//------------------------------// // Battling Like Clockwork // Story: Pokémon: Harmony and Chaos // by Banshee531 //------------------------------// Continuing their journey to Baltimare City and Flash's third Equestria Region Gym challenge, our heroes now find themselves on the last leg of their trek through the Ghastly Gorge. Twilight's ankle had fully healed and progress was good, meaning they'd be out of the canyon by early next morning. This gave certain individuals something to rejoice about, specifically Twilight as she moaned, "Oh...I can't wait to get out of here and find a Pokémon Center. I seriously need a bath." "We all could use a bit of cleaning up," Doc motioned to their dusty clothes and dirtied skin. "We could always use Riptide," Flash suggested. "We might not be able to drink the water, but we could use it to wash up." "Didn't Twilight say Riptide's Water Gun is made up of it's spit?" Spike asked with a shiver. "I'm not bathing with that." The others all nodded in agreement, making Flash pout. "Fair enough. Let's just get going then." The others continued marching through the rocky terrain, making sure not to step/trip over any loose rocks. After about an hour, they stopped when they heard a strange rumbling sound. "What's that?" Pinkie threw her head in several different directions, worried the canyon wall might be able to collapse on them. The rest kept a cool head and followed the sound to its source...which was Spike's stomach. The young teen clutched his belly and laughed in embarrassment. "Sorry. Guess I'm a little hungry." The others all sighed and laughed while Twilight looked at the supplies. It was still about an hour before the approximate time for dinner, and there wasn't any snacks. That is, till Springer let out a, "Ri!" his paw pointing at the canyon tops. Everyone looked up, now seeing a bunch of small tress growing out of them, all bearing fruit. "Perfect!" Twilight pulled out her Pokeball and tossed it into the air, releasing her Psychick. "Okay Owlicious, go get us some of that fruit." "Psy!" Owlicious flapped its wings, beginning its climb. Doc blinked at this, his eyes now seeing that the canyon walls were covered in large holes, "Hmm...strange. These don't appear to be natural. But if that's the case, what could possibly-" "PSY!" screeched Owlicious as a powerful gust blasted out of the holes, pushing him out of the gorge. Seeing this, Twilight pointed her Pokeball at the owl, "Return!" The red beam shot through the air, hitting the Pokémon before sucking him back into the protective confines of the sphere. The rest of them then felt the wind push them all back. If they didn't doing something, they were gonna get swept away. "Tockwork!" Doc pulled out his Pokeball and opened it, "Help us out!" The mechanized Pokémon appeared before them, spreading its arms wide. "Tock!" They each fell into his grasp, Tockwork proving to heavy for the wind to blow away. "Over there!" Doc pointed to a large rock that they could all hide behind, Tockwork helping them over to it. "That was intense," Flash commented as he slumped his back on the boulder. "Thanks Tockwork," Doc patted his partner on the shoulder. "I can't believe I forgot about the winds," Twilight smacked the side of her head. "Stupid!" "Chill Twi-twi," Pinkie assured her with a pat on her shoulder, "You can't be expected to remember everything." "Yes I can!" Twilight barked back before looking down at her Pokeball, "And now Owlicious is hurt..." The others all sighed at this, only to start shivering as a freezing wind started to blast the boulder. Spike turned to the others with a whimper, "How long do you think this'll last?" Doc bit his lip, "Hard to say. This section of the gorge is likely acting as a wind tunnel, increasing the speed and duration of any breeze that enters it. It could be a while before this burst ends." It was here that the group heard a bunch of loud clinking noises, which appeared to be coming from the walls above them. Looking up, they watched as the holes Doc had been focused on suddenly become occupied by multiples of the same Pokémon. These Pokémon were all bird-like in design. Their bodies were round, with a black face on the front and a pair of large blue eyes. Behind its eyes were long triple bladed ears, each being made from a form of silver metal. Wrapped around its body was what appeared to be a cloak made of the same metal, which seemed to be connected to its arms. As it spread these, it looked like a glider suit. "What are those things?" Spike asked as Flash pulled out his Pokedex. Name: Carbeak Category: Metallic Wing Pokémon Type: Steel/Flying Info: Its small wings and heavy body prevent it from flying, meaning its only method of flight is to glide on powerful wind currents. "What are Flying-Types doing here?!" Spike yelped. "I thought they couldn't live here because of the strong winds!" Doc smirked as he pointed to one of the Carbeak, "just watch." The Carbeak opened its wings and strode off the edge of its hole-like nest, only to glide on the air current. More and more of the Carbeak did this, flying around the canyon with some being lifted up to the fruit trees. There, they landed before beginning to snack on the fruit. "Remember what the Pokedex said about how they 'fly'? This place is the perfect spot for them." Twilight nodded at this. "Yeah...the winds here are strong enough to lift them, but their weight makes it so they don't get blown away." "Exactly," Doc replied as they continued to watch the Carbeak all enjoy themselves, some flying around to stretch their wings while others seemed to be racing one another. Eventually though, the wind began to die down and the Carbeak all returned to their nests. All except one that is, which its weight started to embrace gravity. "Car!" The metal bird cried as it fell to the ground with a thud. "Ouch!" The group whispered as they flinched at the sight. Seeing this, Doc hopped out from behind the rock with Tockwork following. He then crouched down to the grounded Flying-Type, who saw him coming and looked like it was beginning to panic. "It's okay little guy, I'm here to help." But as he was about to reach out and touch the bird, a new sound caught his ear. It was a swooshing sound that was growing louder and louder by the second, causing the hairs on the back of his neck to raise on end. It was here that Doc's survival instinct kicked in, causing him to leap back and trip onto his back. At that exact same time, the source of the swoosh shot above him, missing him by millimeters, though the end of his tie did get considerably shorter. "DOC!" The others leapt out from behind the rock, all of them quickly helping Doc pick himself up before turning to his attacker. Hovering above their heads was a new Pokémon. It had a head shaped like the Carbeak, minus the metal cloak, which was now connected to a humanoid body made of silver and gray armor. It's arm like wings gave the creature a harpy-like appearance while its tail feathers wrapped around its hips to look like an open skirt. Its black legs ended in a trio of metallic talons, all that looked like they could cut through rock. It stood at around five feet in height. The metal bird glared down at them, "Ledge..." "A Steeledge," Doc whispered as Flash held up his Pokedex. Name: Steeledge Category: Metallic Wing Pokémon Type: Steel/Flying Info: The evolved form of Carbeak. The metal on its body is a carbon fiber like composite, which is lighter and stronger than any other known metal. It can slice through trees ten feet thick with a single swipe of its wings. The Steeledge landed next to the Carbeak and picked it up, slinging it into the air before flapping its wings, creating a burst of wind strong enough to carry it back to its nest. Once its prevolution was out of the cross hairs, it turned back and brandished its razor sharp wings. "It doesn't look happy," Spike quivered in fright while Springer, Tockwork and Peewee got into a battle stance. "It probably thinks we were gonna hurt that Carbeak," Twilight guessed. Doc walked in front of them, trying to look as non-aggressive as possible. "Listen Steeledge, we weren't trying to hurt your friend. We're just passing through." "Steel..." Steeledge growled before suddenly charging, trying to slash Doc with its wing. At that moment, Tockwork shifted in front of its trainer, block the wing with its arm. The two Steel-Types then pushed at one another, both staring at each other with laser like focus. "Doc!" Flash yelled as he got up, only for Doc to flash his palm at the teen. "Don't. We got this." Flash saw the determination on the Steel-Type expert's face, causing him to backpedal and nod. "Good luck," Twilight told him. "We're counting on you two!" Doc turned back to the battle, now seeing Tockwork and Steeledge end their deadlock and both jump back into offensive stances. Doc then pointed at the bird, "Let's do this Tockwork! Gear Grind!" Tockwork fired a pair of gears out of its arms, only for the armored bird to raise its winged arms up in defense. "Steel!" Its wings glowed as the gears made contact, grinding off them before Steeledge charged at the machine. "Ledge!" Steeledge went up to Tockwork and began spin on its heel, performing a kind of spiraling dance as it slashed its opponent with its bladed wings. "Whoa!" The others gasped in amazement, "What a Steel Wing!" "Come on Tockwork!" Doc called out just as Steeledge finished its attack and leapt back. "Psywave!" "Tock!" Tockwork raised its cannon arm at Steeledge, only for his opponent to spread its wings and take to the sky. "Tockwork," Tockwork moaned as it started firing several beams, now unable to lock-on to the Pokémon. "Ledge!" Steeledge screeched as it dodged the beams, its wings flaring as it kept spinning in the air. But as it did this, a beam clipped his wing, making him slightly stumble. "Yes! Keep going Tockwork!" "Tock!" the Pokémon yelled as it fired another beam, this one missing the bird as it regained its control of its wings. Seeing this, it began to beat its wings, creating several blades of wind that struck Tockwork. "Tock!" Tockwork cried as it was battered by the Air Cutter. Doc grimaced at the sight, commenting to himself, "Oh no. I have to think of something...that bird is way too fast for Tockwork!" His brain started to go over the entire environment, his focus on his opponent now racing through his brain. "Usually, a fast Pokémon like Steeledge has little in the way of endurance, but the metal covering its body kept the full brunt of their attacks from causing any damage. If that's the case..." "Steeledge!" The armored bird stopped its attack and charged at Tockwork, its beak glowing at the same time. "Bullet Punch!" The clockwork Pokémon slammed its fist forwards, hitting Steeledge in the stomach. But as it hit the bird, it slapped Tockwork's arm away with ease. There, it thrusted its glowing beak forward, pecking at it again and again. Steeledge eventually ended the Fury Attack and slapped Tockwork again, Doc getting behind the staggering Pokémon and grabbing him before he could trip over. "Tockwork! You okay?" "Tock!" Tockwork nodded as he walked back up, the Steeledge now flying again. "Psywave!" Tockwork unleashed a wave of psychic blasts, only for Steeledge to once again evade them as it geared up for its next attack. "It's too fast!" Spike commented. "What's Doc gonna do?" Pinkie asked next. "I'm not sure," Twilight replied with a frown. "If Tockwork knew a Fire or Electric-Type move, he could cause some damage. But without them, plus Tockwork's lower speed and Steeledge's armor like body, I'm not sure how they're gonna pull it off." "Come on Doc," Flash punched his fists together. "You got this! No Pokémon's invincible!" Doc gritted his teeth at this. "Even so, if it has a weakness, we might not be able to exploit it." He glanced up and saw Steeledge dip close to the ground as its wings began to glow, the blades on one of them slicing into the ground as it turned sideways. "Gear Grind!" Tockwork launched the gears, all striking Steeledge. But despite this, it didn't stop completely, flying into Tockwork as it sliced him in the shoulder. "Tock!" He cried out as he clutched the damaged piece, looking to see a large scratch where the wing had struck. "Tockwork!" Doc screamed as he placed his hands on the sides of his head. "Stay strong friend. Just give me a chance to think. Until then, use Psywave!" Tockwork raised its damaged arm and fired off a psychic blast. Steeledge smirked and flapped its wings to evade, only for a sudden gust of wind to flow through the canyon, hitting the bird. "Steel!" Steeledge cried, only for a Psywave to hit him. "Ledge!" The combined forces then knocked the bird off balance, causing it to fall with a thud. "Steeledge!" "Yes!" Flash and Spike cheered as they watched Steeledge fall. "Talk about luck," Pinkie giggled while Twilight nodded. "Agreed. That wind came at just the right moment." As Steeledge hit the ground, Doc pointed at the bird. "Now's our chance! Gear Grind!" Tockwork fired the gears at Steeledge, but the armored bird just picked itself up with ease. Though it had been distracted by the battle to notice before, it knew exactly when the next wind gust was coming. "Steel...ledge!" it roared as it beat its wings, firing an Air Cutter at the gears, causing them to explode. The others watched tensely for the smoke to clear, but Steeledge wasn't going to wait. It flew into the fog, its beak glowing as it went through the smoke while spinning its body. "That's Drill Peck!" Twilight called out as the bird hopped out of the dust cloud, only for a new gust of wind to blow through the canyon. The wind then wrapped around the bird, creating an additional air drill. "Get out of there Tockwork!" But it was too late. Tockwork wasn't fast enough to dodge, so all he could do was raise his arms in a token effort to block the attack. It struck him dead center, a cry following as it screamed, "TOCKWORK!" The sounds of the drilling wind pierced the air, scratching him all over. And when Steeledge ended its attack, it flapped away from its opponent with a large smirk on its face. Everyone stared at Tockwork as he now stood completely still, Doc trembling as he ran over to his partner, "Tockwork?" Tockwork arms lowered, causing them to fall limply to his side and swing like a weak pendulum. "Tock...work," was all he said before falling back, crashing into the ground. "Tockwork!" Doc yelled as he looked him over. "No..." Tockwork's entire body was covered in scratches and dents, the worst off they had ever seen it for the Pokémon. "This is bad," Twilight commented as she scanned the Pokémon over, "This kind of damage..." A sudden squawk graced the walls, making them look up to see Steeledge sitting on one of the fruit trees, laughing at the damage done to its opponent. Flash and Springer both growled as they prepared to avenge their friend's loss, but Doc held up his hand. "No Flash, we've got more important things to worry about." Doc grabbed Tockwork by the shoulders and tried to hoist him up, the others soon helping as they lifted Tockwork off the ground, carrying it away from the Steeledge and Carbeak home. Once they had gotten a safe distance, they laid Tockwork against the canyon wall to allow Doc to take a closer look. Putting on his glasses and pulling out his torch, he opened the face of the clockwork Pokémon and checked inside. A low sigh followed as he saw all the damage that would need to be fixed, Spike then asking, "Is Tockwork gonna be okay?" Doc didn't reply for a moment, only to sigh as he removed his glasses. "He'll be fine. The damage isn't as severe as it looks, so I should be able to fix it by tomorrow morning." He reached into his bag and pulled out his tools before beginning to work on the damaged Pokémon. Pinkie smiled as she watched him work, the others now beginning preparations to stay the night. "He must really know what he's doing." "That's why he's the Doc," Flash said as he and Spike starting putting up the tent. Twilight nodded in agreement, "The man that can make any machine feel better." Pinkie giggled at this, "Wow. Tockwork's lucky to have you as his trainer Doc." Doc smirked as he continued his work. "I'm the one who's lucky. Meeting Tockwork is what changed my whole life, even back before I was known as Doc." Years ago... "Before Trottingham was the revolutionary city it is today, it was just a simple town that made basic everyday objects. But even then, I was bewitched by the beauty of technology. I wanted to learn everything about machines, and one of the best men to learn from was the man who once held the name Doc. As such, everyday after school, I went to Trottingham City's junkyard. I wanted to find anything I could use to learn about machines." Ten year old Time Turner ran into the junk yard, soon making his way over to a large stone building. He pushed the doors open to show the man within, who was a short haired middle aged man wearing a black leather jacket over a purple shirt with black pants and boots. He was holding a blue torch as he inspected the old TV. The man who was known as Doc looked up and smiled. "Hey Time Turner, back again?" "You bet," Time Turner moved over to him and hopped onto a stool. "So what's wrong with this?" "The owner said the picture keeps going blurry. Probably just needs a new conductor." He held up a faulty part, "Think you can find another one of these?" He saw Turner nod excitedly, "Fantastic." With that, Time Turner took the part and ran outside with a huge smile on his face, all ready to search for old TVs in the junkyard for the part. After about half an hour, he spotted one at the bottom of a scrap pile. And in his eagerness to find the part, he pulled it free without looking at what was above the object, causing the pile to fall. "Whoa!" Turner yelped as he leapt out of the way, just in time to not be crushed. Once the dust cleared, the pre-teen picked himself while coughing. "Whoops. That was-huh?" He blinked at a new sight, something that was now showing itself inside the pile of junk. It was the Pokémon he would come to call partner, Tockwork, laying lifeless amongst the rubble. "He was the most amazing thing I had ever seen. Even though he was old and rusted, I knew he was probably the most advanced piece of technology in the whole city." As Turner stepped up to Tockwork to take a closer look, Doc arrived and saw the overturned pile. "Turner, you alright?" "I'm fine," Turner pointed to Tockwork. "What's that?" Doc looked at the broken down Pokémon, sighing at the sight, "Oh that? That's Tockwork. Its a mechanical Pokémon that broke down decades ago. I spent years trying to fix him, but nothing I did worked. Eventually, I just stopped trying." "Wow..." Turner placed his hands on the machine, "I bet he was amazing." "Oh he was, but not anymore. Now he's just a pile of rust waiting to happen. The best I can do is keep him in a comfortable place to live." Turner continued to stare at Tockwork, his eyes shining as a decision came into his mind. Turning to Doc, he declared, "I'm gonna fix him!" Doc raised an eyebrow at this, but the look of determination in the child's eyes told him he was serious. "Alright. Go for it," he held out his torch. "but I think you'll need this." Turner smiled as he took the gadget before turning back to Tockwork. "Don't worry, you'll be back on your feet in no time." "And so, I spent every spare moment of my time working on Tockwork. After school, weekends, even on holidays, I tinkered away. As I worked, I would always talk to him about anything I could think of. I didn't know if he could hear me, but doing so just felt right. And as I talked, I started coming up with ideas on inventions I would later use to bring Trottingham into the future. But before I could start work on any of them, I had to fix Tockwork. Days turned to weeks. Weeks turned to months, and Months turned to years. But despite all this, Tockwork remained unresponsive. Eventually, I was forced to accept the inevitable." A thirteen year old Turner and Doc gently placed Tockwork against a pile of junk, Turner sighing. Doc placed his hand on his shoulder, "You shouldn't be ashamed. You did an amazing job, but sometimes...well, there are things that just can't be fixed." Turner nodded as Doc walked off, leaving him to stare at his failed project. Turner patted Tockwork on the side, "I'm sorry. I couldn't keep my promise." He stood up with teary eyes, "Maybe one day someone will come along and be able to give you life. Until that day, rest in peace...my friend." "I felt horrible. I had let myself down, and what's worse, I let down Tockwork. But then it happened." As Turner walked past a pile of junk, a load-bearing piece finally gave into the rust, collapsing a second later. This caused the whole pile to fall, all ready to fall on Turner. The teen turned and tripped, falling back as he watched the mountain of metal approach, flinching as he waited to be crushed to death. But it never came. Cracking his eyes open, Turner saw the unthinkable above him. It was Tockwork, and it was online and holding back the junk that had been threatening Turner. With one great heave, the clock Pokémon pushed the junk away before turning to Turner. And though it didn't have a mouth, Turner could tell it was smiling, just like the teen. "That was the day my teacher passed on the name Doc, for I had achieved something even he couldn't pull off. Once word spread, I was given the chance to begin work on my many inventions. There were problems, but with Tockwork there to remind me of what I could do, I would eventually find a way to perfect it. Tockwork had showed me what I needed to go beyond what I was, to be able to accept the inevitable and still prevail. Tockwork wasn't just my friend, partner or Pokémon. He was what made me into the man I am today." Night soon fell as Doc continued work on Tockwork. The rest of his friends had all gone to bed, though it had taken some convincing from him to make them do so, leaving him to work alone. With one final reset of parts, Doc sighed in relief before closing Tockwork's face. Seconds later, the Pokémon's eyes opened and it began to move. "Tock?" "Hey," Doc patted him on the shoulder, "Glad to see you're alright." He studied the scratches covering him and frowned before reaching into his bag, pulling out a small tub. Inside was a green jelly that he dipped a cloth into before wiping Tockwork with it. "Seems we got our butts handed to us pretty hard, huh?" "Tock..." Tockwork looked down in shame. "But you know, it's nothing to be ashamed of." Tockwork stared up at him in confusion. "A loss is only really a loss when you don't learn something. We've seen what our weaknesses are today, so we need to work to improve them. You with me?" "Tock," Tockwork nodded. Doc smiled as he pulled the cloth away, seeing the scratches now gone. "And we'll get to working on them as soon as we can, but we've got more pressing matters to worry about. That Steeledge probably won't let us pass its territory until we beat it." Tockwork frowned before picking itself up, surprising Doc. "Tock. Tock...work...tock." "What are you saying old friend?" "I think Tockwork saying he wants another chance at beating that Steeledge," Doc turned to see Flash and the others a few feet away. Doc looked back at Tockwork. "You sure?" Tockwork nodded, showing its determination despite how impossible it seemed. It was here that Doc got the feeling this was what his mentor saw all those years ago. "Alright. If that's the case, tomorrow we'll show that Steeledge what happens when you pick a fight with us." The others all nodded as Doc started wiping the jelly into another scratched area. "We've been through a lot since coming together. We've pushed the limits of our minds and it's taken us far." It was here that a click went off in Doc's head. "But we've never pushed our other limits." "Wotcha mean?" Spike asked next. "We've always kept ourselves at a distance from our opponent, using Psybeam and Gear Grind. We also kept them from getting close with Flash and Bullet Punch. But against a fast and defensive Pokémon like that Steeledge, that strategy doesn't work." He looked back up at Tockwork, "That's been our one short-sight. If we want to beat that Steeledge, we need to come up with a way to fight it on even footing." "But how?" Pinkie asked. "That's the question of the hour," Twilight added as she walked up to Doc, ready to talk strategy. And as they conversed, Flash and the others also helping, they knew tomorrow was gonna be one that would decide if they would be able to get out of the gorge before their food ran out. The next morning... As soon as the sun had raised above the canyon wall, the group and the fully restored Tockwork headed back to Steeledge's territory. And as it came into sight, their opponent hopped out its nest hole. "Steeledge!" It roared as it landed, brandishing its bladed wings. Doc and Tockwork got in front of the group. "Steeledge, we don't have to do this. Let us pass and you'll never see us again." "Steel!" Steeledge barked back, taking a threatening stomp closer to try and move them away from the rest of its flock. "Fine. Then we'll just have to force our way through. Are you ready Tockwork?" The mechanical Pokémon nodded, taking a battle stance. The two glared at one another, ready for a rematch as a gentle wind blew. "You think they can win this?" Spike asked. "I'm not sure," Twilight replied. Flash smirked and nodded, "I am." "Me too!" Pinkie, who was now dressed like a cheerleader, hopped up and down as she began to chant. "Go Doc! Go Tockwork! You got this! You know it!" Doc smiled as he stared daggers at Steeledge. And as the wind finally faded, Steeledge made the first move and bum-rushed Tockwork with its wings, glowing as it readied to slice and dice. "Psywave!" Tockwork pointed his gun arm at Steeledge and fired, his opponent leaping into the air to dodge. "Steel!" Steeledge flew up and skimmed the wall, the Psywave attacks hitting spots right behind it. Once Tockwork finished firing, Steeledge pulled itself to a stop before gripping onto the rock. "Ledge!" Pushing off the wall, Steeledge catapulted itself at Tockwork before spinning into a Drill Peck. "Not this time!" Doc pointed at the spiraling projectile. "Flash!" Tockwork's face illuminated, firing a beam of light right into Steeledge. "LEDGE!" It cried out as it closed its eyes, causing it to spin out of control and miss Tockwork. "Yes!" Spike cheered as they watched Steeledge drill into the ground. "That's using your brain," Twilight said with a clap. Pinkie continued to cheer. "Doc and Tockwork, fight, fight, fight! Beat the Steeledge and do it right!" As the still blurry eyed Steeledge picked itself up, Tockwork readied its next attack. "Gear Grind!" The gears launched out of his arms, slamming into the birds before grinding on his body. "Steel!" It flinched until it managed to raise its wings, blocking the gears as it pushed them away. Once that was done, his wings began to glow before closing the distance between him and Tockwork. There, the armored bird began spinning on its heel, performing the slashing dance he had used on Tockwork last time. "Flash, again!" Tockwork's face lit up once more, only this time Steeledge shut its eyes. This still lead to the same outcome, Tockwork side-stepping the dance and causing his opponent to slash at the air. "Bullet Punch!" Cutting the lights, Tockwork reared its clawed arm back before thrusting it, slamming into Steeledge's stomach the moment it opened its eyes. "Ledge!" Steeledge staggered back, just barely managing to keep its footing before beating his wings to launch an Air Cutter. Tockwork raised its arms in defense, the wind blades bouncing off the metal despite the new scratches. As soon as the Air Cutter ended, Tockwork lowered its arms just in time to see Steeledge run up to it with a glowing beak. "Psybeam!" Tockwork fired three shots, only for the Steeledge to evade them all, soon pecking at him. "Tock! Tock! Tock!" it cried, slowly staggering back. "This is bad," Spike commented. Twilight gulped at the sight. "Tockwork had the advantage for a moment, but Steeledge's speed is putting it back into its favor." Flash sighed at this. "Tockwork's just too low. Even with using Flash, Steeledge is fast enough to get a lot of hits in before using it." Doc growled, knowing Flash was right. "Come on Tockwork, I know you can do it." As Steeledge stopped his attack and leapt away, Tockwork struggling to keep his balance as he looked over all the damage done by the Fury Attack. "Tock!" He turned back to his opponent and saw its wings glowing again. "Flash!" The clock face illuminated, but Steeledge was ready. It held up its wings, blocking the light while looking down at Tockwork's feet. "Steel!" it yelled as he ran ahead, slashing as it kept its eyes to the ground. "Tock, tock, tock, tock!" The Clockwork Pokémon cried as it felt itself being slashed over and over again, unable to move. The light then died down, allowing Steeledge to look up and deliver more concentrated attacks. "Tockwork!" "Oh no!" Twilight covered her mouth while the others watched in agony. Doc saw a repeat of yesterday, Tockwork being overwhelmed. "What do I do?" Tockwork was also thinking that, trying to find a way to escape this onslaught before it was too late. If only he was faster, even just a little. Unaware of it happening, the gears on its arms began slowly rotating. As this happened, Tockwork noticed Steeledge's movements getting slightly slower. It was barely a fraction of a second, but it was enough to see where the next slash was coming and how to block it. "Tock!" Tockwork reached out with its clawed hand, actually managing to grab the slashing wing, surprising both Steeledge and its friends. "Steel?" Steeledge's eyes went wide in shock before it stared up at Tockwork, only to see the fiery determination he had had at the start of the battle. Then next thing Steeledge knew, it was being thrown to the ground. "Steel!" Everyone stood in surprise, Spike yelping, "What just happened?!" "I'm not sure," Twilight replied. Steeledge flexed its wings and leapt into the sky. "Psywave!" Steeledge smirked and prepared to dodge like before, only for Tockwork's preparation to be a fraction of a second quicker and fired the blast. "Ledge?" Steeledge saw it coming and cried out in surprise as the blast hit its chest. "Steeledge!" It fell from the blow, barely managing to open his wings to stop himself from crashing. "Okay...I'm lost. What the heck is going on?" Pinkie asked next. Flash rubbed his chin at the sight, "Not sure. Somehow, Tockwork's gotten faster." Doc was also staring at this, only to then look at his Pokémon with intrigue. It was here that he noticed the gears on Tockwork's arms slowly spinning, the sight helping him put the pieces together. "It can't be...." A squawk from Steeledge made him look up to see it using Drill Peck, aimed square at Tockwork. "Use Overclock!" This statement confused everyone who heard it, including Tockwork. But strangely, just hearing that word made something within Tockwork click as the gears picked up speed. As Steeledge got closer, Tockwork saw it become slower again, slow enough for him to dodge the attack. Steeledge then stopped its spinning inches away from Tockwork, only for the mechanical Pokémon to thrust its fist into its chest, knocking the armored bird flying back. "Wow!" Spike cheered, "That was awesome!" Flash nodded in agreement, "Tockwork's not just faster, but he's stronger too. How?" Twilight snapped her fingers at this. "Its Overclock." "What's Overclock?" Pinkie asked. "A damage dealing Steel-Type move that increases the attack and speed of the user, allowing them to push its limits." Twilight then frowned, "But its not without its risks." Steeledge picked itself up, panting heavily after that last hit, then charged at Tockwork while preparing a Fury Attack. Doc saw this and called out, "Overclock!" The gears spun even faster, speeding Tockwork up enough to evade the attack before slamming its knee into Steeledge's stomach. The armored bird cried out as it staggered back, "Bullet Punch!" Tockwork punched it in the chest, flinging it back again. Spike turned to Twilight, "So what are the risks of Overclock?" "The same risks you take with any machine you do it too. Overheating. If Tockwork uses Overclock while its speed and attack limits, it'll overheat and get burnt." Doc knew Twilight was right. Even with the damage Steeledge had taken, Doc knew he needed to win now. But as he stared at the bird, a new idea popped into his head. "That's it!" Doc pulled out an empty Pokeball. "Tockwork, Flash!" "Tockwork!" The clock face illuminated, shooting the bright light right into Steeledge's face. "STEELEDGE!" The armored bird screamed as it's eyes burnt, forcing it to raise its wings to shield him. "Steeledge, you're mine!" he expanded the Pokeball, "Pokeball...GO!" He tossed the ball at Steeledge, who was too dazed to notice until the last moment. The sphere bounced off its head before opening, releasing a red light that consumed the bird. The ball then fell to the ground, soon wobbling once, twice, three times. And then- DING! Doc breathed a sigh of relief as the others all smiled, Spike cheering, "Alright!" Flash showed a thumb's up. "Nice one man." "That battle was amazing," Twilight added. Pinkie nodded in agreement. "Super cool!" "Thank you," Doc walked over to the Pokeball and picked it up before holding it out. "Steeledge, come on out." The ball unleashed a pile of red energy, which took form to reveal Doc's newest Pokémon. "Ledge?" Steeledge glanced around as Doc knelt down beside him and held out a tub of cream. "Here, this'll help get the scratches off your wings." Steeledge stared at him questionably as Doc dipped his finger into it before beginning to rub it into its wing. "Steel..." The armored bird saw the scratch disappear before looking up at Doc. "Steeledge?" He smiled before standing up. "I hope you'll enjoy travelling with us from now on." Steeledge looked at him quizzically for a moment, only to smile and nod. "Ledge." Everyone smiled, happy that they had a new friend and teammate along with Tockwork learning Overclock. Once Steeledge said goodbye to his friends, he began to direct the group towards the exit of the gorge. And as the sun began to set, Flash and the rest of our heroes found themselves stepping out from the cave wall. They sighed as they now saw a new sight of a forest in front of them. "I can't believe we made it," Twilight sighed in relief. Flash and Springer took off their helmets. "It was a long road, that's for sure." "Ri!" Doc nodded in agreement, "But our journey's not over yet. We're still running low on supplies." Pinkie held an arm up, "Oh! I know, I know! There's a town not too far from here. It's real close to Baltimare." Everyone smiled at this, "Then that's where we'll head." Flash said as he turned to Twilight, who nodded and pulled out her journal. With it's signal back, she pointed to the direction of the village. "We could be there by sundown." "Nice!" Flash began to run into the forest, "Last one there's a slowpoke!" As they all ran after him, the group took one final look back at the Ghastly Gorge. Stone had been right, it had been a challenge. But together, they had managed to overcome all the obstacles and were now only a stone's throw away from Baltimare City. What adventures will our heroes face now that they were out? You'll have to stay tuned to find out.