"Flamethrower!" Flash ordered as Viper took a deep breath, only to shoot out a flurry of fireballs. "Aww," Flash groaned, tapping his foot at the sight at the same time. "Ember again! I don't get it..."
It had been two days since the Chrysalis incident. And as Thorax worked to get the gym back in order, Flash and his Pokémon had been busy training. All of them were now in tip top shape, all except Viper.
"Scor..." he moaned in disappointment.
Flash also sighed, still trying to figure out what happened. At the same time, Twilight and Spike were watching the training session as they ate breakfast, along with the rest of Flash's Pokémon. Only Viper and Flash had rushed their breakfast, all for more practice.
"Why isn't Viper getting it?" Spike asked as he took another bite.
Twilight looked the Hisscor over, humming in a glum tone. "Its most likely that his fire power isn't at the level needed for the move."
"But he was able to do it before. Why was he able to do it then?"
"That was under intense stress, which likely removed Viper's natural limiters and allowed him to tap into the strength for that move."
"So Viper's life needs to be in danger for him to use Flamethrower?"
Twilight sighed, but nodded. "For now, it seems so."
Flash heard this and frowned as he watched his Pokémon try again and again. He knew the move would help tremendously against Thorax as he called out to his Pokémon, "Come on Viper, one more try! Dig deep and gather as much fire as you can. Take it slow if you have to."
Viper nodded as he turned back to the target, taking the deepest breath possible. Air zoomed into his lungs before his mouth started to open, "Hiss...SCOR!" Suddenly, as if on instinct, a steady stream of fire blasted out of Viper, instantly incinerating the target. The flames turned the pole into a pile of ash, making a very happy Viper cheer. "Hisscor! Hisscor!"
"Alright! You did it Viper!"
Twilight, Spike and the Pokémon all cheered and clapped as Twilight walked up to Flash. "Great work Flash, but I don't think Thorax will give you that much time to use an attack."
"I'll just have to slow him down then," Flash replied as he stared down at Viper. "Hmmm....maybe if I use Fire Spin, then have Viper build up the charge? That could work."
Twilight giggled at this, soon patting his shoulder. "See? Now you're getting into the swing of planning ahead."
Flash blushed as he scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, I guess I am. Still wish I could improvise a bit more though...thinking out this stuff is hard."
"I bet Doc could help you come up with a plan," Spike said as he glanced around. "Hey, where is Doc? I haven't seen him all morning."
Twilight just shrugged. "He said he had something to do today. He left a note saying he'd meet us at the gym."
"Then I guess that's where we're going," Flash commented before turning to his team. "We've held this off long enough guys. Time to see if all our hard work will finally pay off. You with me?"
"Ri/Chick/Ak/Fey/Scor!"
Flash shined a huge cheeky grin. "Then let's go win our second gym badge."
Meanwhile...
In a certain room in his Gym, Thorax was currently staring at a large computer screen. Doc sat beside him, also staring at the screen as it showed eight segments, each with a figure's face on them.
"So we're all in agreement?" Thorax asked.
"Yes," a voice that belonged to Professor Celestia replied. "Time Turner, you'll be responsible for gathering information. Its very fortunate that you chose to take this journey at this time."
Doc nodded at this. "Indeed it is, but I still think we should bring Flash and the others into the fold."
"This doesn't concern them," A gruff male voice replied. "Its the duty of Equestria's Gym Leaders to keep the peace."
"He's right," an elderly female added. "Those saplings aren't ready to take on this kind of danger."
A monotone voice spoke up next, "Even if they managed to help you before, they shouldn't get in over their heads."
"Fine...I understand." Doc finished, slumping slightly in his seat.
"Its for the best," Thorax told him with a quick glance before looking back at the screen. "I'm sure we all have important plans today, so let's bring this meeting to a close. We'll schedule another summit when more information is brought to light. Is this agreed?"
They all nodded their heads before the screen sections began to go black. When the last one did, the two turned to one another. "It seems we've got more work than ever to do."
Doc nodded with a slight shrug. "If we couldn't handle it, we wouldn't be Gym Leaders."
"Truer words were never spoken." In that moment, there was a knock at the door. "Come in."
The door opened and Ocellus stepped in. "Flash and the others are here. It seems he's ready to challenge you."
"Speaking of work," Thorax and Doc nodded to each other before getting up and going to the lobby. There, they found Flash, Twilight, Spike and their Pokémon were waiting. "Good morning. I see you've come to battle me once again."
"If that's alright. Its up to you." Flash replied, almost biting his lip in anticipation of the response.
Thorax did a slight chuckle as he nodded. "After what you did to help us, I'd be an idiot not to accept. I just hope you are truly ready this time."
"Oh, I am!" Flash remarked as he pumped his fists, "We're going to win!"
"Very well. Let's go to the battleground."
After this, the group made their way to the arena. As they did this, Spike turned to Doc. "So, what were you doing here?"
Doc smirked before patting the boy on the head. "Grown up stuff."
Soon enough, everyone was in the familiar battlefield room. There, Twilight, Doc, Spike, Ocellus, Springer, Peewee and Riptide were watching from above as Flash, Thorax and Pharynx took their positions. "Alright!" Pharynx announced as he pointed at the two trainers. "The rematch battle between the challenger Flash, and Thorax the Gym Leader, will now begin! Like before, both sides are allowed to use any three Pokémon. The battle will end when all three of either sides' Pokémon are no longer able to continue battling. In addition, only the challenger may be allowed to substitute Pokémon." He glanced at the duo, "you two got that?!"
Flash and Thorax both nodded.
Twilight gulped at the sight. "Here we go. Time to see if all of Flash's training has payed off."
"The Gym Leader will be the first to reveal his Pokémon," Pharynx pointed to his brother as he pulled out a Pokeball.
"Starider, come on out." he tossed it into the air, soon revealing the form of a star backed spider.
"Star..." it hissed.
"So that's his third Pokémon," Flash commented as he pulled out his own Pokeball. "Viper, I choose...YOU!" He tossed the ball into the air and released the Hisscor.
"Scor!"
"Why's Flash using Viper?" Spike asked. "I thought he was saving him for Kingsect."
Twilight and Doc both glanced at Spike with a smirk. "Wait and see. It's all part of his plan."
"Are both sides ready?" Pharynx asked, getting two nods in return. "Then battle...BEGIN!
"Poison Sting!" Flash ordered, Viper unleashing a barrage of purple darts out of his mouth.
"Dodge it!" Thorax ordered, his Pokémon leaping up into the air and landing onto a nearby tree branch. "Sticky Web!"
"Star!" Starider pointed its rear at Viper and unleashed a glob of silk that spread out to take a web-like design.
"Flamethrower!"
Viper took a deep breath, "Hiss...SCOR!" But instead of the fire stream, he once again unleashed a flurry of fireballs. They hit the Sticky Web and burned right through it, soon roasting the spider as well.
"Star!" It cried as it was blasted off the tree.
"That's wasn't a Flamethrower," Doc commented with a sigh, "Looks like they haven't quite got the hang of it yet."
"But it still did a bit of damage," Twilight added.
Thorax saw his Starider pick itself up and pointed ahead. "Alright, Faint Attack!" Starider nodded before disappearing, then reappearing in front of Viper, quickly slamming into him.
"Scor!" He yelped as he fell back from the sudden blow.
"Keep going! Do Faint Attack, back to back!" Thorax ordered as the Starider kept disappearing and reappearing, repeatedly hitting Viper.
Flash watched as the attacks continued, his mind trying to figure out some kind of countermeasure, only to comment, "Damn it. I can't tell where it's coming from."
"Bug Bite!" Thorax commanded as Starider appeared in front of Viper with shining teeth. It then bit down on Viper, causing him to cry out.
"Scor!" Viper cried as Starider bit his sides.
Flash growled at this, his brain telling him what he needed to do next. "Get him off you Viper! Hop back to me!" Viper did so, knocking Starider off as he leapt back. He then pulled out his Pokeball, "Viper, return!" The red energy shot out and hit the Hisscor, returning it to the safety of the ball. "Nice work bud."
Everyone sighed in relief, especially Doc and Twilight. "Finally! Flash played it smart there."
Twilight nodded in agreement. "Hopefully, he'll have learned enough about Starider to come up with a counter measure."
Ocellus raised an eyebrow at this. "I'm not so sure about that. Especially after how their last match went."
"I know. I hope he's figured out something new." Twilight added as they all saw Flash switch Pokeballs.
"Prongs, I choose you!" He tossed the ball into the air, soon revealing the Thawn.
Pharynx checked to see that both Pokémon were ready and nodded. "Alright, battle begin."
"Faint Attack!" Thorax ordered, Starider once again disappearing before reappearing in front of its opponent.
Flash smirked at the sight, "Not this time! Dodge it Prongs!"
"THAWN!" And just like that, time seemed to slow down. Prongs saw the Starider coming at him in slow motion, only to step to the side at normal speed. The spider instantly missed, soon spinning around to rebalance it's missed bum-rush.
"What?! What just happened?!" Thorax yelped, his eyes now wide.
"What kind of move was that?" Ocellus added.
Twilight shook her head at this. "That was no move, just pure speed. Ever since Flash lost to Thorax, he and Prongs have been working hard to up his speed."
Ocellus gasped, "You're kidding! Its like he just vanished."
"Nope!" Spike replied with a huge grin. "Just watch."
Prongs turned to Starider, who was picking itself up after hitting the ground, and smiled. "Our turn! Prongs, Double Kick!" Before the Starider could do anything, he got a taste of his medicine as Prongs disappeared and reappeared in front of him. That is, except Prongs was back first as two hooves slammed into the spider.
"Star!" it cried as the first kick hit his side.
"Double Kick, back to back!"
"Fey!" Prongs yelled as appeared by its side and slammed Starider's head, "fey!" He disappeared and reappeared behind Starider before kicking it again, "fey!" Once again, he seemed to warp to another part of the gym to kick his opponent, "THAWN!"
"STAR!" Starider screamed as it was sent flying, crashing and rolling into the ground.
Everyone cheered at the sight. Even Thorax and Pharynx could not help but smile, amazed at Flash's improvement. That is, till Thorax pointed at his Pokémon. "Time to slow you down a bit. Starider, use Sticky Web all over the battlefield!"
Starider picked itself up and hissed, then raised its rear into the air before firing out several balls of goop. The spheres fell back to earth, splattering the ground like a minefield of webby traps.
"Oh boy," Flash gulped. "That's not good."
"Use Bug Bite!" Thorax ordered as Starider scuttled towards Prongs with its teeth glowing.
"Dodge it!"
Prongs nodded and tried to leap away from Starider, only to almost land near some webbing. "Fey!" he cried as he tried to keep his balance, only for Starider to bite his leg. "FEY!" He yelped as he pulled away from the spider and started to stagger backwards.
"Toxic!" Thorax commanded, Starider now spitting a large purple ball up into the air.
"Star!" It cried as the ball fell to the earth, exploding into a cloud of purple gas. The gas soon covered the area, causing Prongs to breath in the poisonous fumes.
"Prongs!" Flash yelled as he watched the gas fade, only to see a purple aura cover his body. "Not again!" Flash then stared at the opponent, his mind trying to stay calm as he pointed at the spider, "Fight through it Prongs, Energy Ball!"
Prongs powered through the pain and created a ball of green energy. The sphere then shot at the spider, who fired a web string and retracted itself in time. The spider was now sitting on a branch, with Prongs turned and rushed towards. "Tackle!" Flash ordered as Prongs hopped up and smashed the branch with his body. However, the Starider just hopped away, landing on another tree branch. Seeing this, Flash pointed at the branch, "Double Kick the tree Prongs!"
"Fey!" Prongs spun and bucked the tree, vibrations now covering the tree. The Starider soon found itself shaking, its legs no longer able to hold on due to the force.
"Star," it cried as it fell, only to fire another web to catch itself.
"Energy Ball!" Prongs fired off another sphere of energy, the orb hitting the retreating spider and exploded. The spider was then sent flying, landing into one of his own previous Sticky Webs. However, it had landed face down, where its legs could not touch the webs to pull itself free.
"I got you now! Double Kick Prongs!"
"FEY!" Prongs yelled as he leapt and slammed both front legs into the spider's stomach, causing a cloud of dust to be kicked up. The deer then hopped out of the smoke, only for it fade with a completely unconscious Starider now presenting itself.
Pharynx raised his hand towards Flash, "Starider is unable to continue. Thawn wins."
"Yes!" Flash cheered along with as all his friends. He then shined a huge grin at Prongs, "Nice one buddy!"
"Fey!" Prongs replied before flinching from its still prevalent poisoned status.
Thorax returned Starider, smiling as he did so. "Excellent work Starider," he said as the switched the ball with another. "Flash has certainly come a long way. Now, the real challenge begins. Movine, come on out!" He tossed the ball into the air, releasing the plant moth Pokémon.
"Mow...vine."
Flash let out a huff, "Movine….this isn't going to be easy."
"Fey..." Prongs growled, glaring at the airborne moth.
"You ready Prongs?"
"Fey!" Prongs yelled, nodding.
"Alright," Pharynx said as he raised both hands, "Movine verses Thawn, battle begin!"
"Tackle!" Flash ordered, Prongs immediately sprinting forward.
"Poison Sting!" Thorax countered as Movine began firing toxic darts out of its mouth. The attack tried to strike Prongs, only for the deer to dodge them and slam his head into Movine.
"Mow!" it cried as it staggered back.
"Don't let that get to you! Vine Whip!" Movine then shot a blast of tendrils, all of them wrapping around Prongs.
"Fay!" it yelled as the vines started to tighten.
"Don't panic Prongs! Use Leech Seed!" Prongs blinked at this, but nodded as the seeds starting shooting out of his horn. Before Movine could do anything, the seeds struck the moth, as it was still trying to constrict the deer. It then let out a roar, soon tossing Prongs away in pain.
"Fey!" He cried as he hit the ground, then flinched as the poison surged again.
"Why'd Flash use Leech Seed?" Spike asked as he pointed at Prongs.
"Remember what happened last time?" Twilight asked him, only to get a nod in response.
"I see. He must have realised this was his best chance to get that move pulled off," Ocellus added as she blinked at the sight. "Amazing...."
"He's thinking strategically," Doc finished for her.
"Took him long enough." Twilight grumbled as she let out a sigh, "He's still an idiot though."
"Flash really has come along way. He's no longer just taking the battle one move at a time, as he's now thinking two or three moves ahead. Amazing how fast he's learned to get into his new battle style. But even so..." Thorax chuckled as he pointed at his Pokémon. "I won't go down that easily. Silver Wind!"
"Mow!" Movine flapped its wings and fired the crescent moon shaped wind blasts at Prongs.
"Dodge it!" Flash called out, Prongs now jumping back while being wary of the many Sticky Webs that littered the floor. "Now, Energy Ball!"
"Fey!" Prongs cried as he fired the green orb at Movine, the back-draft from the explosion pushing it out of balance. Flash then ordered a Tackle attack and Prongs slammed its head into the moth again.
"Mow!" It cried as it was once again pushed back, both barely able to stabilize themselves as they flinched from their status conditions.
The two trainers saw this and yelled, "Double Kick/Vine Whip!" The Pokémon bum-rushed each other, Prongs spinning to buck the moth as the Movine's tendrils struck the hooves head-on. The two attacks collided, instantly knocking both away before Thorax yelled, "Silver Wind!"
"Energy Ball!" Prongs fired the sphere, which hit the Silver Wind and cut it in half. The divided attack flew past Prongs on either side as he began to charge forwards. "Tackle!"
"Poison Sting!" Movine fired another round of poison darts at Prongs, hitting him again and again as he powered on through.
"Fey..." Prongs grimaced as the Poison Sting struck him, only to hop up slam his head into the moth's chest.
"Vine!" It cried as it was pushed back, both soon flinching again from their status conditions.
Then, Thorax snapped his fingers. "I got you now! Stun Spore!" Movine immediately spat out a batch of yellow mist, all of it surrounding the Thawn.
"What's he doing?" Spike asked as he turned to his sister. "Isn't Prongs already poisoned?"
"He is, so...I'm not sure Spike." Twilight replied as she readjusted her glasses at the sight. "Prongs can't be paralyzed as well."
Flash was also confused as he saw Prongs get engulfed by the cloud. The only thing Thorax had done was make it hard for them...to see. "Oh no....Prongs, get out of there!"
"Too late. Vine Whip!" Movine shot the tendrils into the cloud, instantly blasting the cloud away as it violently wrapped up the deer.
"Get it off you!" Flash told him.
"Not happening. Movine, you know what to do." Movine flapped its wings and lifted them both into the air as Prongs continued to struggle. Once there, he released Prongs and the Thawn fell to the ground, right on top of a Sticky Web.
"Fay!" He cried as he tried to pull himself free, only to find that his hooves were completely glued to the ground.
"Oh no...Prongs, stop struggling!" Flash yelled as he pointed at Movine, "Look up and use Energy Ball!"
"Get out of its line of fire and use Silver Wind!" Thorax countered, Movine flapping back as it easily dodged an incoming Energy Ball.
"Mow...VINE!" It flapped its wings and unleashed the crescent moon blades, all of them flying towards Prongs at blinding speed.
Prongs screamed at the attack hit him, dislodging him from the webbing before knocking him into a nearby tree. He then slumped over, swirls now in his eyes. "Fay..."
"Thawn is unable to battle, Movine wins."
"Aww man," Spike groaned as him and Peewee both sighed, "And he was doing so well."
"We can't expect Flash to not lose any Pokémon," Doc told him with a pat on the shoulder.
Twilight nodded at this. "But the question now is how is Flash going to handle the rest of this battle with his last two Pokémon?"
"Come on back Prongs, you did great out there." Flash said as he returned the Thawn to his Pokeball before pulling out another, "Well, if it was this easy, then that badge wouldn't be worth winning. Skyler, I choose...YOU!" He tossed the ball, soon revealing the Chickling.
"Chickling!" Skyler flew up until it was level with Movine, glaring at the moth. "Chick..."
"Alright," Pharynx called out as he gestured both hands, "Movine verses Chickling, battle...BEGIN!"
"Gust!" Flash instantly yelled, Skyler flapping his wings with a mighty blast of wind.
"Mow!" the moth yelped as he felt himself falter back from the sudden Gust.
"Straighten out Movine!" it heard Thorax order, quickly flaring its wings.
"Steel Wing!" Flash ordered, Skyler shining his wings as he shot forward, slashing the moth's side.
"Mow!" It cried as it felt the slash, only to feel another slash. "Vine!"
"That's the way!" Flash told his Pokémon. "Don't give it time to recover!"
"Oh no you don't! Grab it with Vine Whip!"
"Vine!" Movine threw its tendrils at Skyler, only to find the Chickling spin around the vines, easily dodging the grass attack.
"Gust!"
"Chick!" Skyler flapped up to Movine's face, instantly flapping his wings, blasting the moth away.
"MOVINE!" The plant moth cried as it was pushed towards the ground, soon hitting the dirt with a loud thud.
"Alright!" Spike cheered from above.
"Ri, ri, ri!" Springer added as he and Riptide danced up and down.
"Chickling's so much more maneuverable now," Ocellus commented as she glanced at Twilight, "Was that what Flash was going for? You trained up his speed and reflexes?"
Twilight nodded at this. "Yup. When we first met Skyler, he couldn't even fly. It took a lot of hard work to get his reflexes up to what they are now."
"But it was well worth it," Doc finished with a big smirk. "Movine can't keep up now."
Thorax smirked as well before snapping his fingers, "Not bad Flash, but we're just getting started. Movine, use Silver Wind!"
"Mow!" Movine flapped its wings, firing the crescent moon like wind attack at Skyler.
"Dodge it!" Flash ordered, Skyler using its new reflexes to evade them. However, as it did this, Movine took to the sky again, soon trying to get close to Skyler.
"Stun Spore!"
"Mow!" it yelled as yellow mist blasted out of its mouth.
"Blow it away with Gust!"
"Chick!" Skyler flapped his wings, easily blowing the yellow cloud back towards its maker.
"Not gonna fall for that one twice," Flash smugly told Thorax.
However, the Gym Leader just smiled back. "You sure about that? How about this then?! Use Vine Whip!"
From out of the cloud, a pair of green tendrils shot out and instantly grabbed Skyler. "Chick!" Skyler yelped as it felt its body now constrict from the vines, only for Movine to thrust Skyler downward, slamming the bird into the dirt. "CHICKLING!"
"Skyler!" Flash cried out as he watched Skyler try to pick himself up.
"Poison Sting!"
Movine unleashed the poison darts, which the bird yelped as he quickly hopped away. "Chick! Chickling!" But as he dodged the attack, he felt a new sensation on his foot. Looking down, he found his leg now stuck in a Sticky Web. "Chick?"
"Silver Wind!"
"MOW!" Movine fired the wind attack at Skyler, instantly knocking him out of the web and into the air.
"Skyler!" Flash yelled as he watched his Chickling be sent flying, "Level out! Do it now!"
"Chick!" Skyler moaned as he spun in the air, quickly facing his opponent.
"Gust/Silver Wind!" The two flapped their wings and fired off the wind attacks, both attacks meeting and creating a mini tornado. The wind forced both to fly backward, both barely keeping balance as everyone starting shielding their eyes from the explosion of wind. However, as this happened, Flash smirked as he pointed at his Pokémon. "Now, Double Team!"
As the wind stopped, Movine steadied himself as he looked back at Skyler, only to go wide eyed as he saw a whole bunch of Chicklings in the air. "Mow?"
Thorax tried to see which one was the fake, but the copies were all staying perfectly still. "Hmm...if that's the case, use Silver Wind to take them all out Movine!" Movine did as it was told, firing the wind blasts that soon took all of the copies out. That is, till all of them disappeared, leaving zero Chicklings on the field. "What?! Where's the original?!"
Flash chuckled at his confusion. "Surprised? You shouldn't be since this next part is a little trick I picked up from you. Now...Skyler, use Steel Wing!" Flash pointed at the Movine as Thorax stared at the sight, his brain slowly picking up what Flash meant.
"What is...no!" Thorax quickly swiped his hand as he yelled, "Movine, get out of there!"
"Too late!" Flash countered as Skyler shot out of a nearby tree. The bird instantly sliced the moth with his glowing wing, smacking him into the ground. But as it landed, Thorax's eyes went wide as he saw his Movine land right on top of a Sticky Web.
"Mow!" It cried as it tried to move, its wings not responding due to the sticky muck.
"We got him now! Quick Attack Skyler!"
"CHICK!" Skyler screeched as flew up into the air, picking up speed as it readied to ram the moth.
"Darn it, I'm not losing just yet!" Thorax barked back. "Stun Spore!"
"Vine!" Movine spat out a cloud of yellow dust, trying to cover his whole body in the mist. However, the bird shot right through the smoke, smashing the moth out of the web and into another tree. And as it slumped over from the lightning fast blow, spirals appeared over its eyes.
"Movine is unable to battle," Pharynx announced. "Chickling wins."
"Yes," Flash said with a snap of his fingers. "Nice one Skyler!"
"Chickling!" Skyler cheered before flinching as electrical sparks surged around his body. "Chick..."
"Great move," Ocellus commented as she blinked at the sight. "I can't believe Flash has been able to do this much."
"Flash can always pull through!" Spike cheered, "Not only that, Thorax is down to only one Pokémon now!"
Twilight gulped at this statement, "That may be true Spike, but don't forget who's up next."
"Kingsect..." Doc muttered as he crossed his arms. "Plus, Skyler's been paralysed and Viper's already battled. Kingsect will be starting off fresh, meaning this is still anyone's battle."
"Movine return," Thorax commanded as he returned the plant moth to its ball before pulling out another. "It's all on you now partner. Come out, Kingsect!" He threw the ball and soon revealed the stag bug hybrid, who trotted onto the battlefield with a mighty roar.
"KING!"
Flash pumped his fists at the sight. "This is it! You ready Skyler?"
"Chick!" Skyler exclaimed, nodding at the sight.
Pharynx raised both hands, "Alright, Kingsect verses Chickling. Battle...BEGIN!"
"Quick Attack!" Flash ordered, the bird charging at high speed.
"Bug Buzz!"
"King!" Kingsect's horns began to vibrate, the buzzing instantly spreading across the battlefield. It immediately struck Skyler, causing him to flinch.
"Now, hit him with Slam!" Kingsect rushed up to the bird, quickly smashing his hoof into him.
"Chick!" Skyler cried as he hit back, his body quickly rolling on the dirt.
"Skyler! Get up quick!"
Skyler tried to do so, but as he was about to flap his wings, he suddenly flinched from his paralysis. "Chick!"
"Horn Charge!" Kingsect soon charged ahead, his horns glowing a radiant light.
Skyler recovered from the shock just in time to see Kingsect coming, only to see the horn right on top of him. "King!" Kingsect thrusted his horns into him, sending him flying.
"Chick!" He screamed as he was sent into the air, only to flare his wings to steady himself. But as he did this, the bird started panting, his wings now wobbly flapping. "Chick...chickling..."
"Gust!" Flash called out, Skyler quickly beating his wings to created a whirlwind that hit Kingsect.
"King..." it moaned as it tried to stop itself form being blown away.
"Bug Buzz!" Kingsect fired off a series soundwaves, all of them cutting through the gust and striking the bird. And as it hit, yellow lightning surged in his body, making him tighten up. "He's vulnerable now! Horn Charge!"
Skyler felt the buzzing stop and saw Kingsect coming at him, only to hear, "Steel Wing!" He ignored the headache as he bum-rushed the bug, his wings glowing like the opponent's horns. The two then clashed, the force of their attacks sending them both back.
Kingsect landed with ease while making sure to avoid the Sticky Webs while Skyler landed on a branch. Kingsect only looked a little winded, while Skyler was panting heavily.
"Skyler's tired." Twilight told the others. "He needs to end this or get Skyler out of there."
"Come on Flash!" Spike cheered. "You can do it!"
Flash nodded at this, "You got it! Use Gust Syler!"
"Chick!" Skyler leapt off the branch and took to the air.
"Horn Charge!" Thorax ordered, his Pokémon also leaping into the air.
Skyler beat his wings and unleashed a whirlwind while Kingsect's horns glowed. The two clashed, Kingsect becoming locked in midair as they tried to overpower the other. That is, till yellow lightning flared over Skyler's body, causing him to cramp. Seeing this, the horns immediately struck his body.
"CHICK!" Skyler cried as the horns slammed into the earth, smashing his body through a tree branch along the way before landing with a loud thud.
"Skyler!" Flash yelled as everyone looked the Chickling over and saw swirls had replaced his eyes.
"Chickling is unable to battle," Pharynx proclaimed. "Kingsect is the winner."
Everyone sighed at seeing this. "Too bad," Spike said as slumped in his seat. "He was doing so well."
"Terr," Peewee moaned in agreement.
"Skyler's battle with Movine just took to much out of him," Twilight grumbled as she adjusted her glasses. "This isn't good."
Doc's vision shifted between the two. "Now they're down to one Pokémon each."
"Hisscor and Kingsect," Ocellus finished. "Hisscor should have the advantage, but after what happened last time-"
"This isn't like last time," Twilight interrupted. "Flash has worked too hard for everything to end like it did back then." The others nodded in agreement.
"Great work out there Skyler. Take a nice long rest." Flash told the Chickling as he returned it to his Pokeball. He then switched the Pokeball with another, staring down at it. "Alright Viper, it's all on you." He tossed it into the air, releasing the Hisscor onto the field.
"Hisscor..." Viper growled as it saw saw its opponent.
Thorax saw the determination in Viper's eyes and smiled. "Let's see if you're able to use that Flamethrower of yours this time."
"We will use it this time," Flash assured him as he pumped his fists again. "Just watch."
"We'll see." Thorax replied before turning to his brother, "Pharynx?"
"Alright, this will be the final battle! Kingsect verses Hisscor, battle...BEGIN!"
"Fire Spin!" Flash called out. Viper then leapt into the air while igniting his tail, which he flicked to shoot a fire ball at Kingsect. The flames hit the ground around the bug, causing a flaming tornado to form and explode.
"King!" It moaned at the heat.
"Horn Charge!" Kingsect's horns began to glow as it charged at the tornado. It burst right through, and bum-rushed Viper, who was taking a deep breath.
"Flamethrower!" Flash yelled, hoping the Fire Spin had given them enough time.
"Hiss...SCOR!" Viper unleashed all the power he had stored, only to get same the multitude of Ember fireballs as usual.
"No!" Flash moaned as he watched the Ember fly towards Kingsect. The bug stag combo raced into the onslaught, once again powering through as it reached its target.
"KINGSECT!" It yelled as it thrusted its horns into the Hisscor before flicking it upwards. Everybody watched as history repeated itself and Viper flew up past the stands.
"Oh no you don't! Poison Sting!"
"Scor!" Viper pointed downwards and unleashed a flurry of poison darts, raining them down on the bug. He then used the attack again, this time slowing his descent.
"Slam! Do it now!"
"King!" Kingsect galloped towards Viper and raised his hooves, ready to smash the snake.
"Dodge!" As Kingsect thrusted its hoof down, Viper used his flexible body to evade, quickly wrapping his tail around the bug's leg. "Bite, now!"
"Scor!" With all his might, he bit into Kingsect's leg and gripped it tight.
"King!" Kingsect flinched in pain.
"Get that thing off of you! Use Slam!"
Kingsect nodded before it began to beat its hoof into the ground, "King...sect! King...sect! King...SECT!" Finally, one Slam caused Viper to be come loose and allowed Kingsect to kick him away.
Everyone flinched seeing this, watching as Viper was sent rolling along the ground until he came to a stop. "That had to hurt," Spike commented with a gulp.
"It looks like a pretty even match," Twilight grumbled as she kept switching her vision between the two. "This isn't good."
"Agreed," Ocellus said before turning to them. "Tell me, what did you train Hisscor in?"
"Power. He was already a very agile Pokémon, so we focused on upping the power of his attacks." Doc explained as he stared at Viper, "But it looks like it wasn't enough."
Springer watched as his trainer and teammates struggled, moaning at the sight, "Ri..."
As Thorax watched Viper recover, he looked up at Flash with a huge grin. "You've impressed me with how much you've grown. That alone makes me want to give you the badge, but that's not how these things work. You'll need to pull out all the stops if you want to win."
"I know that," Flash replied as Viper picked himself up. "Ever since you beat me, I've been thinking about what makes a trainer strong."
"And what is that?"
Flash shined a huge smile. "Having a reason to be strong."
This also got a smile out of Thorax. "Good answer. So...what's your reason?"
"I don't have one, at least not yet. But I'm gonna look for one, and when I find it, no one's gonna be able to beat me."
Thorax let out a guffaw. "HA! Well, since you haven't found it yet, I guess that means I can still beat you."
"Maybe, but I don't intend to give up. Until I find my reason for strength, I'll keep building it the old fashioned way. Grit and hard work." He pointed at Thorax, "and I'm gonna show you what that strength can do. Let's go Viper!"
"Hisscor!" Viper roared as he took a deep breath, his trainers words making him want to show his own strength. "Hiss...SCOR!" He opened his mouth, instantly unleashing a steady stream of fire at Kingsect.
The royal swarm Pokémon was hit with full force, unable to dodge the sudden flames. "KINGSECT!" It cried as it was pushed backwards. When the fire finally stopped, Kingsect's legs barely held it as a burn mark could now be seen on its chest.
"WOW!" Everyone said in unison.
"Viper used Flamethrower!" Twilight added.
"He did it!" Doc cheered.
"Go Viper!" Spike yelled as the rest of the Pokémon cheered.
"YES!" Flash finished as he pointed at Kingsect, "Keep going Viper! Flamethrower!"
"Hiss...SCOR!" Once again, Viper unleashed the fire stream.
The stag bug hybrid saw it coming and jumped to the side, barely dodging the attack but still getting its side and left wing singed. "King!"
Flash's grin increased. "Looks right we've got it permanently this time. Use Poison Sting!" Viper spat the toxic darts out at high speeds, all of them striking the still recovering bug.
"King..." it moaned as it staggered backwards, only for purple sparks to start surging around its body.
"Poison..." Thorax grumbled as he pointed at Viper, "Use Bug Buzz!" Kingsect began to vibrate its horns, soundwaves blasting the battlefield as Viper flinched in pain at the attack. "Now, Aromatherapy!" Kingsect stopped its attack before its horns glowed, unleashing a rainbow of light that began to cover its body.
Flash frowned as he kept his hands over his ears, "We can't let it finish that move! Flamethrower! Do it now Viper!"
Viper, despite the mild headache, opened its mouth and fired the stream of flames. The fire was just enough, as the bug quickly hopped away to dodge the attack, only to stagger as sparks of poison blasted out of its body. "King!" it cried as it stumbled, now realizing that the pain was too much for it to fly.
Flash saw this and pointed at the area where Kingsect was about to land. "Let's do this. Use Fire Spin right there!"
"Hiss...SCOR!" Viper flicked his tail and threw the fireball at the ground, causing the fire cyclone to explode around Kingsect before it even landed.
"King!" It flinched from the heat and flames that flicked its skin.
"Horn Charge!" Thorax ordered, Kingsect taking a deep breath as it sliced through the tornado with its horns.
But as it did this, he arrived in a battlefield with no opponent. "King?"
"Above you! Dodge now!" Thorax yelled, the bug looking up to see Hisscor about to fall on top of the Pokémon.
"FLAMETHROWER!"
"HISSCOR!" Viper unleashed the fire stream at point blank range, the attack hitting Kingsect with no chance of missing. The attack propelled Viper away, landing him right in front of Flash as a pile of smoke covered Kingsect.
Seconds later, the smoke cleared to reveal the bug stag combo Pokémon. It was covered in burns and barely standing, but had a big smile on its face as it stared at Viper. "King...sect." With that, it's legs gave out as its eyes were replaced with spirals.
"Kingsect is unable to battle, Hisscor wins! All of Thorax's Pokémon are unable to battle, so the winner is Flash Sentry!"
"YES!" Flash yelled as all his friends cheered.
"He did it!" Twilight almost screamed.
"Alright!" Spike added.
"Excellent work Flash!" Doc told the trainer.
"I can't believe he pulled it off," Ocellus finished with a gasp, "Amazing..."
Viper watched as Kingsect was returned, happy at his victory and finally mastering Flamethrower. "Viper!" He turned to his trainer, who then picked him up. "You were awesome!"
"Scor! Hisscor!"
"That Flamethrower was perfect! You got it down pat now, don't you?!" Flash told him as he started hugging the serpent. "You're too awesome!" Viper simply nodded, thinking the same thing.
Pharynx moved over to Thorax, who was smiling down at his Pokeball. "That kid's something else."
"You know it. He's finally battling to the best of his abilities and is connected with his Pokémon. I have no doubt in my mind that he's just gonna keep getting better and better." The brothers nodded as they watched Flash continue to congratulate Viper.
A little later...
Everyone was now outside the gym, Thorax and Flash standing opposite of one another as all the young trainer's Pokémon stood by his feet. "Well Flash, you've managed to defeat me and you've shown just how much you've grown," he reached into his coat and pulled something out. "It's my honor to present this to you, the proof of your victory here at the Fillydelphia City Gym." He held out a badge that looked like a cartoon bee hive. "The Swarm Badge."
Flash smiled as he took the badge, then held it up for all to see. "Alright, I just won...THE SWARM BADGE!"
"RIOLU/CHICKLING/AQUANA/THAWN/HISSCOR!"
Everyone clapped at this, "Congratulations Flash."
"You earned it," Doc told him.
"That's two down," Spike added. "This is just getting better and better!"
Flash smiled as he pulled out his badge case and placed the badge in alongside his Gear Badge. He couldn't express how good it felt seeing them together before turning to the others, "Alright guys, where to next?"
Thorax nodded at this, "If you've already got the Gear Badge, then I'd say the closet gym to us would be in Baltimare City."
"Then Baltimare City it is. Let's go get that third badge guys!"
His Pokémon all cheered at this while Twilight took out her journal and opened the mapping section. Typing in the names of the two cities, she adjusted her glasses as she said, "Alright, it seems the fastest route will have us crossing through the Ghastly Gorge."
"You'll wanna be careful there," Ocellus told them. "The Ghastly Gorge is not for the faint of heart."
"We'll be fine. With this team, nothing's gonna stop us." Flash then turned to the others, "Right gang?"
"RIGHT!" They and their Pokémon all exclaimed before high-fiving.
After two matches and a lot of training, Flash has finally earned his second Equestria Region Gym Badge. One can only wonder what adventures await them next. Until then, stay tuned to find out.