//------------------------------//
// Birds of a Feather 
// Story: Pokémon: Harmony and Chaos 
// by Banshee531 
//------------------------------//

With his victory at the Baltimare City Gym and third Equestria League badge in hand, Flash Sentry and his friends now found themselves on the road. This time, their destination was a small town where a Flying Pokemon tournament was taking place. As such, a week of travelling had now passed as the four teens arrived at their destination. "There it is," Flash announced as they saw a flat topped mountain with a small town at the base, where the competition was taking place.

Twilight then pointed to the top of the mountain, "And there's the battleground."

"The top of the mountain?" Spike asked in a worried tone.

Doc nodded. "Of course. Its high up, which is the best place for Flying-Types to battle."

Spike let out a long sigh, "So...we have to climb that?!"

Twilight giggled at her brother's moaning. "Don't worry. It says there's a cable car that can take us there."

"Sweet!" Spike cheered while Peewee flapped his wings excitedly.

Flash smiled as he stared at the mountain, his eyes spotting several moving shadows flying in the distance. He guessed they were other trainers Flying-Types preparing for battle, making him pull out a Pokeball, "This is gonna be fun." The ball opened up and released the red energy to reveal his Chickling. "Ready to rock Skyler?"

"CHICKLING!" Skyler cheered, Flash high fiving his wing.

The others all chuckled at the sight, Twilight then asking, "You think you and Skyler might have any trouble?"

"That all depends on the opponent," Doc added as he pulled out his own Pokeball. "But he'll have serious trouble if he ends up going up against me and Steeledge."

Flash smirked as he turned to Doc, Skyler landing on his shoulder. "We'll see about that."

Doc leaned closer to Flash, "Oh, we will."

Lightning surged between their eyes, making Twilight roll her eyes. "Good grief..."

Spike then nudged her side, "Hey, are you and Owlicious gonna compete?" He frowned when she shook her head, "why not?"

"I doubt Owlicious and I would get very far. It's better to let someone else have the chance to win, so I'll sit this one out."

"If you're sure..." Flash told her as they then saw they were about to get to the town, "So, do you guys wanna head to the Pokémon Center, or go straight to the arena?"

Twilight looked down at her journal and smiled. "Well luckily for us, this town has two Centers. One in town and one in the arena, for when big tournaments like this take place."

"That'll save time. Straight to the arena then."

The others nodded as they were only steps away from the town's entrance, only for Springer to come to a stop. His ears perked up as he felt something draw closer, making him look up, "Ri?"

Flash turned to the Riolu, "What is it bud?" The others looked down at him and watched as he stared at the sky. They followed his eyes, only to see a giant shadow flying down at them. "Look out!" Flash yelled as they tried to react, but they were too late. The figure swooped down, grabbing Flash's waist before hoisting him into the air. "WHOA!"

"FLASH!" Twilight screamed as they picked themselves up, Springer forming an Aura Sphere. He aimed at the opponent, only to stop seconds before firing. "Springer?! What are you waiting for?!"

Springer didn't reply, instead just blinking at the what had taken Flash. It was a Pokémon they all recognized, a Pidgeot, but it was almost twice the size of a normal one. It was currently clutching Flash in its talons as it flew up to the mountain. "Riolu!" Springer cheered with a big grin, soon running after the bird.

"Springer?!" Doc yelled as they followed after him.

"Where's he going?" Spike asked next.





Up in the skies, Flash was struggling to free himself from the Pidgeot.

"Let...me...go!"

"Geo!" The giant bird cried as it continued to fly higher.

"I said-" Flash's outcry came to a halt when he actually looked up at the Pidgeot, their eyes meeting. "I said...oh no. No way...."

"Chickling!" Flash looked down and saw Skyler flying up to them, trying everything he could to keep up.

"Skyler," he held out his arm and the Chickling landed on it. Skyler glared up at the Pidgeot, ready to do battle. "Don't Skyler, it's okay. I think I know this guy." Skyler raised an eyebrow at this, only to be sidelined as the trio flew close enough to the mountain's top for them to get a good look at it.

The very top was entirely rounded and flat, with a railing around the edge that started and ended at a large building that had the cable cars coming in and out of it. In the center of the summit was a large baseball stadium like building, which was styled around a roman coliseum. As Pidgeot began to descend to the mountain top, Flash and Skyler noticed a bunch of Pokémon flying around them. Scyther, Crobat, Ninjask, Drifloon, Sigilyph, Fletchinder and even more flew through the sky, only for Flash to see Skyler look at them with worry on his face.

Before Flash could ask if he was okay, Pidgeot released its grip on him. The teen cried out as he fell about ten feet, then hit the ground and rolled to an eventual stop. "Oww..." he moaned as he sat up while Skyler landed on his head. He turned back to the Pidgeot, "Would it have killed you to be a little more gentle?!"

"Maybe he thought you deserved it." Flash's eyes went wide, his head slowly turning to the source of the voice. A long gulp followed this as he stared at the figure approaching him. It was a late aged woman with cream colored skin, and flowing blonde hair that had two pink streaks on the edges. She also wore a tracksuit, which was light blue with lightning bolt patterns on it. The woman came to a stop and stared down at Flash, raising an eyebrow. "Well, aren't you gonna say anything?"

Flash did a low, cold laugh, "Heh....hey gran."





A half hour later...

As soon as the cable car reached the very top, the doors opened with a certain Riolu hopping out with flared ears. The group behind him tried everyway to follow him, watching Springer as he ran through a crowd of competitors and spectators.

"Where is he?" Twilight asked as they pushed through the people.

Spike looked down at Springer, "Are we close?"

"Ri," Springer nodded as they got through the crowd, only to then spot a group of picnic tables with one of them showing their missing friend. Flash was sitting with his head down, while a late aged woman continued berating him. The Pidgeot was standing behind the woman, preening itself while Skyler watched it. Springer cheered at the sight, running up to the older woman, "RIOLU!"

The two looked up, both smiling at the sight of the Riolu. The woman crouched down with her arms out, Springer jumping into them as she pulled him into a hug before spinning around. "Springer! It's so good to see you!"

The others all stared at the woman as she stopped and put Springer down, chuckling at their expressions, "Hello there, I'm guessing you're friends with Flash."

Twilight was the first to respond. "Yes. I'm Twilight, and this is my brother."

"Spike," the teen pointed to the Terragon on his shoulder, "and this is Peewee."

"Terra."

"And you can call me Doc."

"Charmed. The name's Cloud Clipper." Something about that name struck a cord with them, but they couldn't remember what. That is, till she turned to Flash and hissed, "So, my grandson decided to start travelling with others. So much for not needing anyone to look after him." Those words made them gasp as they looked between the two.

"She's your grandma?" Spike asked.

Flash nodded, "Yeah. She is."

Doc chuckled at the sight. "So, this is the famous grandmother you keep quoting."

"Oh? Is that so?" She shook her head at this, "Nice to see I wasn't completely forgotten." Flash's face went red as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Excuse me?" Twilight stepped between them, "But uh...is Flash in trouble?"

"A little," Cloud replied as she crossed her arms. "You see, when I agreed he could start his Pokémon journey, it was with the agreement that he call every now and again. But not once since he left have I gotten a single call."

Flash suddenly felt very small as everyone slowly turned to stare at him, "What?! Alright, I goofed. I'm sorry."

"Seriously Flash?!" Twilight shook her head and rubbed the bridge of her nose.

Flash hissed back at her. "Oh, like you and Spike have called your parents once since we started travelling."

"No....but we email." Twilight held up her journal, making Flash sigh.

Cloud laughed at Flash's plight, then pointed at Pidgeot. "When my partner's eagle eyes spotted my wayward grandson, he knew I'd want to talk to him, so he scooped him up to bring him here. Sorry if he surprised you."

"Don't worry about it," Twilight assured her. "And I promise, we'll make sure he calls you from now on."

"Thank you dear. It's nice to see my grandson's made such good friends." She sat down next to Flash, "Now, why don't you lot tell me about your adventures with him. And I want every embarrassing detail." Flash moaned as he banged his head on the table.

And so, they told Flash's grandmother about the adventures they had had since meeting Flash. Over the course of the story, Cloud's face went through a plethora of expressions. From joy to horror to amazement to pride to annoyance and so on. When the story eventually ended, she turned to him. "It seems you've had quite the experience. I hope you're thankful for your friends helping you through them."

"I am," Flash replied with a low moan.

Cloud looked to the others. "He never could learn a lesson the easy way. It always had to be hammered into him." Everyone laughed at this.

"Oh, we know." Twilight added, "Trust me."

"But he can be pretty impressive in his own ways," Doc finished. "He's managed to get his hands on three badges."

"I guess," Cloud muttered as she leaned back on the table.

"So, what are you doing here?" Spike asked next. "Get bored of waiting for Flash to call?"

"Oh, I come to this tournament every year. I'm the reigning champion." This caught everyone's attention, Twilight glaring at Flash.

"You never told us that."

"I never knew," Flash replied before turning to his grandmother. "Is that why you'd stick me with old man Winkle every year?"

"That's right. I had to hold onto my title. I am the greatest Flying-Type trainer in Equestria after all." Something about that statement strung a cord in Twilight's brain, making her think back to when they had first met Rainbow and Fluttershy.

"Oh my Arceus!" Twilight exclaimed as she stared at Cloud, "You're Cloudsdale's original Gym Leader!"

The others all went wide eyed while Cloud giggled. "So you've heard of me, huh? Yes, I was Cloudsdale's first Gym Leader." She pointed at her Pidgeot, "and this guy was my ace partner."

"GEOT!" The giant bird cried with its wings spread.

Flash just stared at him grandmother. "You're an Ex-Gym Leader?"

"You didn't know?" Spike asked.

"She never told me!"

Cloud gave him a stern look. "And what would have happened if I had. You probably would have developed an ego the size of a Wailord. Tell me I'm wrong."

Flash frowned before turning to his friends for support, only for them to all nod, Twilight adding, "She's got a point."

"You probably would," Spike agreed.

"No probably about it," Doc finished.

"Rio," Springer nodded before Flash anime fell over.

Cloud laughed at the sight before continuing, "It was better for you to think you come from a common background and decide what you wanted to do for yourself instead of feeling obligated to follow in my footsteps."

Twilight blinked at these words, tilting her head at the woman, "Wait...you used to by a Gym Leader, but we were told you gave it up and disappeared about twelve years ago."

This caused Cloud to sigh before nodding. "It's true. I handed my Gym over to my apprentice."

"Why?"

"Because of an incident that occurred shortly before." Everyone blinked at this, everyone except Flash as he sighed.

"My parents died." The others turned to him in shock while Cloud nodded.

"Yes. An accident took the life of my son and his wife, but their four year child was spared. As Flash's only living relative, I was made his guardian."

"But what did that have to do with leaving the Gym? You could have stayed on and still looked after Flash."

Cloud shook her head. "I couldn't. Flash had lost too much already. I couldn't just move him away from the only home he'd ever known. So instead, I handed my Gym over and moved into my son's home to raise Flash." She turned to him, patting him on the head. "And I don't regret it."

Flash smiled at his grandmother. "Sorry I forgot to call you gran."

Cloud smiled. "You can make it up to me by meeting me in the finals."

"You got it!" Flash stood up while Skyler landed on his shoulder, only to look over at Pidgeot. The sight of the bigger bird made him gulp, shivering at the thought of fighting it.





The group headed inside the coliseum, where Flash, Doc and Cloud all signed up. As for Twilight, Spike, Springer and Peewee, they went to the seating area while Flash, Doc and Cloud arrived in the competitors waiting room. There was a big screen TV, which then switched on and showed the field. It was your standard battlefield, with two trainer podiums that were elevated about fifteen meters up with the stands five meters higher.

Moments later, the screen was filled with the image of a middle-aged man wearing a leather jacket and pants. His hair was styled in a curved mohawk, while a pair of orange glasses covered his eyes. "What's up my peeps! Present Mic here to give you the full Sky Battle rundown! For those of you new to this little shindig, let me explain the rules! This here's a five round tournament open to any Pokémon who's kicking it airborne style, meaning any Pokémon that can fly or float is welcome! The battle rules are basically the same as your standard throwdown, with one added detail! Any competitor who finds themselves eating dirt will be declared a loser!"

"I see," Doc commented. "So as soon as our Pokémon touch the ground, we're out."

Cloud nodded at this. "It adds a little spice to the contest. Even if your opponent's stronger, if you're able to get them onto the ground, you can still win."

"Cool," Flash added as they watched the screen change to show the thirty-six competitors.

"Let's see who's taking to the dance floor first!" Mic yelled before pictures flipped around and started spinning in a circle, then two pictures shot out to reveal the first two trainers. "Flash Sentry and High Note!"

"Looks like we're up," Flash turned to Skyler. "You ready?" Skyler didn't appear so sure, but nodded anyways. "Nice. Let's do this buddy!" Flash returned Skyler and ran off, following the directions to the stage. He found it was actually an elevator, which lifted up to the podium.

As he got up there, he saw his opponent, High Note, who was a man with light blue skin and white hair.

Present Mic then held up his microphone and began speaking into it. "Alright ladies and gents! Let's get the first round started! Trainers, show us the high flyers you're gonna be battling with today!"

"With pleasure," High Note said as he pulled out a Pokeball. "Scyther, ride the winds!" From out of the ball came the green mantis Pokémon with bladed arms.

"Scyther!" It cried as it slashed its blades through the air.

In their audience seats, Twilight, Spike, Springer and Peewee gasped at the sight, Twilight commenting, "That Scyther looks strong."

Spike turned to her. "But Skyler's gonna have the advantage, right?"

"Maybe. It all depends on how its been trained."

"Ri," Springer nodded as Mic turned to Flash.

"And your opponent?"

"Skyler, I choose you!" Flash threw his Pokeball, Skyler appearing opposite of Scyther.

Mic: "Righteous! Let's get this battle underway. In three!"

Crowd: "Two!"

Mic and Crowd: "ONE!"

Mic: "BATTLE BEGIN!"

High Note was the first to call out an attack, "Slash!"

"Scyther!" The Bug-Type shot ahead with swiping glowing blades at Skyler.

"Dodge it!" Flash ordered, Skyler flapping back to dodged both swings. "Now Gust!"

"Chickling!" Skyler beat his wings, unleashing a powerful air blast that struck Scyther and sent it flying back.

"X-Scissor!" Scyther planted its feet on the stadium wall before kicking off it, crossing its blade as it got closer to Skyler.

"Double Team!" In a flash, Skyler multiplied as Scyther's cross slash struck one and made it disappear.

"Scyther?" It looked around, question marks appearing over its head. "Scy, Scyther?!"

"Where is it?" High Note yelled.

"Quick Attack!" All but one of the Skylers disappeared, that one slamming its body into Scyther.

"Scy!" It flinched as it fell down, Skyler flying back up to safety.

"Gust!" Flash ordered, Skyler beating its wings again to fire another air blast. That wind struck the falling mantis Pokémon, doubling its speed. Before it knew it, its back crashed into the dirt, a buzzer noise blasting over the arena.

Mic: "That's it! Battle over! Flash and his Chickling will be moving on to the next round!"

"Yes!" Flash cheered as Skyler flew up to him, the two high-fiving.





And so, the rest of the day consisted of one battle after another. Doc and Cloud managed to get through the first round as well, Doc and Steeledge winning against a Togetic, knocking it into the ground like Flash. Meanwhile, Cloud and Pidgeot fully beat their Drifloon opponent into unconsciousness.

Several battles took place after this, the three managing to win again and again. Flash even managed to get to the finals after defeating a Gliscor, leaving Doc and Cloud facing off.

"Air Cutter!" Doc ordered as Steeledge beat its wings, unleashing a volley of wind blades.

"Dodge them!" Pidgeot did so, showing incredible speed and agility as it flew around the attack. "Now, Hurricane!"

"Geot!" Pidgeot's wings glowed as it beat them, creating a powerful gust of wind that spiraled around Steeledge like a cyclone. Luckily, Steeledge's metal body easily defended itself from the full force of the slashing wind.

"Steel Wing!" Steeledge's own wings glowed as it cut through the Hurricane, the bird then flying at Pidgeot.

"Ledge!" It cried as it slashed at Pidgeot.

"Substitute!" As soon as Steeledge's wing made contact, Pidgeot disappeared in a puff of smoke. This made Steeledge come to a stop, only to turn to see Pidgeot flying at it with blinding speed. "Aerial Ace!" Streaks of wind coned around the dive-bombing bird, whose gaze was fixed on Steeledge.

"Drill Peck!"

"Steeledge!" The armored bird flew up before beginning to spin, transforming into a drill like creation that drew closer to Pidgeot.

"Geot/Ledge!" The cried as they made contact, causing a shockwave which sent both flying off in different directions. They then landed on the walls of the stadium, managing to plant their feet before they could fall. "Pidge/Steel!"

"Fury Attack!" Steeledge's beak glowed as it charged and pecked at Pidgeot, who managed to evade about half of the attacks.

"Hurricane!" Pidgeot spread its glowing wings before unleashing one powerful flap, creating a burst of wind that knocked Steeledge back. "End this now! Giga Impact!"

This statement caused almost everyone in the stadium to go wide eyed. "Did she say Giga Impact?!" Doc asked in horror, watching as Pidgeot flew up before arching and dive-bombing. "Steeledge, get out of there!"

Steeledge tried to fly away, but Pidgeot kept shifting its trajectory as a purple aura with yellow stripes spiraled around its body. "Pidgeot!" It screeched as it was entirely surrounded by the light, seconds before slamming into Steeledge.

"Ledge!" The armored bird cried as it was pushed down, slamming into the dirt as a dust cloud exploded around them. Everyone watched as Pidgeot out of the cloud, panting after using its strongest attack while looking down to the floor. The cloud then cleared to reveal Steeledge lying on the ground, swirls in its eyes. "Steeledge..."

The buzzer sounded.

Mic: "That's it! Battle over! The winner, moving onto the final round, is Cloud Clipper!"

The crowd cheered for their defending champion. "Awww man..." Spike groaned. "That Pidgeot's stronger than we thought."

Twilight nodded in agreement. "Knowing Giga Impact was a surprise. It hadn't used it in the previous battles, but that was likely so Cloud could save it for the late stages of the match. If that's the case....Flash and Skyler are in trouble."

Doc then returned Steeledge to his Pokeball. "You did well Steeledge. I'm proud of you." He looked over at Cloud, who was scratching Pidgeot below the beak. "She's really something. No wonder she was a Gym Leader. Flash is gonna have his work cut out for him."





Flash and Skyler had been watching the battle alone in the trainer room, the two frowning. "I can't believe Doc lost. I never knew how strong Gran and her Pidgeot were."

Skyler, who was resting on Flash's shoulder, looked down in concern. "Chick...."

"Hey, don't give me that buddy." Skyler turned to him with a huge frown, only to see a huge smile on Flash's face, "We've come a long way since first meeting Skyler. Back then, you couldn't even fly, but now look at you! You're in the finals of a tournament designed for Flying-Types. If that doesn't show how much stronger we are together, then nothing will!"

"Chick..." Skyler looked up at the screen. It saw Pidgeot be returned before Cloud's platform retracted, remembering how menacing it had seemed in real life. But even so, Flash turned to Flash and flaring his wings, "Chickling!"

"That's the spirit!"

The door behind him opened, revealing one of the tournament staff. "Flash Sentry, it's time for the final match." Flash nodded before returning Skyler, the trainer then getting on the lift.





Back in the stadium, everyone was waiting with baited breath for the final match to begin.

"Oh, this is gonna be so awesome!" Spike exclaimed, "Flash is gonna win, I just know it!"

"Riolu!" Springer cheered.

"I don't know," Twilight replied with a shake of the head. "But Flash is going up against the reigning champion. This isn't gonna be an easy battle."

"Maybe...." they turned to see Doc walking up to their seats, "but that'll just pump Flash up more."

"Hey Doc, sorry you lost."

"That's alright Spike. This battle showed me just what I need to work on with Steeledge." he looked down at the stadium, "Anyways, as I was saying, the battle being difficult will actually work out in Flash's favor. The stronger his opponent, the deeper Flash and his Pokémon will dig for the power to overcome them. Even if he doesn't win, this next battle will make him and Skyler a lot stronger."

It was here that Mic started to speak up again, "And so, we've reached the final round! In one corner we have our reigning champion, Cloud Clipper!"

The crowd roared as Cloud was lifted onto her podium.

"And her challenger, if my sources tell me right, this young lad is actually Cloud's grandson! Can he give his granny a run for her money? Give it up for Flash Sentry!"

The crowd once again cheered as Flash appeared.

"Go for it Flash!" Spike screamed.

"We have faith in you!" Twilight called out.

"Just be careful!" Doc warned. "Her Pidgeot's no slouch!"

"I already know that!" Flash said as he glared at his grandmother. "And I'm still gonna win."

Cloud just chuckled at him, "Well Flash, it seems you managed to keep your promise. Now, let's see if you can go beyond it. Pidgeot, I choose you!" She tossed the ball into the air, releasing her ace who with a single flap of its wings created a gust of wind that pushed everyone it touched back into their seats.

Flash held onto the railing to keep his balance, waiting for the wind to die before pulling out his Pokeball. "You asked for it! You're going down! Skyler, I choose you!" He tossed the ball into the air, releasing the Chickling that stared at it's opponent in worry. "You can do this Skyler, I believe in you!"

"Chick..." Skyler looked back at Flash, seeing the confidence in his eyes. The sight made bravery fill his soul, nodding as he turned back to Pidgeot. "Chickling!"

Mic: "It looks like both teams are ready to go! So I declare the final match of the Sky Battle Tournament...BEGUN!"

"Quick Attack!" Flash ordered as Skyler charged ahead, reaching blinding speeds like they were nothing.

"Substitute!" When Skyler's attack struck, Pidgeot disappeared in a puff of smoke, the real one appearing behind him. "Hurricane!"

"Geot!" Pidgeot's glowing wings created a tornado, which spiralled around Skyler.

"Ling!" Skyler flinched as the wind battered him around, only for the bird to focus, curling up in his wings. Here, the stream of the wind, lifted him up from his defensive position, shooting him out of the tornado's top.

"Yes!" Flash cheered while Cloud smiled. "Way to go Skyler!"

"Impressive. Pidgeot, use Aerial Ace!" Pidgeot shot up into the air, his speed easily overtaking Skyler. It then flew above him and flipped around, divebombing while its body became surrounded by white streaks. Before Skyler could even attempt to dodge, it was body-checked, the bird now hurtling to the ground.

"Chick!" Skyler looked down and saw the ground coming up fast."Chickling!" He spread his wings, letting the wind fill them to slow his descent.

"That's the way!" Flash yelled with a pumped fist. "Go back up while using Steel Wing!"

"Chick!" Skyler zoomed up with glowing wings, picking up speed as he got closer to Pidgeot.

"Hurricane!" Pidgeot beat its wings and unleashed the power gust, but it was too late. Skyler just spun around the wind, flying over the burst of air before slashing it in the stomach.

"Pidge!" It flinched.

"Aerial Ace!" Cloud ordered as Pidgeot once again flew up before dive-bombing Skyler.

"Double Team!" In a flash, multiple Skylers filled the stadium. And when Pidgeot struck the one it had been aiming at, it just disappeared while the others flew up. "Now Gust!" The real Skyler beat his wings, creating a barrage of wind, which struck Pidgeot down.

Pidgeot then flared its wings, barely dodging the dirt before flying back up. "Blow them all away! Hurricane!" Pidgeot unleashed a cyclone that engulfed all the Chicklings, all of them disappearing until one was left.

"Chick!"

"Skyler! Use the strength of the wind to increase your speed and use Steel Wing!" Skyler did as he was told, curling himself up in the Hurricane. The force quickly propelled him, shooting out of the tornado's top.

"CHICKLING!" He cried as he spread his glowing wings, the speed of the Hurricane transforming him into a rocket.

"Substitute!" As Skyler struck, Pidgeot once again puffed out of existence.

The audience gasped at the sight, now seeing no sign of the Pidgeot.

"Where'd it go?" Spike asked next.

"I'm not sure," Twilight replied.

Flash was also looking around, but Cloud simply stood with a smile on her face before glancing up, "Giga Impact!"

Flash followed Cloud's line of sight, only to flinch when the sun got into his eyes. That's when he realized it, "Skyler, the sun!"

Skyler looked up just in time to see a shadow blot out the middle of the sun, the shadow growing bigger as what caused it got closer. Pidgeot was flying straight down, a purple and yellow aura spiralling around its body. "Pidgeot!"

"Chickling!" Skyler cried as fear shook its body.

"Double Team!" Flash yelled out before Skyler multiplied himself, but it wasn't enough. The force of the Giga Impact struck one of the copies, only to create a shockwave that spread across the battlefield.

"CHICKLING!" Skyler was pushed into the wall of the stadium with so much force that he felt he was being crushed by a truck, his duplicates all disappearing instantly. And as the force faded, Skyler remained pinned to the pillar as Pidgeot hovered above him.

"Skyler!" Flash stared down at his Pokémon, looking for any sign that he was alright.

"This might be it," Twilight whispered as the others all gasped.

Cloud waited to see if Skyler could continue. She had to admit, he was trained well, but not well enough as she looked away, "It's over."

"Chick!" She hopped in place at the sudden yell, making her glance back and see Skyler pull himself free, before flying back up to Pidgeot's level.

Flash smirked at the sight. "Skyler and I won't go down that easily! We're taking you down, right Skyler?!"

Skyler spread his wings as wide as he could before calling out, "CHICKLING!" With that last outcry, his entire body suddenly exploded with white and blue light, which consumed him completely. His body then began to grow, reshaping itself as Flash stared at him in amazement.

"Skyler..."

The others all gasped. "It's evolving," Twilight joyfully cried.

"Alright/Rio/Terra!" Spike, Springer and Peewee yelled while Doc just nodded in agreement.

And as the light faded, a new Pokémon hovered in Skyler's place. Its body was mainly black, with a red chest. Yellow markings could be seen circling its eyes, which was spread around its head and linked together above the beak. A quartet of red feathers ran down the back of its head, each one bigger than the one in front. The insides of its wings were red, and it had five large tail feathers, three red with two yellow ones between it. The new Pokémon opened its eyes, a new fire burning in them as it spread its wings and cried out, "WINGUST!"

Flash let out a roar, the biggest smile ever now on his face. "HAHA! Wingust!" He exclaimed as he pulled out his Pokedex.

Name: Wingust
Category: Gust Pokémon
Type: Normal/Flying
Info: The evolved form of Chickling. When migrating, Wingust glides on the air currents to conserve its energy. When under attack, they flock together and flap their wings to create a tornado.

The Pokedex then listed the moves Skyler had, making Flash chuckle. "Looks like you also learned a new move. Nice."

Mic: "AWESOME! Flash's Chickling has evolved into Wingust! How will this effect the course of the battle?!"

"Let's find out," Cloud said as she pointed at her new opponent. "Hurricane!" Pidgeot beat its wings, unleashed yet another powerful cyclone that spiraled around Skyler. But the newly evolved Pokémon just stared at the wind, unintimated by the sight.

"Wingust!" Skyler flapped his wings and effortlessly shot out of the tornado's top with ease.

"After it!" Pidgeot did so, picking up speed to catch up to Skyler. "Now, Aerial Ace!" The streaks of winds coned around Pidgeot as it grew closer to Skyler, managing to strike him in the back, "Again!" Pidgeot arched around before dive-bombing, the streaks returning as Skyler flared his wings.

"Quick Attack with evasive maneuvers!" Flash ordered as Skyler flapped away, his flying now just barely able to keep pace with the Pidgeot. And as this happened, the two zipped around the arena, trying to outdo the other before Skyler flew towards the ground.

"It's no use!" Cloud told her grandson. "You can't escape! Aerial Ace!"

Flash smiled as they picked up even more speed, "You sure? Double Team Skyler!"

"Wing!" Skyler suddenly disappeared as multiples of him appeared in his place, all stopping in midair.

The Pidgeot then blasted through one of the fakes, only to see the ground coming up fast. "Pidge!" Pidgeot spread its wings to slow down, barely managing to stop itself inches from the dirt.

"Time to try out that new move!" Flash said to the army of Skylers. "Air Cutter!"

All but one of the Wingust disappeared, that one's wings glowing before it beat them so fast that it send air blades at its opponent. "Wing...gust gust gust gust!"

Pidgeot looked up and saw the barrage, making it go wide eyed as it started evading the attacks. But as it did this, a lucky shot managed to strike its wing. "Pidge!" It cried as it tried to keep itself airborne.

"Steel Wing!" Skyler shot down with glowing wings, slashing Pidgeot's other wing. "Now you use Air Cutter!"

"WINGUST!" Skyler yelled as he used all his strength to beat his wings once, unleashing a single powerful air blade that struck the defenseless Pidgeot in the chest.

"Pidgeot!" It fell to earth, trying to spread its wings to come to a stop. But it was too late, its injuries were too much as both wings gave out. With nothing stopping it, Pidgeot crashed into the dirt, soon rolling to a stop.

The audience gasped as a loud buzzing noise filled the stadium.

Mic: "IT'S OVER! WE HAVE A NEW CHAMPION!"

The crowd all started cheering as they clapped for the winner.

"He did it!" Spike exclaimed.

"Ri/Terra!"

"Talk about a turn around," Twilight commented while still clapping.

Doc nodded at this. "Skyler evolving must have given them the momentum to pull off a win."

Flash grinned as he looked up at Skyler, "You did it bud!"

"Wingust!" Skyler cheered as he flew down and landed on Flash's outstretched arm, a smile on his beak as he started rubbing his face into Flash's.

Flash laughed at this, reaching up to scratch his chin. "Great work bud! You evolved and learned Air Cutter! You're awesome!"

"Wingust!" The two then turned to Cloud, who had returned Pidgeot and before smiling at her grandson.





After the award ceremony, which was Flash and Skyler being granted a trophy and having their picture taken and placed in the town hall, the people started flooding out of the cable car to head back to town. Cloud and our heroes weren't on one of them, as they were instead standing by the picnic table they had sat at earlier. Flash, holding a trophy with a large feather shaped top, stepped up to his grandmother and her Pidgeot. "I guess you're heading home."

"No reason to stick around here anymore." Cloud took Flash's trophy, laughing at the award, "I'll be sure to find a great place on the mantel for this. Just remember to defend the title for me."

"Thanks gran." He pulled her into a hug, the others smiling at this interaction.

And as they pulled away, Cloud kissed Flash on the forehead. "I'm proud of you sweetheart. I can see just how much you've grown. I love you."

Flash grinned back, fighting hard to not start crying. "Love you to gran."

Cloud turned to his friends, "Look out for him for me, will ya?" They all nodded, not needing to say anything else.

"Pidgeot!" The giant bird yelled to the Pokémon, who cried back in agreement to whatever it had said. After that, Cloud placed the trophy in her bag before climbing onto Pidgeot's back.

"Good luck in everything you try," she said before turning to Flash. "And call me sometime!" With that, Pidgeot flew into sky, the others all waving their goodbyes. When the two eventually disappeared into the horizon, Spike turned to Flash.

"Your grandma's pretty awesome."

Flash smirked and folding his arms behind his head, "Of course. Where do you think I get it from?" This made the others all laugh.

Their adventure in the Sky Battle Tournament had been one of many surprises. Meeting Flash's grandmother, discovering her past as a Gym Leader, Skyler's evolution and their victory in the tournament. One can only wondering what surprises out heroes will come across-

A beeping sound from Twilight's pocket causing her to hop in place. She then pulled out her journal, opening it to see an email. "Huh," she raised an eyebrow as she read the mail.

"What is it?" Doc asked.

"My parents sent me a phone number. They want me to call it and give my name."

"Why?"

Twilight shrugged, "Only one way to find out." She turned back to the stadium and headed inside the Pokémon Center.





In a Pokémon Center several miles away, a Nurse Redheart walked into the cafeteria. There, she spotted the person she was looking for, walking up to the booth.

"Excuse me, but we just got a phone call from a Twilight Sparkle. She's the one you asked to be notified if she called, right?"

The person chuckled before standing up. The figure was revealed to be a man of about twenty years old, with white skin and blue hair. He wore long white overcoat over a black shirt and blue pants. "Thanks. I'll go take it right now."