Continuing their trek through the Grand Desert towards Appaloosa City and Flash's five Equestria Gym challenge, the gang now found themselves at the base of a large mountain range. Inside were a variety of canyons, caves, and other obstacles that now stood before them.
"A mine?" Spike asked Twilight, the girl staring at her journal.
"Yup. On the other side of this range. They mine copper and other precious metals here, which they transport all over Equestria."
"And why should we care about a mine?" Flash added, "It's hardly gonna get us to Appaloosa." But as Springer nodded in agreement, they all saw a smirk appear on Twilight's lips.
"We should care, because the mine has a train line." She showed them her journal, now displaying an image of a line running from one side of the mountain to a spot in the middle of the desert. "And this train line connects the mine to our destination."
"Appaloosa," Doc finished as he read the map's index, "So all we have to do is get to this mine, and then we'll have a straight shot to Appaloosa."
"Exactly," Twilight nodded while putting her journal away.
"Then what are we waiting for?!" Flash exclaimed as he started to march, "To the mine!" The others cheered as they followed, the ground soon walking into a canyon with walls almost as high as the Ghastly Gorge.
They walked for about an hour without incident, the group passing the time playing a fun game of I spy. "I spy, with my little eye..." Twilight giggled as she took her turn, "Something beginning with S."
"Sand?" Flash guessed first.
"Nope."
Doc was next, "Stone?"
"Nope."
Spike was about to guess, only for a bulb to shine in his head. One that showed an angry frown as he glared at this sister, "Hey! That's cheating."
"What?" Twilight asked, her eyes darting back and forth.
"I'm betting you're using some sciencey word nobody's probably ever heard."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Twilight replied, her eyes now refusing to make eye contact with anyone.
"Oh yeah?!" Spike barked before turning to Doc, "What's a scientific word for the rock around here, one beginning with S?"
Doc rubbed his chin, "Hmmm...perhaps sedimentary rock?"
The guess made them all turn to glare at Twilight, the girl now innocently whistling.
"You're disqualified," Flash told her, making Twilight now glare at him.
"On what charges?!"
"Doc guessed stone, which is just another word for rock. That counts as cheating." Twilight was about to start pouting, only for a certain individual to come to a stop. They all saw it was Springer, its ears flaring up, "Hmm? What's up bud?" As soon as Springer's ears stopped, his eyes shot open as he turned to the wall of the canyon. The rest followed his gaze, now seeing a gap in the side, hidden by the shadows.
"Ri!" Springer yelled as he ran up to the hole, the others following after him.
"Springer!" Flash yelled as he got up to the wall first, taking off his bag as he saw how narrow the gap was in order for him to fit. "Hold on..."
"Flash!" Twilight called out, "You don't know where that leads!"
"Maybe, but Springer wouldn't be going in here if something bad wasn't going down." With that, Flash continued to shuffle between the rocks. Twilight and the others exchanged glances, sighing as they soon started to follow the teen. Twilight and Doc removed their bags to get through while Spike easily got in. Peewee jumped down off his shoulder and scuttled through as Twilight did like Flash, though she was slightly smaller then him so didn't have as much issue. Doc unfortunately almost didn't fit as he tried to get inside the gap.
But as they got through the gap, they found it didn't lead into an underground tunnel. Instead, they found themselves moving to another light source and then came out on the other side of the canyon wall between a bunch of mountains. In doing so, they found themselves staring out at a field of cracks in the ground, some a few feet wide while others were so big you could fit a house inside one.
"Springer!" Flash yelled at his Riolu as it kept running, "What's wrong buddy?! You sensed something, right?!" Before Springer could turn to reply, the group got their answer when a loud scream filled the canyon. Turning toward the scream, they went wide-eyed as they now saw an old-timey wagon being pulled by a Mudsdale. Someone was sitting on the wagon, though the carriage was moving too fast to show it was as the driver continued to scream.
"STOP! PLEASE STOP!" they screeched, but the Mudsdale wouldn't listen. Instead, it kept going head-first into one of the larger canyons.
"Great scott!" Doc exclaimed as he pointed at the wagon, "They're gonna go over!"
"Come on!" Flash yelled as he began to run at the carriage, the others following suit. But as they started to sprint, they quickly came to a bad conclusion.
"We're not gonna make it!" Spike cried out.
"We're not," Doc added as he pulled out a Pokeball. "But they can! Steeledge, go!" He threw the Pokeball, unleashing the armored bird, "Go! They need your help!"
Steeledge spread its wings as it took the sky, "Ledge!" it roared as he began to charge at the cart.
"Skyler/Owlicious, GO!" Flash and Twilight yelled as they threw their Pokeballs, the two Flying-types appearing as Peewee joined them midair. The four quickly reached the cart, now seeing that the driver was pulling at the reigns, but Mudsdale refused to turn away.
"Ledge," they turned to Steeledge and saw the Steel-type point his beak at Owlicious before pointing at the driver. The owl nodded and grabbed the girl, pulling her jacket on the shoulders.
"What-" Was all she could say before she was yanked into the air, screaming in surprise as the Steeledge grabbed the reins. Skyler and Peewee then gripped the back of the cart, pulling it with all their might...but Mudsdale refused to slow down.
Steeledge looked ahead and saw the ledge coming even closer now, making the bird turned to the duo, "Ledge! Steel, ledge ledge!" he called out, both turning and nodding at the orders.
The two then released the cart, now grabbing the reins as Steeledge began using Steel Wing to cut the lines connecting Mudsdale to the wagon. As he did this, the two began to pull the reigns to the left. Mudsdale felt this and slowly turned away, the edge now getting even closer. And by the time they finally reached the gap, Mudsdale managed to turn a full ninety degrees, now running along the edge. But as it did this, the cart went completely over the side, soon beginning to drag Mudsdale back. The horse let out a scared neigh as it was yanked, Peewee and Skyler pulling with all their might as they kept him stay on the ground. Steeledge then appeared above them, letting out a roar, "Ledge!" He then sliced through the final rope, allowing the cart to fall as Mudsdale galloped away from the edge.
Once now safe from the edge, Mudsdale pulled itself to a stop as the trainers reached them. "Is everyone okay?" Twilight asked as the Pokémon flew over to their trainers, the bespectacled girl quickly looking Mudsdale over. "Alright...you don't seem injured. Just really spooked."
"Great work everyone," Doc added as he looked over the Flying-types. "You all stopped a major disaster." The Pokémon all cheered, only for the sound of a familiar voice to fill the air.
"Mudsdale!" They looked up to see Owlicious flying down with the saved girl, the trainers all gasping as they landed.
"Is that...Derpy?" Spike asked as they saw the girl hit the dirt, patting her jacket down before she ran up to the Ground-type...and began to trip on a random rock. However, before she could fall over, she quickly spun, getting her balance as she ran over to the horse.
"Oh thank goodness you're alright," she sighed in relief, Mudsdale neighing back with a nod. Derpy then patted her chest in relief before turning to her saviors, only to now let out a loud gasp, "You guys?!" She then ran over and hugged the closest of the group, who happened to be Flash. "THANK YOU! THANK YOU SO MUCH!"
"Whoa!" Flash yelped as he suddenly found himself stuck in an almost vice-like grip, gasping for air as he tried to calm her down by patting her head, "Uh...no problem."
"It's good to see you," Doc chimed in next as she let go of Flash, the girl backpedaling while bowing, "Just wish it was under better circumstances."
"What happened back there anyway?" Twilight asked, Derpy now blushing.
"I um...took a wrong turn. We were supposed to go left in a fork in the road, but I had us go right. But just as I realized my mistake, we found ourselves running into a Silicobra. It spat some sand and hit Mudsdale in the eye, spooking him into running wild."
"I see," Twilight replied while patting Mudsdale's snout. "Well, it looks like he wasn't hurt. Though I can't say the same for your cart."
"That's alright. All I lost was my water...though that might be an issue." Derpy reached into her bag and pulled out a box, one the others recognised as the one she had to deliver to the power station. "This is all that matters."
"Another power station delivery?" Doc asked.
"Yup," she responded while nodding, "I'm delivering it to a mine on the other side of the mountain."
"You are? That's where we're going!"
"Really?!" The others all nodded back.
"We plan on catching the train that'll take us to Appaloosa City."
Derpy gasped at Flash's statement, putting the box away as she spoke up next, "Then it's a good thing we ran into one another."
"It is?"
"Yup. The part I'm delivering is for the train. The mine hasn't been able to move their product or transport its workers for days. That's why it's very important I get this part there as soon as possible."
"Well then, why don't we all head there together," Doc chimed in, "You said you lost your water, right?"
Derpy nodded once more, "Mudsdale's gonna get dried out real quick if I can't keep him hydrated. But without him, I don't think I can make it to the mine."
"You will with us," Flash added, "And we'll keep you and that part safe, no matter what."
Derpy shined a big smile, pulling out a Pokeball in return, "Alright. Thank you again guys." she then turned to Mudsdale, "Return." The land horse returned to the ball, which Derpy shrank back down. "I'm glad he's okay. The mine owner transported him to me to help get me there. It'd be terrible if something had happened to him."
"Well, don't worry about it." Doc assured her. "We'll make sure you and Mudsdale get there."
The others were about to respond their agreements, only for Spike to speak up, "Hey, where's Swirleye? Isn't it usually with you?"
Derpy shook her head with a giggle, "Oh, she is." She took out a Pokeball, "I returned her when Mudsdale went out of control. Didn't want anything to happen to her. Though, she doesn't really go by Swirleye anymore."
With that, the Pokeball opened and unleashed a spiral of red energy. It then took shape and slowly began to vanish, revealing a purple lizard-like Pokémon. It looked like Swirleye, except it stood on two feet with a yellow underbelly and a lower jaw. The creature was about four and a half feet tall now, and had large fluffy ears on the top of its head. It's tail looked about six feet long, but it was hard to tell since it was curled up into a spiral. However, instead of having normal eyes, it had a pair of swirls. "Swirl..." it said as the others all blinked at the new sight.
"Wow," Spike gasped, "What's that Pokémon?"
"It's Swirleye evolution." Twilight added as Flash took out his Pokedex.
Doc nodded in agreement, "Yup. She's a Swirlutz now."
Name: Swirlutz
Category: Clumsy Pokémon
Type: Psychic
Info: The evolved form of Swirleye. This Pokémon can often be seen falling over. Because of this, it is used to injuries, meaning it is difficult to inflict much pain against it.
"Huh...what a weirdo," Spike said before Twilight dealt a smack to the head for that comment. She then took out her journal, now pulling up the map system.
"Alright, we'd best be getting back the way we came." They all turned around to the gap they had snuck through, causing Derpy to raise an eyebrow.
"But I was told the quickest way to the mine was the way I was going," she responded while pointing down the route.
"That's the quickest way by cart," Twilight replied while tapping the journal a few more times, "But on foot, it'll take hours that way. Our best bet is going through the mountains, as there's a small cave system not too far from here. Going through that will lead to a canyon that will spit us out right next to the mine."
Derpy nodded in agreement, following them through the gap with ease. Once back in the canyon, they made their way though the winding passages until reaching the base of a mountain. "Is this it?" Flash asked, Twilight nodding in response.
"Yup. Right up there." She pointed up, everyone following her gesture to see a hole about ten feet above them. Twilight then suggested their Flying-types help them get out, Owlicious climbing on her back. Once he was on, he flew the teen straight up the hole. Owlicious then came back down for Spike while Skyler and Steeledge tried to lift their trainers. However, the two soon realised they weren't strong enough to pick them up as Skyler couldn't even get Flash off the ground while Steeledge was only able to get Doc up a few inches. The two laughed as the Flying-types gave up, Flash returning Skyler while Doc moved over and started climbing. "Try to make sure I don't fall," he told Steeledge as Flash climbed onto Owlicious.
Once the four were up, they looked down at Derpy as Owlicious flew down to let her climb on. As she did this, Steeledge chose to grab Swirlutz and fly her up. With everyone now up in the tunnel, they turned to look into the dark cave they would have tackle next.
"Tockwork," Doc brought out his mechanical Pokémon, "Use Flash."
"Tock!" it nodded before illuminating its face. As the tunnel lit up, the group headed inside after Twilight returned Owlicious. Steeledge chose to stay out, a bit on edge after failing his trainer and wanting to help out in any way. But as they made their path through...nothing happened. Everytime they came to a turn or a fork, Twilight navigated them with ease. At several points, they found themselves outside the mountain by walking out of high up exits before moving along mountain ledges to step into another hole or travelling over stone bridges that lead them from one mountain to another.
But the calm serenity came to an end when they stepped into a round chamber with several tunnels leading into multiple directions. "So...which way do we go now?" Spike asked Twilight, his sister flicking through the journal.
"Give me a second. All these tunnels lead outside, but only one of them is a straight path to the mine."
And as Twilight continued to scan her journal, everyone else chose this moment to sit down and catch their breath. While waiting, Swirlutz moved over to one of the tunnels and looked inside. As she did, her ears picked up on a sound that made her tilt her head, "Swirl?" she turned to Tockwork. "Luts. Swirl luts luts."
"Tock?" The Clockwork Pokémon looked back at her before slowly stomping over to the tunnel, everyone else now noticing this.
"What is it Swirlutz?" Derpy asked as Tockwork pointed his glowing face down the tunnel, illuminating it to reveal the cause of the sound: Noibat.
Hundreds of Noibat lined the walls of the tunnel, and as Tockwork's light hit them, their eyes all shot open. "Uh oh," Doc gulped before turning to Tockwork, "Shut it off!"
But it was too late. The Noibat exploded off the wall, filling the chamber as each unleashed a barrage of high-pitched soundwaves from their ears.
"Augh! Make it stop!" Spike yelped as he covered his ears.
"Ledge!" Steeledge roared as he flapped up at the Noibat, using Steel Wing to cut down several bats.
Tockwork tried to follow suit and use his Psyshock attack, but Doc grabbed his gun arm and pushed it down. "No! Don't use long range attacks in here!" Everyone except Swirlutz heard this, all understanding why that one miss might bring the cave down.
"Extreme Speed!" Flash told Springer, the Riolu running ahead as lightning sparked around him.
"Riolu!" Using the acceleration, he shot up the wall before jumping off, rapidly thrusting his feet forward as he smacked down several more Noibats.
"Wing Attack!" Twilight ordered Peewee, the dragon leaping off Spike's shoulder as it began slashing at the Noibat.
And as several Noibat flew low, Derpy gave her command to Swirlutz, "Slash!" The psychic lizard charged with glowing claws, Swirlutz swinging them around like a top. But after hitting the third one, she tripped over her own foot and face-planted the ground. "Ouch!" Derpy flinched before running over to her, Steeledge and Tockwork covering her with Steel Wing and Bullet Punch.
But as this happened, the sound bats had had enough and all unleashed a Screech attack. Everyone cried out in pain, clutching their ears as Swirlutz picked herself up. Seeing her friends in pain, the Clumsy Pokémon's eyes began to glow in anger.
"No!" Derpy cried, "Don't use Psybeam!" But Swirlutz couldn't hear her over the noise, now firing the beams from her eyes. It then struck three of the Noibat, only to keep going before it struck the roof of the cave.
THOOM!
The entire mountain began to rumble as the Psybeam struck the rock, cracks appearing across the roof before rubble began to fall. "Look out!" Doc yelled, pushing Derpy and their Pokémon in one direction while Flash grabbed Twilight and Spike in order to leap down another tunnel.
And as a pile of stones began to fall around them, a cloud of dust soon formed as the shaking finally came to a stop. Coughing as the fog of dust, Flash began swatting the air as he started hearing his friends coughing as well. "Ugh...that hurt." He coughed a few more times, his eyes squinting as the dust began to vanish, "Everyone okay?"
"Ri..." Springer's voice called out through the darkness.
"Terra," Peewee chimed in next.
"Spike?" Twilight's concerned voice echoed now in the black cave void.
"I'm okay," the teen moaned. "I don't think anything landed on me. What about you guys?"
"I don't feel anything broken," Flash grumbled as he rubbed his head.
"Me too. But it's just so dark." The boys then heard a clicking noise before the tunnel was filled with a dim light, both turning to it to see Twilight's journal. The device was now illuminating both, the girl squinting at them, "Hmm...you all look fine."
It was here that Spike blinked back, only to look around as he asked, "Hey, where's Doc? And Derpy?"
"I'm sure they're fine," Flash added while dusting himself off, "I saw Doc grab the others and jump away from the rock slide."
"But what if they're not?"
Twilight then placed a hand on Spike's shoulder. "Don't worry Spike, Doc's a smart guy. He'll find a way to keep them all safe and get out of there. But us panicking isn't gonna help. Our best bet is to get to the mine and see if they can help us." Spike nodded in agreement as the group began their trek through the tunnel. "Lucky for us, this tunnel seems to be the one leading out to the mine."
"Let's just hope Doc's tunnel is one leading close to it," Flash finished as he took the lead down the passageway.
In another tunnel...
A large dust cloud covered the area as a pile of rocks seemingly wrapped around several others in an orb formation. And as the smoky fog settled, the rocks slowly began to slide away from one another before rolling to the floor, all of them falling off a blue dome-like structure that was encasing Doc, Derpy, Steeledge, Tockwork and Swirlutz.
The last bit of rubble then slid off, the orb vanishing as Swirlutz fell to the ground in exhaustion. "You okay?" Derpy asked her partner, who let out a weak moan and nod.
"Good thing she knew Protect," Doc added before looking up at the wall of rocks now blocking the exit to their tunnel. "But I don't think we're getting through there."
"Swirl..." Swirlutz moaned as she looked down at the ground.
Derpy leaned down and patter her head, "Hey, its okay. None of this was your fault." Swirlutz let out a tiny whimper at this, making Derpy sigh, "Okay, you're the one that made Tockwork wake up the Noibat and you used Psybeam to bring the place down...but you didn't do it on purpose, did you?"
"Swirl?" Swirlutz looked up and shook her head.
"Then you shouldn't feel bad. Yes, you made a mistake, but nobody was hurt."
"She's right," Doc chimed in, "I know my friends, and they won't be taken down by something like this. The only one blaming you is you." Swirlutz turned to Doc and his Pokémon now staring up the tunnel, Tockwork illuminating it. "Right now, the only thing that matters is getting out of here." They began to run down the passageway, eventually stopping and looking back at them. "You coming?"
Derpy nodded before getting up and following Doc, Swirlutz trying to do the same, only to trip and fall over. The others giggled at this while Steeledge flew over to pick her up. And as he carried Swirlutz through the cave, Doc turned to the Pokémon, "I know you feel like you messed up, but don't worry. We all make mistakes."
"Swirl..."
"He's right Swirlutz," Derpy added. "I've made tons of mistakes since we started working for the delivery firm, and I used to always feel down about them. But then I met Doc and the others, and they helped me realize that making a mistake isn't the end of the world. As long as you learn from those mistakes and work to better yourself, then making mistakes can actually be a good thing."
"Ledge!" Steeledge nodded before telling her something in their language: "Making a mistake isn't something to be ashamed of. But letting that mistake sit without trying to fix it is something to be ashamed of." Swirlutz tilted her head at this as he continued, "And you don't even have to do something big to make up for it. A few tiny things here and there can be just as worthy as one big thing."
Swirlutz nodded back, understanding what he meant. But before she could start trying to make up for what she did, Doc spoke up, "Look!" they all turned to the trainer, now seeing him point down the tunnel, a speck of light catching their attention.
Rushing up to it, Derpy being extra careful not to trip on the slanted surface, they soon found themselves stepping out of the cave and onto a ledge of a mountainside. And as they looked out, they were able to see a cluster of buildings standing at the base of a nearby mountain. Doc took out his binoculars next, staring at the mountain that was next to the buildings, seeing a giant hole in the side with a train line coming out from the town. "That's gotta be the mine."
"Great," Derpy cheered while clapping her hands, "But uh...how do we get there?"
Doc rubbed his chin in thought at this, looking between them and the mine. He was now staring at several canyons that wound around in several different directions, some heading back around the mountain they had just passed through while others joined up to form an elaborate maze that one could spends hours traversing. But among the winding tunnels, Doc spotted a single path that appeared to lead out to the desert around the mine.
"I think I found our route." he turned to Tockwork and returned him, "The first thing we need to do is get down from here." They then spun around and saw a staircase-like slope of rocks a little down the ledge that lead to the canyon they needed. "Let's go."
"Alright," Derpy added as the trio began to carefully shift over to the slope while Steeledge took to the air. A few minutes later, they found themselves at the bottom of the hill and began their trek through the canyon. With Steeledge flying above them and making sure they didn't take a wrong turn, Doc and the girls drew closer to the exit of the maze rather quickly. But as they turned to one of the final corners, Doc held up a hand, keeping them from going any further. "What's wrong?" Doc's reply was to point up at the walls of the canyon, Derpy and Swirlutz blinking as they followed his finger, only to see a barrage of holes covering the walls, "Holes?"
"Most likely nests for something," he replied, "Whatever's in there, they might not like the idea of us in their territory. We need to be careful and not make a sound."
"Okay..." Derpy whispered, "We'll follow your lead."
Doc nodded before tiptoeing, the girls slowly following behind. Luckily for them, the sand masked their footsteps, blanking the noise. But as they did this and got halfway past the holes, a powerful gust of wind suddenly shot through the canyon. The wind was so strong that it picked up a good amount of sand and threw it into the air, right in the direction of the three careful trekkers. Doc and Derpy covered their faces to keep the sand out of their eyes, Swirlutz quickly reacting and using its Protect to form a bubble around them. "Great work girl," Derpy silently said to her partner.
"Swirl," Swirlutz replied as the wind started to die down and the cloud of sand began to settle back onto the ground. And as the bubble lowered, Doc and Derpy began to dust themselves off.
"That's was close," Doc sighed as he stared up at the holes. "Looks like we haven't disturbed whoever is in there. Let's get out of here before another one picks up." Derpy and Swirlutz nodded in agreement as they continued to sneak through. But as they did this, Derpy took a deep breath through her nose.
Her jacket still had some sand on it from before Swirlutz raised its shield. As such, when she breathed in, she accidently sucked up several particles, making it react to her nasal cavity. "Ah...ah...ah..." Doc and Swirlutz turned to her, both going wide-eyed as she continued.
Doc then tried to cover her mouth...but it was too late.
"ACHOOOO!" The sneeze echoed through the canyon, bouncing off every wall and into each hole. As she finished, she slapped her hand over her mouth and looked up at the walls in fear. Doc and Swirlutz did the same, nobody daring to make a sound or move a muscle. They would soon regret not taking this chance to run as each hole was suddenly filled with twin red lights. A buzzing sound followed this before the inhabitants of the holes shot out, revealing themselves to be a very familiar insect Pokémon.
"BEEDRILL!" Derpy screamed as the hornet Pokémon began to swarm around them, each glaring at them while their stingers started to glow purple.
Doc jumped in front of Derpy as she clutched Swirlutz, ready to take the attack. But before it could make contact, Steeledge swooped down and intercepted the insects, "Ledge!" He roared as he blocked with attack with his wing, the poison doing nothing to him, before he slapped the hornet away.
"Alright Steeledge!" Doc yelled before seeing several more Beedrill charge with their stingers primed. "Air Cutter!"
"Ledge!" He squawked before rapidly beating his wings, unleashing a barrage of air blades at the approaching swarm. Knocking them back, several Beedrill now began to scratch their stingers together as they glowed. It was then that several energy swords appeared around them, all clanging against one another as the Bee Pokémon glowed.
"What are they doing?" Derpy asked before the Beedrill charged at Steeledge, their stingers crossed while glowing white.
"They just used Swords Dance and now they're using X-Scissor!" Doc yelled before turning to Steeledge, "Drill Peck!" Steeledge let out a mighty squawk as he began to spin, morphing into an air drill that flew at the swarm. It slammed into the first one head-on, knocking it away. This was followed by the second and third without issue, only for it to start slowing down. It then overpowered the fourth, but the fifth bee then pushed him back with equal strength.
Steeledge then slowed down and stopped spinning, allowing Beedrill to knock the Flying-type to the ground. "Steeledge!" Doc yelped, only to see several Beedrill charge at him before Derpy and Swirlutz jumped in front of them.
"SWIRLUTZ!" The Pokémon roared as it used Protect, forming a barrier around the trio to block the Poison Jabs.
Steeledge began to pick himself up next, now seeing the Beedrill continuously stab into Swirlutz's forcefield. "Steeledge!" he screeched as he charged with glowing wings, the Beedrill stopping their attack as they turned to him. "STEELEDGE!" Before any of them could react, the armored bird flew past them, slashing a bunch down as he soon stood between them and his friends.
"Steeledge," Doc gasped as he then saw several Beedrill charge with X-Scissor. Steeledge responded by slashing at them with Steel Wing, knocking them back before jumping into the air and unleashing a Fury Attack. However, as he did this, he could only take out one group of Beedrill before another team began to attack. The sight made Doc grimace as he commented, "There's too many of them!"
It was here that Swirlutz's Protect finally gave out, the barrier dropping and opening them for new attacks from the Beedrill. However, the Beedrill were so focused on Steeledge that they didn't notice, "Steel!" The bird cried as he slashed one Beedrill away, only to be struck by one in the back. "LEDGE!" He fell over and slid along the rocky surface, a groaned expression on his face as he came to a stop.
"Steeledge!" Doc yelped, now seeing the Beedrill begin to surround him. "No!"
Steeledge groaned while trying to pick himself up, only for one of the Beedrill to fly above him, a purple and white energy now surrounding it. Steeledge saw this and tried to move, but the other Beedrill distracted him with X-Scissor while the Giga Impact Beedrill got closer.
"NOOOOO!" Was all Doc could say before-
"SWIRLUTZ!" A beam of light shot out from behind him, striking the Giga Impact Beedrill. The hornet cried out in pain as it was knocked away from Steeledge, slamming into the wall of the canyon. This caught the rest of the Beedrill's attention, making them turn to Derpy and Swirlutz. The girl gulped while holding Swirlutz, the lizard's eyes still glowing from the Psybeam.
The Beedrill began to buzz towards them, Doc jumping between them. "Back off!" But the closest Beedrill slammed into him, knocking him off his feet, "Augh!"
"Ledge..." Steeledge groaned as he saw his trainer fall, Derpy running over to him. He then tried to pick himself up, the sight of his hurt trainer making something snap inside. Growling, he began to slowly ascend, strength surging through his legs and wings, "STEELEDGE!" He roared, his entire body suddenly exploding with light as everyone turned to the screech.
Doc's eyes slowly opened at the sight, gasping in pain as he muttered out, "Steeledge..."
And as those words left his mouth, the light faded away, revealing a new Pokémon. It looked just like Steeledge, except it was now seven foot in height. It's chest, waist, thigh and forearms were covered in thick silver metal while Its head, neck, upper arm, legs and feet were now jet black. On the back of its wrist was a red metal circle connected to a bunch of red blades that flipped around to become a pair of wings. And on its head was a silver helmet-like construct with a round circle on each temple that had three blades. The new Pokémon opened its eyes and spread its retractable wings as it let out a mighty cry, "FLITANIUM!"
"Steeledge evolved," Derpy gasped with Doc nodding.
"Yeah...into Flitanium." He watched as Flitanium leapt into the air as the Beedrill charged at him, the giant metal bird flying around them before retracting its wings as its helmet began to glow.
"FLY!" It screamed as it slammed into the first Beedrill, sending it flying before knocking away a second, third and fourth Beedrill.
"Wow/Swirl," the girls said in awe.
"That's...Iron Head," Doc commented as Flitanium took down the fifth Beedrill as it got close to the ground.
"Fly!" He spread his wings and caught the updraft, allowing him to glide down the rest of the way. He then shifted his body so his taloned feet hit the ground, allowing him to slide to a stop as the Beedrill charged at him again. "Tay!" He pulled his wings back before rapidly beating them, "NIUM!" The powerful wind blades shot out, striking several more Beedrill down before Flitanium charged ahead.
"Steel Wing!" Doc ordered, Flitanium's wings folding out while glowing. Everyone watched as the armored bird began to spin on its feet, swinging its blades around to morph into a metal tornado. Moving like a spinning top, it slashed at the Beedrill, sending them all flying back.
Derpy and Swirlutz continued to watch in awe, only for a bulb to go off in Derpy's head, "Wait!" She pulled out a Pokeball, "Mudsdale!" She threw it up, unleashing the Ground-type horse, who neighed while looking around at its many opponents. "High-Horsepower!" Mudsdale roared as its body glowed orange before it galloped forward, slamming into several Beedrill as Flitanium hovered over him.
"Drill Peck!" He once again retracted his wings as he spun around, becoming a giant air drill that slammed into several more Beedrill, knocking out all but one of them. That one was the Giga Impact Beedrill, who had just recovered from Swirlutz's attack.
The hornet buzzed as its stingers were now primed for one last attack. While this happened, Flitanium stopped spinning and stared it down. But before either of them to attack, Derpy called out. "Psybeam and Mud Slap!" The Beedrill then found itself getting pelted with mud and beams of light. It began dodging both, not noticing its main opponent now flying above him.
"Iron Head!" Flitanium circled around and tucked in his wings as he divebombed Beedrill, the hornet still not seeing it.
"FLITANIUM!" His glowing head slammed into the Bee Pokémon, both falling to the ground as a cloud of sand exploded off it. Seconds later, Flitanium flew out of the cloud as it faded to reveal an unconscious Beedrill.
"Yes!" Derpy cheered, only to gulp as she now saw the rest of the swarm beginning to come around. "Or not. Maybe we should get out of here." Mudsdale galloped over to her, gesturing to its back. "Okay," Swirlutz leapt up onto her back before she climbed onto the horse.
Doc was about to run over to them, but Flitanium suddenly flew down and grabbed his shoulders in his talons. "Whoa!" He yelped as he was lifted into the air, the trainer looking up to see his newly evolved Pokémon now soaring with no issue. "Alright! Well done Flitanium!" The bird nodded back as they flew through the canyon, Derpy and her Pokémon following right behind.
Meanwhile, at the mine...
Flash, Twilight and Spike were now standing on the platform as the train stood there. Upon arriving at the mine, they had explained what had happened to the workers there. In response, the workers told them that if Doc and Derpy didn't arrive there by sunset, they would then send a rescue team to find them. So now they just sat there, waiting to see if Doc and the others would arrive in time.
"Looks like the sun's getting close to setting," Twilight pointed out with a long sigh. "The workers will probably set out to find them soon."
"They'll be here," Flash added with confident crossed arms, "Doc's not gonna let anything stop him from getting Derpy and that part here."
"I know, but-"
"Hey, what's that?!" Spike yelled as he pointed out into the desert, Flash, Twilight, Springer and Peewee following his finger while glancing out at the sandy bowl. They then saw two shadows moving up to them, one running across the ground with the other was flying above it. The setting sun behind them made it difficult to see, only for them to gasp as they recognized who they were.
"That's Mudsdale," Twilight spoke up first.
"But then what's that?" Flash added as he pointed at the flying figure.
"Guys!" They then looked up at voice, now seeing Doc being carried in its talons, "Nice to see you made it!" The others gasped at the flyer, the being coming to stop in front of them before gently dropping Doc and then landing behind him. "What do you think?" He added while gesturing to his newly evolved Pokémon.
"Is that...Steeledge?" Spike asked while Twilight giggled.
"That's wonderful Doc! He evolved into Flitanium!" she clapped joyfully as Flash pulled out his Pokedex.
Name: Flitanium
Category: Metallic Wing Pokémon
Type: Steel/Flying
Info: The evolved form of Steeledge. Its metallic feathers are so large that in the past, Equestria's blacksmiths would gather them from Flitanium nests and craft swords out of them.
"That's awesome!" Flash cheered as Springer and Peewee moved over to marvel at Flitanium. As they did this, Mudsdale galloped up to the group.
"Hey guys," Derpy chimed in as she jumped down as several engineers from the train and mine ran up. Mudsdale galloped over to who they assumed was its owner while Derpy went over to another engineer. She reached into her bag and pulled out the box, holding it up to them. "Special delivery!"
The engineer laughed as he took the package, "Thank you! With this, the train will be back in operating shape in no time!"
And as the workers began to fix the train, Doc and Derpy explained the situation leading up to Steeledge's evolution. "And then, as Beedrill tried to use Giga Impact, Swirlutz launched a Psybeam that sent it flying!"
"That's amazing," Twilight gasped before looking down at the Psychic lizard. "Sounds like you saved the day."
"Swirl," Swirlutz replied while blushing.
"She's right," Doc nodded before looking up at Flitanium as he flew above them. "If you hadn't intervened, Steeledge would have been knocked out and he might not have evolved. You might not have done much, but you really helped us out."
Derpy crouched down and pulled Swirlutz into a hug, "You definitely made me proud." Swirlutz hugged her, the two holding onto one another as the sun completely set.
The next morning...
As the sun rose above the horizon, the train let out a might hoot as it prepared to set off. And inside the passenger car, the group was now sitting, waiting to set off. "Alright! Next stop, Appaloosa!" Spike cheered, the others doing the same as they felt the train jerk before it began to move.
Doc then turned to Derpy, "So what are you gonna do once we get to Appaloosa?"
"Well, I called my base last night and they said to stay in Appaloosa for a few days. Apparently, something's being sent there that they want me to oversee the delivery of, but they don't know when it's gonna arrive."
"So you might be waiting a few days," Twilight asked, Derpy nodding in response.
Flash shined a confident smirk at this, "Hey, maybe you'll be able to watch my Gym Battle."
Derpy showed a big grin at that, "Now that sounds fun. Okay, if the package isn't there before then, I'll watch your gym battle."
Everyone cheered at this as they sat back and enjoyed the train ride. The heroes' trip through the Grand Desert had been filled with many perils and excitement, but now it was finally coming to an end. And with Appaloosa on the horizon, Flash's next Gym challenge was close at hand.
But what kind of opponent will he be facing for his fifth Equestria Region Badge? Find out, as the journey continues.