrived outside a pair of large metal doors, with had a hand scanner next to it. Doc placed his hand on that scanner and caused it to beep, the doors suddenly sliding open and allowing them all entrance. The room inside was a large battlefield, both sides showing large gear shaped podiums, where they guessed the trainers would be standing. Off to the side of the field were a load of metal seats, where about a hundred or so people could sit and watch the match.

Doc then spun around and gave a slight bow, "Welcome to the Trottingham City Gym. I, the Gym Leader, will accept any challengers."

Flash stepped forward, crossing both his arms as he replied, "I, Flash Sentry, hereby challenge you to a battle."

Doc nodded at this, only to snap his fingers as he said, "TARDIS?"

"Online," a robotic female voice replied, it's voice covering the whole arena.

"What was that?" Twilight asked, the group looking for the sudden voice.

"Our judge," Doc replied as he pointed to the battlefield behind him. "The Tactical Analysis Refereeing Diagnostic Interface System, or TARDIS for short. She has sensors and cameras all over the gym room, along with high-tech scanners that can determine a Pokémon's battle status. She can judge whether a Pokémon is able to continue battling or not."

"Incredible..." Twilight gasped, her eyes going wide.

"You've got your very own robot battlefield?" Spike asked as his eyes shined like stars. "That's awesome!"

Flash easily agreed with that, only to still feel that soulless and empty feeling again, "So then, let's get this battle started."

Doc nodded and walked over to the gear shaped platform on the other side of the room. There, he hopped on while Twilight and Spike rushed up to the hallway point of the stands and sat down. Flash and Springer stepped onto the other podium, the two giving each other a knowing nod.

"Here we go," Spike said as he leaned forward in excitement.

Unfortunately, only worry was on Twilight's face as she added, "I hope Flash knows what he's doing."

TARDIS's voice spoke up once more. "The battle between Flash, the challenger, and Time Turner, the Gym Leader, will now begin. Each side will be allowed the use of two Pokémon and the battle will be over when both of either sides' Pokémon are unable to continue. In addition, only the challenger may be allowed to substitute Pokémon. Is this understood?"

"Yes," the two replied un unison.

Doc reached into his coat and pulled out his Pokeball. "As the Gym Leader, allow me to present my first Pokémon. Higear, I need your assistance!" He tossed the ball in the air and it opened up, unleashing the red energy that took form before fading to reveal Higear.

"Higear!" It cried.

Flash smirked. "I knew he'd pick Higear."

"Riolu!" Springer said as he stepped up.

"Not yet bud," Flash told him before pulling out another Pokeball. "He's probably saving his best till last, so I need to do the same." He smiled down at his partner, "You'll get your shot later."

"Riolu!" Springer nodded, stepping back at this statement.

Flash turned back and threw the ball. "Riptide, I choose you!" The Pokeball opened, releasing the red energy that hit the ground and faded to reveal the Aquana.

"Aquana!" Riptide cried as he stared at Higear.

"Aquana, huh?" Doc replied as he looked up at Higear, "battle plan gamma zeta."

"Hi..." it replied.

"Are both trainers ready?" TARDIS asked, getting a nod from both of them in reply. "Then battle...BEGIN!"

"Riptide," Flash called out first, "use Echoed Voice!"

"Ak!" Riptide cried as he leapt into the air before taking a deep breath. "AQUANA!" He unleashed a sound-wave, striking the Higear as discomfort quickly appeared on his face.

"That move could cause trouble," Doc said before pointing at his Pokémon. "But Higear can take it. Use Shift Gear!"

"Gear!" Higear levitated into the air, the gear ring around its body beginning to spin.

"He's using the same technique he used when he fought those thugs!" Spike commented as he pointed at the Pokémon.

"But this time, he can't dodge the attacks." Twilight added. "Echoed Voice is a surround sound attack, so there's no place to dodge."

"So he's forced to take it then?"

Twilight nodded. "Yes. And Echoed Voice also increases in power with each use, so it'll cause more damage the more its used."

"That's great!" Spike cheered only to see a frown appear on Twilight's face, "Hey...what's wrong?"

"Spike...even at full power, Echoed Voice won't do much damage against a Steel-Type."

Back at the battle, Flash yelled another order, "Echoed Voice again!"

Riptide took another large breath before unleashing another sound attack, which hit Higear again, pain starting to show on his face.

"Shift Gear!" Doc ordered again, his Pokémon spinning its gear once again.

"I'll beat him before he can pull of Gyro Ball," Flash told himself. "Riptide, Echoed Voice again."

Doc smiled as he watched Riptide take another deep breath. "Tackle!"

"Hi!" Higear stopped spinning his gear and rushed towards Riptide, slamming into him so fast that it knocked the wind out of Aquana.

"AQUA!" He cried as he flew backwards, his body slamming the ground.

"Riptide!" Flash cried.

"What happened?" Spike asked.

"I knew this was going to happen." Twilight let out a groan, shaking her head at the sight. "Doc played him."

Doc smirked at this. "All according to plan."

As Flash saw Riptide pick himself up, he looked back over at Doc. The Gym Leader simply stared at him with a smug grin on his face. "What gives?"

"You got careless, allowing me to get the drop on you." Doc said with a cocky shrug, "I knew if I used the same technique as the one you saw yesterday, you'd try and end the battle quickly before I had a chance to pull off Gyro Ball. That made you rush and not be ready for an unexpected attack."

"Grrr...Darn it." Flash grumbled, now staring daggers at the gym leader.

"I warned you," Doc replied as he pointed at Flash. "Fighting aimlessly with no plan or strategy will only lead to disaster. By planning each and every step ahead of time, you can control the tide of battle at your leisure."

"Where's the fun in that?" Flash asked as he placed his hand on his chest. "I told you, I battle with my heart. Just because I don't like to plan every last moment of my life doesn't mean you'll beat me!"

"Ri, ri, Riolu!" Springer cried as he hopped from one foot to the other.

Doc's smirk increased, "The simple fact is, I've already beaten you. Now it's just a matter of showing you all of my work."

"We'll see about that," Flash said before staring at Riptide. "Can you still go one more round?"

"AQUANA!" He cried as he hopped up with a nod.

"Then lets take this guy down! Water Gun!"

"Aquana!" Riptide fired a stream of water at Higear, which struck the gear Pokémon, pushing it backwards.

"Gyro Ball!" Doc ordered.

Higear began to spin around, going faster and faster and creating a wind force that began to block the water. "Hi!" He cried as he began to move towards Riptide, cutting the Water Gun in half as it got closer.

"Dodge it Riptide!"

The Aquana stopped his Water Gun and leapt out of the way, just in time as Higear barely missed him and spun through the air. "Gear Grind!" Doc then ordered his Pokémon. Higear stopped spinning and floated in midair, only for its gear like hands to suddenly shoot towards Riptide while spinning.

The Aquana saw the attack coming and tried to dodge it, the first gear missing, only for the second one hit him on the head "AK!" He cried as he fell to the ground, while Higear's hands returned to his side.

"Shift Gear!" Doc told him, Higear's gears once again beginning to spin.

"That's boosting its attack and speed even more," Twilight commented as she stared at the Pokémon. "Flash needs to end this before Higear grows to fast to touch."

"But how?" Spike asked as he pointed at the Pokémon. "With Higear in the air like that, Riptide won't be able to reach it to use Pound. And Water Gun and Echoed Voice barely do anything."

"I don't know. Flash will just have to come up with something Spike."

As for Flash, he closed his eyes, trying to think up some kind of strategy. "Come on....come on! There has to be..." A bulb suddenly lit in his head, "Got it!" He pointed at Riptide, "use Water Gun and aim for the ground you're standing on!"

Everyone gave Flash a confused look, but Riptide did as he was told. "AK....WANA!" He fired the water at his feet and the force shot him into the air.

"Whoa!" Spike exclaimed, "blasting off!"

"What's he doing?" Twilight asked as she readjusted her glasses at the sight.

"Interesting," Doc added as they watched Riptide shoot up towards Higear, only to find out that he couldn't aim where he was going since he had to stare at the ground for the move. As such, when he got close to the gear Pokémon, Riptide simply shot right past him.

"Hi?" Higear asked in confusion, scratching the side of it's face as it did.

"He missed," Spike complained as Twilight's head slumped.

Doc just sighed as he looked at the ground, shaking his head. "This is what happens when you don't have a plan. You start making un-thought out decisions." But when he looked back up at Flash, he saw that the teen had a bright smirk on his face.

"Don't count us out just yet," Flash told the Gym Leader. He then looked back up at the ceiling, as everyone else did the same. Riptide was falling back towards the ground, but between the two was a certain gear shaped Pokémon. "Now Riptide! Pound attack!"

"AQUANA!" Riptide began to spin head first towards Higear, acting just like a wheel as he picked up speed.

"What?!" Doc yelped before Higear was slammed by Riptide's tail.

"Hi!" Higear cried as it fell towards the ground, slamming into it with a loud thud.

"Bullseye," Flash cheered with a snap of his fingers. Springer was jumping up and down as they watched Riptide use Water Gun to slow its descent.

"That was awesome!" Spike added.

"And smart," Twilight finished with a nod. "He used Riptide's fall to increase the power of the Pound."

"Higear!" Doc called out. "Can you still battle?"

A second later, the Pokémon slowly rose up. "Higear. Higear hi!"

"Good..." Doc said before turning to Flash. "I'll admit, you surprised me. I didn't plan for you to actually have your Pokémon miss, lulling me into a false sense of security."

Flash smirked. "Now who's playing who?"

"But that won't work again. From now on, I'll keep myself completely in the game." He pointed at Higear. "Gear Grind!" Higear tossed its gear hands at Riptide, who managed to side step the first before dropping onto his stomach to dodge the second.

"Water Gun!" Flash yelled, Riptide firing his water steam at Higear while still on the ground.

Higear was struck by the water, only to be pushed back slightly. "Gyro Ball!" The gear Pokémon once again began to spin, splitting the stream as it drew closer to Riptide.

"Get out of there Riptide!" Flash told the Aquana.

Riptide stopped his attack and leapt into the air, causing Higear to go flying beneath him. "Gotcha!" Doc called out, "Gear Grind!"

"What?!" Flash yelped.

Higear stopped spinning before turning towards the still airborne Riptide. His gear hands once again began spinning before they fired at Riptide, who was unable to dodge in midair.

"AQUANA!" He cried as the two gears slammed into him from two sides, trapping him in place as he was attacked.

"RIPTIDE!" Flash cried, "Get out of there!"

"Oh no," Twilight and Spike said in unison.

"Finish this," Doc said with a wave of his hand. "Tackle!"

The gears stopped spinning and freed Riptide, who began to fall to earth. Higear shot towards him and tackled him at high speed, "AK!" He cried as he was sent flying towards his trainer before hitting the dirt, rolling until coming to halt right at Flash's feet.

"Riptide!" Flash said as he and Springer knelt down, soon seeing swirls in place of Riptide's eyes.

"Aquana is unable to battle," TARDIS announced. "Higear is the winner."

They all sighed at hearing this. "And Riptide was trying so hard." Spike mumbled.

"Now Flash only has one Pokémon left," Twilight sighed as she crossed her arms. "Doc still has something we haven't seen..."

"You did great Riptide. Now, take a good rest." Flash said as he pulled out its Pokeball and returned it before putting the ball away. He then turned to Springer. "It's up to you bud."

"Ri!" Springer said before leaping off the platform and onto the battlefield.

"As I suspected," Doc commented, his smirk still showing. "He's putting all his hopes on his special Riolu. Well, let's see what other surprises it has in store."

"Good luck Springer!" Spike called out.

"Do your best out there!" Twilight added.

"Are both trainers ready?" TARDIS asked, Doc, Flash and their Pokémon soon nodding. "Then battle, begin!"

"Shift Gear!" Doc commanded, Higear spinning his gear ring again to build up speed.

"Quick Attack!" Flash ordered, with Springer shooting forwards at top speed. Once close enough, Springer leapt to try and tackle Higear.

"Dodge it!" Doc called out. Time seemed to slow down as the command left the Doc's mouth, Higear being the only one moving at normal speed as the gear Pokémon moved to the side, dodging the Riolu with ease. As it did, time sped back up, Springer soon flying past the Higear and landing with confusion on his face.

"Aww man," Spike moaned. "Even Quick Attack isn't fast enough."

"Flash needs to think of something, and he needs to be fast about it." Twilight added.

"Keep using Quick Attack!" Flash told Springer, "one of them's gotta connect!"

"Ri!" Springer nodded before rushing forwards, building up speed once again. He continued to try and kick, punch or tackle Higear, but the gear Pokémon continued to dodge again and again. Eventually, Springer stopped his assault and leapt away from Higear. When he landed, he fell onto one knee, panting heavily.

"You okay?" Flash asked his partner. Though panting, Springer looked back at him and smiled while giving a thumbs up. "Alright. Use Aura Sphere!"

"Ri!" Springer yelled as he brought his paws together, creating and tossing the blue orb at Higear.

"Gear Grind!" Doc ordered, his Pokémon tossing the two gear hands at the Aura Sphere. The two attacks connected and grinded against each other, eventually cancelling each other out. "Now Higear, use Tackle!"

"Force Palm!" Flash called out.

As Higear drew closer, Springer pulled his right paw back and focused his energy into it. He soon thrusted it forward, the two colliding, "RIOLU!" The force of the impact caused Higear to go flying while Springer staggered back, smiling at the fact he'd got a hit off.

"Hi..." Higear panted as it wobble backwards. "Higear…"

"Gear Grind!" Doc ordered, Higear soon tossing its gear hands at Springer once again.

"Double Team!" Flash countered.

"Ri!" Springer cried as it glowed, multiple versions of him soon appearing. The gears hit two of them, causing them to vanish, but left the real one unharmed.

Higear looked around, trying to determine where the real one was. "Calm down Higear!" Doc told it. "Just float up and wait for the real one to act since it's the only one that can attack." Higear did as it was told, floating up to a safe distance. "That'll keep him safe."

"Oh yeah? You really think so?" Doc looked back down at Flash, who had a bright smirk on his face. "You say you've planned for everything, but you obviously don't know what makes Springer so special."

"What do you mean?"

"What's he talking about?" Spike asked Twilight, but his sister didn't reply. She wasn't sure what he meant either.

Flash then wagged his finger at Doc. "Double Teams are usually just projection, so they can't normally attack. But Springer learned how to channel his aura into his clones, meaning there's one more move they can use."

Doc's eyes went wide. "You don't mean!"

Flash's smirk doubled. "Aura Sphere...BARRAGE!"

The multiple Riolus all leapt into the air towards Higear, each creating an Aura Sphere. These Aura Spheres were not as big as the one Springer would create on his own, and instead of throwing it, the Springers all forced the attack towards Higear with their paws.

"So many..." Doc said as he stared at the sight. "It doesn't matter Higear, you're still faster! Dodge them all!"

"Not this time!" Flash countered. "Lock onto its aura and target that!"

The Springers all closed their eyes as the original opened its spiritual link, soon locating Higear's. Despite its speed, Springer could tell where it was gonna move, mentally telling his clones to follow. As such, no matter where Higear moved, the Springers still got closer.

"DO IT!" Flash yelled as the Springers all shoved their attacks into Higear, an explosion following. A dust cloud quickly kicked up as all the clones disappeared, leaving only Springer as he shot out of the cloud while curled up and spinning backwards. He landed on the ground, doing a perfect landing as he did.

Higear meanwhile, fell out of the smoke and crashed into the ground. Everyone looked it over and saw swirls in its eyes. TARDIS's systems scanned Higear before announcing. "Higear is unable to battle. Riolu is the winner."

"Yes!" Spike cheered.

"I can't believe he pulled it off," Twilight added.

"Nice work bud!" Flash told his partner, who smiled back at him and gave another thumbs up.

"Excellent work Higear," Doc told his Pokémon as he returned it to its ball. "Thanks to you, I now know what that Riolu is capable of."

Doc and Flash stared at each other, the two feeling like they did not need to talk or converse. But as they did, Flash spoke up anyways, "So, still think you can win any battle if you have a plan?"

Doc simply smirked. "My loss just now was simply a product of poor planning. I knew your unusual Riolu was a wild card, so I had to do more research before finalizing a proper plan to defeat it."

"Wait...are you saying that you planned on having Higear lose?!" Twilight gasped.

Doc nodded at this. "I did. And because of that, I've seen all your little tricks." He reached into his coat and pulled out another Pokeball, "which means victory is now mine. Tockwork, I need your assistance!" He threw the ball in the air, causing it to open and unleash the red energy.

That energy hit the ground and took form of a different creature. This new Pokémon was about five foot tall and looked like a giant alarm clock, its body made of a combination of bronze, silver and white metals. It's main body was that of a clock, with a white clock-face on the front of it that had a twelve, three, six and nine in the usual locations. Between the nine, twelve and three sections of the clock-face were missing, red eyes poking out of them instead. Two clock hands pointed between the three, six and nine, making it look like it had a moustache. From out of its main body, it had two robotic arms and legs, with two bell shaped shoulder pads and out of its arms, two bronze half gears could be seen. Its left hand had a two triple pronged claw, while its right appeared to be some kind of gun barrel. From out the top of its head was a bronze wind-up key.

The new Pokémon moved its arms around, its movements very robotic in nature. "Tock," it said very slowly, "work."

"It's a Tockwork," Twilight said in amazement.

"What's a Tockwork?" Spike asked, as Flash pulled out his Pokedex.

Name: Tockwork
Category: Clockwork Pokémon
Type: Steel/Psychic
Info: An artificial Pokémon made long ago, it has a perfect sense of time. It is often used in factories or other types of work buildings to help keep schedule.

"Weird Pokémon..." Flash said as he put it away.

"Careful Flash," Twilight told him. "Tockwork's a Psychic-Type, as well as a Steel-Type."

"So Springer's at a disadvantage?" Spike asked.

"I'm afraid so," Twilight said with a nod.

Flash frowned at this. "You up for this Springer?"

"Riolu!" Springer replied with a puff of his chest. "Ri Riolu!"

"Then so am I," Flash said as he pointed at the new Pokémon. "Bring it on!"

Doc just shook his head at this, soon looking up at Tockwork. "Let's begin Tockwork. Battle plan, alpha omega."

"Tockwork," the clock Pokémon said slowly with a nod.

"Are both trainers ready?" TARDIS asked, Doc, Flash and their Pokémon nodding. "Then battle, begin!"

"Quick Attack!" Springer shot forwards, aimed straight at Tockwork as he spun around and thrusted his foot into its face.

DONG!

The sound of flesh on metal rang, but Tockwork didn't look at all injured. Springer on the other hand-

"RIOLU!" He cried as he hopped on one foot, holding the one he had hit Tockwork with in his paws.

"Ouch," Spike grimaced. "That had to hurt."

"Tockwork's hard metal body is gonna be tough to get through," Twilight added as she bit her thumb. "That's not good."

Flash knew he had to agree with that, but confidence was still shining on his face. "Its strong, but its also slow. I just gotta hit it hard and fast before it has a chance to fight back." He saw Springer had finally stop hopping around and was ready for battle. "Aura Sphere!"

"Ri!" Springer replied as he started making the blue orb.

"Bullet Punch!" Doc ordered, with Tockwork raising its clawed arm and pulling it back.

"Our move will hit first. Do it now Spriniger" Flash commanded, only to see Tockwork's arm fire first.

"TOCK!" It cried as a silver fist shaped energy blast shot off its fist, instantly hitting Springer at high speed.

"RI!" Springer cried as he saw it coming and tried to dodge it, only to be sucker-punched in the gut. He cried out as he fell back, but managed to regain his footing before tossing the Aura Sphere at Tockwork.

"Defend!" Doc yelled, Tockwork crossing its arms as the Aura Sphere struck it, only to push it backwards a few inches. "Gear Grind!"

"Tock!" The gears coming out Tockwork's arms began to spin before it swung them, launching them at Springer.

"Dodge'em!" Flash countered, Springer ducking below the first one before leaping into the air to dodge the second.

"Perfect! He's in position now," Doc said as he pointed at Springer, "Psywave!"

Tockwork raised its gun barrel arm and aimed it at the still airborne Springer. The end of the barrel glowed, only for a multicolored orb to shoot out and fly towards Springer, hitting him in the chest before exploding with a wave of energy.

"RIOLU!" Springer cried as he was blown back, soon hitting the ground with a thud.

"Springer!" Flash cried.

"That looked like it hurt," Spike grimaced again.

"It could have been worse," Twilight told him. "Psywave's power is always different. It can sometimes be really strong, really weak, or somewhere in-between. Springer got off lucky."

Flash frowned as Springer picked himself up. "You okay bud?" Springer nodded as he got back on his feet, his legs slightly wobbly. Seeing this, Flash began to think aloud, "Okay, Springer can still go, but that thing's strong. Its also slow, but it has that Bullet Punch move...I need to stop...wait a minute-" Flash blinked as a new thought entered his head, "Springer, use Quick Attack!"

"Ri!" Springer nodded before shooting forwards.

"What's Flash thinking?" Spike asked. "Quick Attack won't hurt Tockwork."

"I'm not sure. Let's hope he's got a plan."

Springer got closer and closer to Tockwork, who of course, intended to simply take the attack. This made Flash smile, "Alright...now!" He pointed to Tockwork's head, "Leap over Tockwork, Springer!"

"Ri!" Springer bent his legs and pushed himself into the air, soon landing behind the giant Pokémon.

"Force Palm!" Flash ordered, Springer soon hitting its back.

"TOCK!" Tockwork cried as it was blasted with the fighting move, staggering forwards and falling onto its knees and hands.

"Dang it." Doc growled as he clenched his hands into fists. "I didn't think he'd figure out Tockwork's weak-spot so quickly. Time to pull off the end game."

"Alright Springer, use Force Palm again!"

Springer rushed towards Tockwork as it was picking itself up. But as it did, Doc pointed at his Pokémon, "Now Tockwork, use Flash!" he yelled.

As Springer got within a few feet of Tockwork, it spun around just in time and unleashed a powerful burst of light. That light shot straight into Springer's eyes, causing the Riol to yell out in pain. His felt like they were on fire causing him to stagger around. "Ri! RIOLU!"

"Springer! Are you okay?!" Flash cried out.

Springer lowered his paws and tried to open his eyes, but all he saw was a blur. "Ri?" He said as he tried to look around, "riolu?"

"Oh no...." Flash gasped, despair appearing on his face.

"It's over," Doc commented as everyone turned to him. "How do you expect to win when you can't even see?"

"That's a good point," Twilight admitted as Spike just sat there, shaking. "This is bad."

"Springer!" Flash called out, "you can still see! Just locate Tockwork's aura." Springer nodded and tried to do so, but to no avail. No matter where he looked, he couldn't find Tockwork.

"It's useless," Doc told him. "Tockwork, Gear Grind!" Tockwork's gear began to spin before launching, the two hitting Springer and knocking him down.

"RIOLU!"

"Springer!"

"Flash," Twilight called out, "Tockwork's an artificial Pokémon. It might be alive, but it doesn't have an aura."

Doc chuckled at this. "Exactly. And without being able to use it, Springer has no hope of winning. You came into this ill-prepared, and now you're going to lose."

Flash growled at this. He had had enough with everyone telling him he was battling wrong. "You don't know anything!" he yelled at Doc, everyone leaning back at his loud tone. He then pointed at the gym leader with anger in his eyes. "Stop saying I can't win because I don't have two hundred mindless strategies!" He pointed back at himself, "So what if I don't have a plan?! That doesn't mean my way of battling is wrong! At least the way I battle isn't some soulless machine's way of looking at the world!"

Doc raised an eyebrow at this, not understanding where he was going with this. And as he did this, Flash let out a long sigh before continuing, "Its just like your inventions! You say your inventions are to help Equestria, but you don't know the first thing about it! You probably spend all day locked away, coming up with inventions and battle strategies all on your own. You come up with ways to beat your opponent, but what do you learn from them?"

"What are you..." Doc tried to ask.

"I don't make plans because the world is too complicated to plan for everything," Flash interrupted. "No matter what you do, something will always end up taking you by surprise. I'm not saying making a plan is a bad idea, but refusing to admit something might happen that you didn't expect means you'll never learn to adapt." He then raised a fist at Doc, "Which is exactly what's gonna happen here. I'll find a way to overcome Springer's blindness, then you won't know what to do next."

"Don't be ridiculous," Doc scoffed, pointing at his Pokémon again. "This battle's gonna end now. Tockwork...Psywave!"

"Tock!" Tockwork raised its gun barrel arm, charging the psychic energy within it.

"This ones gonna be big," Spike said with a gulp. "I can feel it."

"Looks like it's the over," Twilight added, "I was afraid of that."

But as they lost hope, Flash wasn't about to give up. Instead, he closed his eyes for a second, trying to figure out his next move. He had to come up with a way to make Springer see, but how? He opened his eyes and saw Tockwork's power began to build, getting ready to fire any moment. But as he did, another bulb went off. "I got it!" He cried. "Springer, lock onto my aura!"

"Ri?" Springer was confused by this, but did as he was told, closing his eyes and focusing on his partner's aura. Once locked on, he suddenly realized what Flash was planning through his feelings.

Doc on the other hand, just pointed at Springer, "It's over. Fire!" Tockwork did so, firing the multicolored blast at Springer. The shot flew towards Springer, getting closer and closer. But seconds before it was about to hit him, Springer suddenly spun his left side back ninety degrees, causing the blast to completely miss before exploding behind him.

"WHAT?!" Doc cried out, "How did you-what just happened?!"

There was no answer though. Instead, they now looked at Flash, only to see him standing in the same position as Springer. Seeing this, Spike spoke up, "What the-what's going on?"

Twilight knew, but she couldn't believe it. "Incredible...he's directing Springer."

Flash just chuckled at this as they turned back to face them before yelling, "Forward!" Springer rushed towards Tockwork, his eyes still closed. As he drew closer, Flash pulled his arm back and Springer did the same. "Force Palm!" He thrusted it forward, with Springer coping his movements and slamming his paw into Tockwork, pain surging through the Pokémon.

"TOCK!" it cried, its body staggering from the blow.

Doc was completely lost, unable to think about what to do next. This would have been his win condition, but Flash was still fighting. "How? What did he...how did..."

Twilight just giggled at this. "Flash and Springer are connected through their aura, allowing Flash to act as Springer's eyes. So even though he can't see, he can still fight by mirroring Flash's movements."

"That's awesome!" Spike cheered.

"Back to back Force Palms!" Flash ordered, Springer rushing forwards before the two slammed their palms into the Pokémon. Tockwork was struck again and again by the barrage, taking more and more damage.

Doc's brain was frozen. "I...I don't know what to do." All the while, Tockwork was drawing closer and closer to being beaten.

"Let's end this!" Flash commanded as Springer leapt backwards. They then put their hands together, "Aura Sphere!" The blue energy ball beginning to form in Springer's paws.

Seeing this, Doc quickly snapped back into the battle, knowing he couldn't let that hit. "Bullet Punch! NOW!" The clock Pokémon raised up and fired its energy fist at Springer, but Flash motioned for him to leap away. The attack exploded, the force knocking Springer off balance and causing him to toss his Aura Sphere in the air by mistake.

"Oh no!" Twilight and Spike cried.

Flash wasn't worried though. "Jump!"

"RI!" Springer cried as he used all his strength to leap into the air, getting closer and closer to his Aura Sphere.

"Not yet...." Flash said as he watched the two get closer. "A little more...NOW!" He pulled his fist back. "FORCE PALM!"

Springer slammed his paw into his own attack, the two forces combining before the Aura Sphere and shot towards Tockwork. "No," Doc whispered, but no ideas appeared in his head on how to counter. "NO!"

The attack finally struck Tockwork and exploded, causing the clock Pokémon to cry out. "TOCKWORK!" It cried as it was consumed by an explosion, which filled the whole room.

Everyone began coughing at this, soon trying to fan away the smoke, only for TARDIS to activate the Gym's ventilation system. When the smoke was finally expelled, everyone soon saw Tockwork on its back, its eyes replaced with spirals. TARDIS's systems scanned Tockwork before announcing. "Tockwork is unable to battle. Riolu is the winner and victory goes to the challenger, Flash Sentry!"

"YES!" Flash cheered as he jumped for joy. He then leapt off the platform and rushed over to Springer, pulling him into a hug. "We did it Springer, we did it!"

Twilight and Spike rushed down from the stands, both with a massive smile on their faces. "That was awesome Flash!" Spike exclaimed.

"I'll admit," Twilight told him as she went up and patted his shoulder. "You surprised me. Well done!"

"Thanks," Flash said before turning to Doc, "but I think I surprised him even more."

Doc was now by Tockwork, looking him over while helping him sit up. "You don't appear to be badly damaged old friend. A little rest and you'll be fully functional again."

"Tock..." Tockwork moaned.

"Thanks for all your hard work," Doc pulled out his Pokeball. "Now take a rest." With that, he put the pokeball away before walking over to Flash while reaching into his coat. "It seems I've been beaten." He commented as he pulled something out and held it out to Flash, "meaning you've earned this." They all looked at his hand and saw a small metal badge in the shape of a gear. "Proof that you won here at the Trottingham City Gym. The Gear Badge."

"Wow..." Flash gasped as he took the badge and held it up. "Alright, I just won...THE GEAR BADGE!"

"RIOLU!" Springer cheered.

"Congratulations Flash," Twilight said while clapping her hands.

"That's one down!" Spike added.

"Yes," Doc agreed, "but you'll still need seven more if you wish to enter the Equestria League."

"Which means I need to get to the next Gym ASAP!" Flash replied as he put the badge into his new case.

"So, where is the next Gym?" Spike asked.

Twilight pulled out her journal and opened up the map. She typed the word Gym into the search section, causing it to come up with a bunch of dots. She then located Trottingham's and spotted the one closest to it before smiling. "Its in...Fillydelphia City! YES!"

The boys all recoiled from this. "What's so great about there?" Flash asked.

"Nothing," Twilight replied, but still had a massive smile on her face. "But to get there, we'll need to go through Bale Town. There's a massive library there that I've always wanted to go to."

They all laughed at this. "Then we'd better head there as soon as possible." Flash added.

"Yeah," Spike agreed.

"Then we'll leave first thing tomorrow," Twilight said as she put the map away.

Whilst they conversed, Doc was thinking about what had happened at the end of the battle. He had never frozen up like that, at least not to that degree. He then remembered what Flash had said, and a small part of him began to understand. He didn't know much about Equestria. Sure, he knew the basics, but not what he truly need to know. How could he hope to help guide it into the future with his inventions when he didn't know what inventions Equestria needed.

He needed to learn more about the region he called home. He needed...to adapt.





Early next morning...

After a hearty meal and a good nights rest, Flash and his Pokémon were back to full health. Now, the three teens and their Pokémon were ready to begin their journey to Bale Town before getting to Fillydelphia City. But when they all left the Pokémon Center that morning, they were greeted with an unexpected sight. Time Turner was standing in front of the center's doors, a large blue travel bag on his back. [AN]

"Doc?" Flash said as they walked up to him.

"What are you doing here?" Twilight asked.

"You come to see us off?" Spike added.

Doc shook his head. "No, I've come...to ask that you let me accompany you on your journey."

To say the group where shocked by this question was an understatement. Flash pointed to himself before pointing at Twilight, Spike and Springer, "You wanna come with us?"

"Yes," Doc replied, nodding.

"But why?" Twilight asked.

"What about your Gym?" Spike added, "and the complex?"

"I'm doing this for my Gym and the complex," Doc replied, slightly sighing at this. "Our battle yesterday made me realize that how I view the world might not be the only way there is. Flash was right, I haven't learned anything from those who came to challenge my Gym. That's why I need to go out there and see the world, so that I can see what's needed to help it grow." He gave them all a big smile, especially at Flash. "And I need to learn, to adapt like you did. So, will you let me join you so I can learn to keep battling, even if my plan goes wrong?" He bowed at this moment.

The four of them all shared a look before eventually smiling, turning back with a nod. "Doc, we'd be honored to have you join us."

"Yeah!" Spike agreed, "It'll be awesome!"

Twilight nodded in agreement. "And I'm sure there's just as much stuff that you can teach us, so travelling together would help everyone."

Doc smiled at this. "Thank you. I promise I'll help you anyway I can."

"Well then, let's get going." With that, Flash started running down the street in the direction of Bale Town, Springer, Twilight, Spike and their new travel companion hot on his trail. With Time Turner now part of the team, how will this effect our heroes journey? Stay tuned to find out.