//------------------------------// // Grand Champion // Story: Pokémon: Equestrian Adventures // by Banshee531 //------------------------------// "Water Gun!" "Nee...TORE!" Riptide roared as he unleashed a stream of water at his opponent, a Gliscor, knocking it back. "Score!" It cried as it started to fly, trying to get out of the water's range. Still at the forest Pokémon Center, the group had been continuing their training to complete their new moves before heading off to Foal Mountain and Flash's sixth Equestria Region gym challenge. Over the last few days, more trainers had arrived at the center and Flash had been battling with as many as possible. Now his latest opponent and his Gliscor were planning to end his unbeaten streak, Gliscor now circling Riptide for a dive-bomb attack. "Steel Wing!" "Score!" Gliscor yelled as his wings began to glow, diving down next. "Dodge it and then use Ice Punch!" Riptide leapt at the Gliscor, spinning his body to avoid the metal wings as the two flew past on another. "Tore!" Riptide roared as he threw a blue lightning-filled punch into the Gliscor's gut. The blow made it cry out, crashing from the blow with spirals in its eyes. "Gliscor is unable to battle," Doc announced before pointing to Riptide, "Riptide is the winner!" "YES!" Flash cheered as he and Riptide high-fived, his opponent returning Gliscor before running off in embarrassment. "You did great bud!" "Tore," Riptide replied, nodding as the others walked over to them. "I think it's safe to say Riptide's mastered Ice Punch," Twilight commented, "That means we can finally head out." Flash nodded in agreement as they headed over to the Center. "There's another move Owlicious wants to learn, but we can work on it on the way." "Yeah, and Viper can also work on another new move while we're heading up there." Flash took out the Technical Manual. "With this, our Pokémon have the entire world as their oyster." They all chuckled at his comment before walking into the center, only to freeze up as they saw who was at the front desk, "Lightning." Lightning Blitz turned to the voice, hissing back before giving Redheart his Pokémon. And as he did this, he walked over to the waiting room in pure silence. "Well, he's as chipper as ever." Doc whispered. "Didn't think we'd run into him out here." "We actually ran into him in the desert," Spike added, "When Flash and I were looking for that plant to cure Doc, we found him fighting a Sandslash." "I see..." Twilight muttered while rubbing her chin, "I bet he's heading for Cloudsdale." "Great...." Flash sighed as they moved over to grab their bags. But as they did this, they noticed a group of trainers gathering around a TV. "What's that?" They moved over to see they were watching a battle, the people on screen making them gasp. One of the trainers was a middle aged man with gray skin and white hair, along with a large scar over his eye. He wore a brown jumper under a black coat with gray pants. "Wow, its Grand Hoof!" Flash cheered, "His battles are always awesome!" And as he said this, Lightning's ears perked as Spike then spoke up, "That name sounds familiar..." "Don't you remember? He was the Champion before Shining Armor." Twilight added as Spike's eyes went wide at this, "He was Champion for ten years before losing his title six years ago." "Wow...awesome!" Spike turned back to the TV, "So is he still battling after losing his title?" "He is," Doc answered with a nod, "But this isn't live. I recognise the match. This is a rerun of a league final match he won the year before he lost to Shining." On the TV, a Hariyama was battling an Orbeetle. The spaceship bug was flying around, launching a bunch of Psybeams down on Hariyama. But then the sumo Pokémon leapt up before backhanding the ladybug with a giant fist, sending it crashing to the ground. And when the dust cleared, it revealed a knocked out Orbeetle. "And with an astounding Knock-Off attack, Hariyama claims another victory for Grand Hoof! Can anyone out there defeat the great mountain that is our Champion?!" "Yeah! My brother!" Spike laughed, the others rolling their eyes while Lightning stared at them with a raised eyebrow. But before he could say something, the doors of the center suddenly opened. "HEY!" They turned to see a teen run through the doors, "Everyone, you won't believe this! Grand Hoof, the former Champion, he's in the forest!" Everyone gasped at this. "He was looking at some weird old stone, but it's really him!" The trainer then tan back out, the rest of the trainers in the lobby following him. As they did this, Flash turned to his friends, "What are the chances?" "It is a little coincidental that he would be around here just as we were watching a match of his," Twilight added. "Who cares?!" Spike chimed in as he and Peewee ran to the exit. "If it is him, what other chance could we have to meet him?!" "He's got a point," Doc finished, the others nodding in agreement as they all left the center. And as the building was emptied, Lightning sat in his seat, his whole body shaking as he clenched his fists. "He's here." A little later... When the group found the other trainers that had rushed out to find Grand, they were all now gathered around a clearing in the woods. They managed to spot a gap in the circle and ran over, now seeing the man they were looking for. He was just like he had been on TV, while not looking at all bothered by the people staring at him. He was more focused on the large stones in the middle of the clearing, each possessing some strange form of writing alongside weird drawings. "There he is..." Flash gasped, "Someone who was once considered the strongest trainer in Equestria." "Do you think we should say hello?" Doc asked. "No. He looks busy," Twilight added, "Probably best to wait until he's done before bothering him." But as she said this, someone pushed past the group, the person almost pushing Twilight to the ground. "Hey!" she yelled, only to go wide-eyed as she saw who it was. It was Lightning, the teen growling as he ran up to Grand. The other trainer heard the angry voices from the crowd, making him turn before seeing Lightning and smiling, "Lightning!" He held out his arms, "Good to see you kiddo!" However, Lightning just glared at him, making Grand sigh, "What, too good to give your old grandpa a hug now that you're a hot shot trainer?" "Did he say grandpa?" Spike gasped, everyone surrounding the clearing just as shocked. "Of course," Twilight sighed while almost facepalming, "I forgot Lightning was Grand's grandson." "You knew that?" Flash asked next. "It was on his info when he first became a trainer." Spike looked back at Grand and Lightning with a frown, "Huh. I can't believe that jerk's related to such a famous trainer." "I've been trying to contact you," Grand said first, "But you haven't been answering my calls." "You know why I haven't been answering. I knew you wanted to lecture me about what happened at that stupid camp you sent me too. I didn't need that in my life." "You caused a lot of trouble for Celestia and Luna. You realize what you do reflects on me." Lightning shrugged at this, "Why?! I have nothing to do with you. Besides, I'm not here for a lecture." "So why are you here?" Grand asked with crossed arms, "Clearly this is more than just two family members meeting." "I'm here to battle you!" This caused the trainers around them to whisper amongst themselves, all calling him an idiot for thinking he could beat Grand. Despite this, Grand uncrossed arms as he said, "You sure you wanna do this? Don't expect me to hold back because we're family." "I'd be insulted if you did," Lightning replied, "And I am sure. This is my best chance to test my skills. My objective is to one day beat Shining Armor and claim the title you threw away. But to know how close I am to that goal, I need to see how well I match up to someone of his calibre, and who better than the man he beat to earn his title." Grand chuckled at his logic, "So win or lose, you just wanna see how far you've come. Well, consider my interest peaked. I'm just as curious to see how much you've grown since leaving him. Alright, let's do this." Lightning pulled out a Pokeball, "Time to finally see....do you still have what it takes, or are you really just a washed up has been." He enlarged the ball and pulled it back. "Chimplug, battle ready!" He tossed the ball, revealing the electric monkey. "Plug!" He roared before going wide-eyed at the trainer he was fighting. "Chim?" "Chimplug, it's good to see you again." Grand responded before taking out his own Pokeball, "I look forward to seeing how much stronger you've gotten." His ball expanded as he pulled it back, "I hope you're ready! Hariyama, battle ready! He tossed the ball into the air, now revealing the Sumo Pokémon. "Har!" it yelled, Chimplug almost backpedaling at the sight of the Pokémon. "Alright," Grand nodded to his grandson, "You may have the first move." "You'll regret that," Lightning growled as he pointed at Hariyama, "Thunder Punch!" Chimplug's fist became electrified as he charged, ready to strike as Hariyama just stared him down. "Belly Drum!" Grand said in a calm voice, Hariyama now repeatedly hitting its stomach with its hands. With each hit, vibrations bounced off it as the Pokémon's body began to glow. As it did this, Chimplug got within striking distance. "Now, block it!" "Harry!" Hariyama thrust its open palm forward as Chimplug leapt, throwing a fist into the palm. "Plug?" He yelped as Hariyama closed its fist, Chimplug's fist and arm wedged between its fingers. "What?" Lightning added as he now saw Chimplug tried to pull itself free with no success. "Force Palm!" The group watched as Hariyama threw Chimplug into the air while pulling its other palm back. And as the monkey fell to earth, it thrust the clenched palm at it. "HARRY/PLUG!" The two yelled, Hariyama slamming Chimplug with enough force that it sent a wave of air out in every direction. Everyone braced themselves as the wind hit them, Chimplug now being thrown back. "Chim!" He cried as he hit the ground, rolling on the dirt. He would have rolled passed Lightning, but the teen moved into his path and kneeled down as he then saw Chimplug's spiraling eyes. "No way...." Spike gasped, "In one hit?" Flash was suddenly reminded of his own battle with the current champion, which had ended almost the exact same way this match was shaping up to turn out like. "He wasn't the champion for nothing." "It's likely thanks to Belly Drum," Doc commented as Lightning returned Chimplug. Spike tilted his head at this, making Twilight speak up, "Belly Drum cuts the user's health in half, but raises its attack to its absolute maximum." "Seriously?! So Hariyama's been supercharged?" Doc nodded in agreement, "And even with itself at only half health, it's bulk is gonna make it tough to take down." In that moment, Lightning took out another Pokeball. "Pitchawk, battle ready!" He tossed the ball, unleashing a pitch black Flying-type they all recognised. "Look at that..." Flash growled, "Lightning's Scampie must have evolved." Twilight nodded in agreement, "As a Flying-type, it'll have a big advantage against a Fighting-type like Hariyama. But Grand will know that." "Shadow Ball!" Lightning yelled as as Pitchawk opened its beak, a ball of dark energy forming in front of it. "Dodge it!" Grand called out, Hariyama nodding before jumping to the side to avoid the sphere. "Wow," Flash whistled, "For a bulky fellow, he sure can move." "It won't be able to dodge this! Aerial Ace!" Pitchawk flew up before arcing around and dive-bombing, picking up speed and pulling up right before it hit the ground. Wind now swirled around the bird as it headed right for Hariyama. "Stone Edge!" Grand announced. Hariyama clenched its fist, now glowing before slamming it into the ground. This caused a line of large sharp rocks to shoot out the ground in front of Pitchawk, all the boulders instantly hitting the fast moving bird before it could even react. "HAWK!" it yelped, slamming into the ground with a squawk of pain as its eyes became spirals. "Another one-hit ko," Spike gasped. "Incredible," Twilight added, "Hariyama's attack power is already incredible, but add Belly Drum into the mix and you've got an almost unstoppable force." "And Shining was able to beat it," Flash finished as Lightning returned Pitchawk. More and more Flash saw just how powerful Grand was, making him realize how much Shining had to be. The sight made him remember back in the temple, seeing the mighty back of the champion. "Dang..." "Frillace! Battle ready!" Lightning's voice yelled out, making Flash look back at the battle. The Pokémon now appeared, showing a certain evolved Poison-Type. "Frill!" it roared as the flaps on the side of its head flared out, ready to do battle. "So his Geckoxic evolved too," Doc commented as the next fight started. "Faint Attack!" Frillace charged at blinding speed, approaching Hariyama from the front but suddenly vanishing when it got within range. Seconds later, it reappeared behind Hariyama and spun around to slam its tail into its head. But as the attack struck, Hariyama stumbled just a little. "Now, Poison Jab!" Frillace's tail spike glowed purple as it thrust it at Hariyama's back, only for the Fighting-type to leapt forward, dodging the stab. "Knock-Off!" Before Frillace could react, Hariyama spun around and backhanded the lizard, smacking it flying into one of the stones of the ruin. Lightning's eyes went wide as it saw Frillace slid down the rock, spirals now in its eyes. "No..." The others were just as shocked as Twilight gulped, "Another one down by one hit, and Hariyama's barely taken any damage." "I'm almost feeling sorry for the guy," Spike added as Lightning returned Frillace. "Maybe he should just give up and call it a loss. There's no way he's gonna beat Grand at this rate." "He won't quit," they all turned to Flash. "You can see it in his eyes." They turned to Lightning as he pulled out another Pokeball, staring at it with a hard look they had never seen him show before. It wasn't a look of anger, annoyance or calculation. It was a look of determination. A look only someone with something to prove would have. "Guardroid, battle ready!" In a flash of red, the robotic Pokémon appeared with a small thud while hitting the ground. "Guard!" It called out before its backpack opened and its rockets folded out. "He's using a Steel-type?" Spike asked. "He's getting desperate," Doc added as Lightning gave a command. "Bullet Punch!" The rockets ignited as the Guardroid charged, its fist glowing as it closed the distance between the two. And with a mighty roar of power, it threw the punch into Hariyama's chest. "YAMA!" It cried as it was pushed back, Guardroid continuing to push its fist into Hariyama. But as it did this, Hariyama planted its feet into the ground and grabbed the robot's arm, stopping them both. "Flash Cannon!" Lightning quickly commanded, the holes on its shoulders beginning to glow as it built up the power. "Toss it!" Grand ordered before Hariyama tightened its grip and pulled itself backward, dragging Guardroid around with it. It rolled onto its back and swung the robot over its head, Guardroid hitting the ground face up as its Flash Cannon fired up into the air. "Quickly," Hariyama let go and jumped up, "Stone Edge!" "HARRY!" It punched the ground again, a large rock spike shooting out from under Guardroid, throwing it into the air. "Now, Knock-Off!" Hariyama leapt up before karate chopping Guardroid in the chest, sending it crashing into the dirt. "Guard!" It yelled out in pain before it let out a groan, "Droid..." "Ouch," Flash winced, "At least it wasn't done in in one hit." "But that doesn't make it any better," Twilight added as Lightning returned Guardroid before taking out another Pokeball. "This match is done. He's just being stubborn." "I don't think Grand agrees with you," Spike chimed in as he pointed at the older trainer. They all turned to him and saw a big smile on his face. "What's he smiling at?" "He's proud," Flash instantly replied, "I think he's proud that Lightning's not willing to give up, no matter how impossible this battle is." "Sharazor, battle ready!" The ball opened, the shark Pokémon now appearing. "Razor!" "Aqua Jet!" Its body was engulfed by water before it shot forward. "Block it!" Grand announced, Hariyama holding up its hands as the shark slammed into them. Sharazor bounced off as the water dispersed, only to land and leapt at the Pokémon again. "Crunch!" Sharazor hopped over the giant hands, slamming its teeth into Hariyama's shoulder. "HARRY!" It cried in pain, Sharazor not letting go for even a second. Hariyama continued to flinch more as Sharazor's teeth grinded into him, only for the sumo Pokémon to grab it by the tail. Sharazor flinched at the pain at the Hariyama's grip, the Pokémon then pulling him off. "SHAR!" It yelped as Hariyama slammed it into the ground, then pulled it up and slammed it again. It did this again before throwing it at Lightning, the shark tumbling over to its trainer. "Get up and use Water Pulse!" Lightning yelled, the sea predator hopping up before bringing its hands together to form a sphere of water that it quickly tossed at Hariyama. The sphere struck Hariyama head on, but the bulky fighter just walked through it, "Knock-Off!" Hariyama raised its palm and swung it down faster than Sharazor could react, karate chopping it right in the head. "SHAR!" It cried before falling over, its eyes turning to spirals. "Razor..." Everyone flinched at the sight, Spike yelling over the crowd, "Just give up! You can't win!" "Stay out of this!" Lightning growled as he switched Pokeballs. "Frostoak, battle ready!" The Ice Fighting-type appeared next, ready to do battle as well. "That's a new one," Twilight commented while Spike and Flash shared a look. As this happened, Grand spoke up with a smile, "You know you can't beat me. So why are you still trying?" "I knew I couldn't beat you," Lightning hissed, "But if I can beat just one of your Pokémon, then I can call this day a success." Grand chuckled at this, "That's my boy. Now, show me what you've got." "Ice Shard!" A large icicle appeared in its hands before it threw it at Hariyama, the sumo raising a giant hand to block the attack. "Now, Blizzard!" "Frost!" It took a deep breath before unleashing a wave of freezing air, Hariyama charging as the blizzard hit dead on. Everyone was surprised at the next sight, seeing Hariyama's body freeze in place. "No way," Spike gasped, now seeing all but Hariyama's head was frozen in place. "Now's our chance! Metal Claw!" The Ice Fighting-type charged with glowing claws, leaping up and landing on its opponent's shoulders before rapidly slashing at it. "Come on," he whispered as Frostoak's barrage went on. "Just fall already." But as the slashing continued, the ice around Hariyama began to crack. "What do you think's gonna happen?" Flash asked Doc. "Either Hariyama breaks free and takes Frostoak out, or it finally loses to the Metal Claw. But even if it managed to beat Hariyama, there's no way Frostoak can beat the rest of Grand's Pokémon. Not if they're all as strong as this one." Lightning continued to watch as the ice cracked more and more, his nerves eventually giving out. "Back off, before it's too late!" Frostoak stopped slashing and leapt away, knowing its trainer's next decision. "Use another Blizzard!" But as Frostoak took a deep breath, the ice around Hariyama exploded. "HARI!" It roared while flexing its muscles, Grand giving the next command. "Force Palm!" Hariyama rushed at Frostoak, right as it unleashed the Blizzard. But as this happened, Hariyama quickly raised its other palm to block the attack, it alone freezing as the left one got in range of Frostoak. "Sorry kiddo, but it looks like you still have a way to go. DO IT!" "HARIYAMA!" It threw its unfrozen palm forward, hitting Frostoak with enough force that was sent flying into its trainer. "FROST!" He screamed as he slammed into Lightning, the teen grunting as he was knocked off his feet and fell to the floor. "Augh!" He groaned as he hit the dirt, flinching for a second before looking down at Frostoak, now seeing the spirals in its eyes. "No." "Well that's it," Doc sighed. "That was kinda painful to watch," Twilight added. "Serves him right," Spike crossed his arms. "Thinking he could beat someone like Grand." "Is it any different from when I battled Shining?" Flash asked, the others turning to him with wide-eyes. "What? He wanted to test himself. That's something all trainers should do." "Flash..." Twilight whispered, "Are you defending him?" Flash didn't reply, instead focusing on Lightning as he returned Frostoak. As he did this, Grand walked over to him, "Your Pokémon are well trained," he said, "But you've still got a long way to go before you're ready to beat Shining Armor." Lightning continued to stare at the ground as his whole body shook, not looking at Grand before getting up, "I know." he hissed turning to walk out the clearing. He passed the others, he and Flash locking eyes for the briefest of moments before he disappeared. This exchange did not go unnoticed by Grand, who took a closer look at the four before his eyes went wide. "Excuse me," they turned to him. "I couldn't help but notice....aren't you two Shining Armor's younger siblings?" "Yes," Twilight replied with a quick nod, "I'm Twilight and this is Spike." "Um...hi," Spike added, doing a small wave. "I thought so," Grand then turned to Doc. "And you're Time Turner, Trottingham City's Gym Leader. You're also the one that beat Lightning in the Hoof Cup." Doc nodded back, "Yes. It's a pleasure to meet you." "It's a pleasure to meet you too," Grand's focus then turned to the last of their group. "And that would make you Flash Sentry with the Riolu named Springer." Flash went wide-eyed at this, "You...know who I am?" "Of course, Shining's told me all about you. He expects big things from you my boy." Flash couldn't help but blush at those words, the others just as surprised as Grand Hoof began to talk to them. As soon as Lightning reached the Center, he handed his Pokémon into Nurse Redheart. "Don't worry," she told him. "Your Pokémon will all be right as rain very soon." With that, she took the tray of Pokeballs into the next room, leaving a growling Lightning as he walked into the cafeteria, getting something to eat to calm his nerves. Grabbing the food he wanted, he sat at the back of the room. And as he did this, he chose a seat behind a potted plant, making sure to stay away from anyone. He let out a sigh as he started to eat, grumbling to himself, "I don't understand. I was completely destroyed. What am I missing?" His question went unanswered as he sat there, images of the battle racing through his mind. But as they swam through his head, a series of voices took him out of his memories. "My my," said a familiar voice, making him glance around the plant to see his grandfather walk into the room with Flash and the others. "Those are some interesting tales." They all grabbed something to eat and sat down in the center of the room, none of them noticing Lightning. "You must all be very skilled trainers if you all faced such incredible obstacles and came out okay." "Thank you," Twilight replied as they sat down. "But we couldn't have done it alone." "Yeah!" Flash added as he scratched Springer under the chin, "It's thanks to our Pokémon that we were able to get this far." Grand nodded in agreement, "Aye, I couldn't agree with you more. Pokémon truly are the greatest thing on this big old planet. They have the power to bring people who would normally never get the chance to meet together." He let out a sigh at this, "But they also have the power to tear them apart if they are used wrong." Everyone else frowned at this, getting a feeling he was talking from experience. "But no doubt they do more good than bad." "You really do care about Pokémon." Spike nodded as he chimed in, "Kinda makes it hard to believe Lightning's your grandson." Twilight then nudged Spike in the side, shooting him a glare. But before Spike could counter, Grand sighed again, "I know. Lightning's actually a good boy but....he's just...misguided." "Forgive me if I find that hard to believe," Flash instantly replied, "Especially after what we saw at camp." "I figured as much." Grand responded while shaking his head, "I heard you were at the camp as well. Professor Celestia told me what he did there....I still can't believe he did those things." The whole group stared at him with wide eyes, Spike asking, "Um...no offense, but have you met your grandson? Its totally believable he would do those things! He's a huge jerk!" "Spike!" Twilight snapped as she nudged him again, "Don't say such things!" "Oh, come on!" Spike barked back, "Don't you remember what he tried to do to Harry and Fluttershy?! She's not even a trainer and he tried to-" "That's enough Spike!" Twilight interrupted as she smacked his shoulder, "No more." "Its fine Twilight Sparkle." Grand chimed in, making them turn back to the former champion, "I know everything he did. Its just..." he sighed again as he turned to the center's windows, staring out at the distance, "He used to be a good kid." The Past... On the busy streets of Canterlot City, Grand Hoof was heading for the exit of the town. "GRANDPA!" Grand stopped and turned to the voice, smiling as he saw a young boy running up to him. He had yellow skin and spiky white hair, wearing a red T-shirt with a lightning bolt on it and yellow shorts. "Hello Lightning," he replied while squatting down so they were eye level. "Shouldn't you be in school?" "I wanted to see you off," the seven year old responded, "You're gonna go fight some bad guys, aren't you?" "Maybe..." Grand chuckled as he patted Lightning's head. "I'm just investigating a rumor right now, but it might turn out to be something else." "Eh, you'll be fine. You're the coolest!" Lightning cheered, "My grandpa, the strongest trainer in Equestria. The strongest trainer who has and will ever live!" "Oh, I don't know about that. There are many great trainers out there. Maybe one day I'll find myself up against a trainer that's better than me." "No way!" Lightning barked while shaking his head, "You're the strongest and no one's ever gonna beat you! You'll be Champion until the end of time!" "Now that sounds boring." Grand chuckled, making Lightning go wide-eyed, "If I was Champion that long, I'd never get to spend any time with you. And besides, I'm getting old. It's not so bad now, but one day my old bones won't be able to take the strain of being Champion. I'll need someone younger to do the heavy lifting as Champion while I get to finally sit back, relax and maybe learn to play bridge." Lightning tilted his head at this, look of pure confusion on his face before he said, "Well...then I'll become champion!" "Oh?" "Yeah! I'll become a trainer, beat you and take your title. Then you can relax and I'll do all that heavy lifting. Plus, we can spend more time together doing Champion things." Grand laughed and patted his head, "I like your enthusiasm. If you wanna be Champion, then go for it. But it won't be easy. You'll need to work hard." "I will!" Lightning replied while nodding, "And you need to promise to stay Champion until I'm ready to beat you!" "I'll do my best. But someone else might beat you to the punch, so you'd better become a trainer as fast as you can." The two laughed at this, Grand then saying goodbye to his grandson. The Present... "Whoa..." Flash whispered, "Hard to believe we're talking about the same person." "I agree. What in the world happened to make him who he is?" Twilight asked with wide-eyes, "It must have been something big." "That's just it. It wasn't really anything big," Grand sighed. "I lost to Shining Armor. Seeing me lose seemed to crush him and...I don't know why, but he couldn't comprehend it." The response made the group exchange glances, Spike speaking up, "Uh....you're not serious, right? I mean, you lose once and he became a huge jerk?" "I figured you kids wouldn't understand, just like Celestia. She told me that that couldn't be why he's like that...but its the truth." Grand replied, shaking his head. "You see, all his life up until that point, Lightning was also the Champion's grandson. When that was no longer the case, he couldn't process the change." "So...you were Champion his whole life up until then?" Doc asked next. Grand nodded back. "I became Champion a few weeks after his birth. It was actually Lightning that inspired me to become Champion." Everyone raised an eyebrow at this as he continued, "You see, I had been a trainer since I was about your age. I went on a journey for most of my youth, eventually meeting the women that would become Lightning's grandmother. When we got married and she became pregnant, we settled down to raise Lightning's father." He sighed again, "And during that time, my wife left this world." He now saw the frowns on their faces, Grand rubbing his face for a second before saying, "Sorry. Just...you understand. Anyways, my son never became a trainer. He met Lightning's mother and got married very young. With him old enough to look after himself, I wasn't sure what to do with my life. But then my son told me he was gonna become a father and that made me realize what I had to do." "Become Champion?" Flash asked, Grand nodding again before standing up and moving over to the window. "Being Champion was a means to an end. What I wanted more than anything was to create an Equestria that my grandchild could grow up in that was safe and free of all danger. Back then, there were many groups causing trouble in Equestria. People feared becoming trainers because they were scared of becoming targets of these groups, so I decided to do something about it." "That's why you became Champion?" "Yes." Grand responded, a look of nostalgia on his face, "I trained my Pokémon as hard as I could, facing off against anyone who was willing to battle me. Along the way, many of those groups came across my path and I took them all down....and eventually, I stood at the top of Equestria and became its Champion. That's when my true battle began." He turned back to the group. "Tell me, do you know how the title of Champion came about in this world?" They all shook their heads. "It was from long ago, before the formation of the Pokémon League. The rulers of the region would hold a contest to find the strongest trainer and that trainer would earn the title, Champion. And as Champion, they were who the ruler sent whenever a threat to their nation arose." As Grand said this, a memory went through Flash's head as he said, "Shining Armor said the same thing to us. He said that being a region's champion means you are it's protector and guardian. Your main focus in life will be to fight against any threat that might come up against Equestria. Everything else comes second, no matter how much you want it." "He's absolutely right," Grand replied, "Everything else does come second." He sighed again, "During my tenure as Champion, I ended up missing all but three of Lightning's birthdays because I was on the other side of the region taking down gangs of thieves and black-market traders." "Oh..." Twilight added with a slight frown, "Do you think that hurt Lightning?" "I don't know. I...think it did." Grand let out a long sigh at this, "I honestly could never really tell. Each time I saw him afterward, I'd apologize for missing it but he always said he understood. But to be honest, I couldn't tell if he was actually fine or he was just hiding it. If I'm honest...I think he thought me being champion meant I didn't care about him." "No. I was fine." Everyone gasped and turned to see Lightning stand up from behind the plant, "And I did understand." He said with a long growl, glaring at Grand, "I knew what you did was important. I wasn't upset that you weren't always around, I was proud. Proud to call myself your grandson. Growing up, I wanted to be just like you." But as he said those words, he let out a low hiss as his glare turned almost vicious, "Until I learned the truth." "The truth?" "I was there that day," Lightning spat, "There the day you lost to Shining Armor." Six years ago... The crowd cheered as the final match of the Equestria League was under way. Grand and Shining were both down to their last Pokémon, Galladin and Hariyama. And as the battle continued, in the crowd cheering louder than anybody else was a ten year old Lightning Blitz. "Come on Grandpa!" He yelled, "You've got this! Show this loser why you're the champion!" "Force Palm!" Grand ordered as Hariyama charged, ready to smash its giant hand into Galladin. "Iron Defense!" Shining commanded, Galladin raising its shield to block the attack, his shield glowing as his defensive power rose. "Now, Sacred Sword!" Galladin leapt back before charging at high speed, both his hidden blades shooting out before he swung them at Hariyama in an X formation. "HARI!" It cried as it staggered back. "Stone Edge!" Hariyama then slammed the ground, unleashing a line of stones that struck Galladin. "Gall!" It yelped as it was knocked back, almost falling off its feet. "You okay?" Shining asked, Galladin nodding. "Then let's win this thing!" "Galladin!" It yelled as its armor suddenly began to drop off its body, increasing its speed and strength. Galladin then morphed into a blur, charging at even higher speeds. "Slash, rapid fire!" With that, Galladin began dancing around Hariyama, slashing it at every angle. Each strike was a hundred times stronger than before, Hariyama feeling intense pain with each strike. And before it could react, it leapt in front of Hariyama with its two glowing swords. "This is over! Sacred Sword!" "Gall!" Galladin raised both its arms before a single shining light shot out to form a blade three times Galladin's height. "Galar...DIN!" It swung the powerful blade down, striking Hariyama with a slice so powerful, an explosion followed that shook the entire stadium. "GRANDPA!" Lightning cried as the smoke blocked his view, tears going down the young lad's face at the scene. And as the fog cleared, it revealed an image that made Lightning's heart stop. His father's Hariyama was laid out on the floor, swirls in its eyes. Mic: "HE'S DONE IT! SHINING ARMOR'S GALLADIN HAS KO'D GRAND'S HARIYAMA! THE WINNER, AND EQUESTRIA'S NEW CHAMPION, IS SHINING ARMOR!!!!" Lightning's eyes were wider than they ever could be, his brain frying as he saw his grandfather, the strongest trainer in Equestria, now lose. "It can't be..." He then turned to Grand, expecting to see him be angry and vowing to reclaim his title....only to see a giant smile. "What?!" The Present... "You smiled," Lightning growled, his eyes almost becoming slits as he hissed at his grandfather, "You had just lost everything and you smiled! You were...happy that the title you'd protected for so long had been handed off to some nobody!" Everyone turned to Grand, Twilight having to stop Spike from yelling at him about Shining Armor as Grand replied, "Yes, I was happy I lost." The others went wide-eyed at the statement, Lightning's teeth gritting as he now clenched his fists at Grand. Despite the sight, Grand shined a big smile, "I was happy because I could finally hand my duties to someone else and spend more time with my family." "What?!" Lightning yelled, slamming his fist on a nearby table, shaking it, "You were happy everything you had worked for was destroyed?! Are you freaking kidding me?!" Grand just blinked at this, tilting his head, "Destroyed? What are you talking about? I might no longer be the Champion, but that doesn't change everything I did since earning that title." Lightning opened his mouth to counter, only for Grand to continue, "Lightning, six years after becoming Champion, I completely disbanded the gangs infesting Equestria. I had accomplished what I had set out to do. You got to grow up in a safe environment and didn't have anything to scare you out of following your dream. During my sixth term, I found there was almost nothing to do as Champion, so all I did was train and investigate the occasional wild Zangoose chase. I didn't need to be Champion anymore." "So you gave up..." Lightning hissed, "What, did you go easy on Shining Armor? You were just tired, so you gave up something so important to some-" "No, I didn't." Grand interrupted, "I'll have you know Lightning that between me no longer wanting to be Champion and Shining beating me, I remained Champion for another four years. If I had decided to just give up my title, you really think I would wait that long before throwing a battle? No, I continued to battle my hardest in every match I had up until then because it was my duty to find my successor." "Successor?!" Lightning barked, "You disgraced our family name so you could leave your title to a nobody that doesn't deserve squat!" "He does deserve it Lightning. I made sure of it." Grand replied while crossing his arms, "Being Champion isn't something you can just walk away from, it's a title that can only be earned by someone worthy of it. If I had just not tried and let whatever trainer faced me win, then I would I know if they had what it took to keep Equestria safe. No, I fought with everything I had....and that's why I smiled when Shining beat me. Because I had finally found a trainer worthy of protecting the region in my stead." Everyone smiled at these words, only for Lightning to kick the table down this time, "Shut up. Don't give me that load of... If you were really giving it your all, why was your team almost entirely new?!" He then walked up to Grand, his whole form shaking in pure anger, "I idolised you as a kid. Every spare moment I had, I spent watching your famous battles. More than anything, I watched the battle that won you your title almost every day. The Pokémon you had with you during your battle weren't the same ones you used before. The only one from your original team was Hariyama, and the rest were all losers who couldn't hold a candle to your original team! That's why you lost! Because nobody could win with those failures!" Grand leaned up to Lightning's face, "It's one thing to badmouth me, but don't you dare badmouth the Pokémon I call my friends." "I'll badmouth any weakling. They deserve it!" Lightning yelled, spit flying out of his mouth and into Grand's face, "Your worthless 'friends' cost you everything that mattered! If you had used real Pokémon like your original team, you would have won!" "I didn't use the Pokémon on my original team because I didn't have any of them." Grand instantly replied in a deadpan tone, "Many of them I chose to set free for various reasons while others retired from battling because it was their time or they had had enough of battling. The Pokémon I used might not have been as powerful, but they were still strong and gave Shining Armor a run for his money...and I'm proud to call them my partners and friends." Lightning just looked away, hissing at those words as Grand continued, "I think you'll find I won't be the only Champion to change his team between the beginning and end of his tenure. Shining Armor will probably be using different Pokémon then the ones he used against me." "And that's why he'll lose to me," Lightning growled. Grand shook his head at this, "You couldn't even beat one of mine Lightning, do you really think you'll be able to beat him? I'll admit you're a talented trainer, but you still lack a crucial element that'll allow you to reach your true potential." "And what's that?" Lightning asked with a roll of his eyes. Instead of answering, Grand turned to Flash. "What do you think that is?" Everyone but Lightning turned to Flash, the teen blinking at the question before replying, "Well...a while back, I lost a battle against the FIllydelphia Gym leader. Afterwards, he asked me a question. What truly makes a Pokémon Trainer strong?" "And what was your answer?" "A reason for being strong. Not just having power, but having something to use that power to accomplish things." Flash then turned to Lightning, "You were Grand's reason to be strong. Wanting to make a world where you could be safe in spurred him on, allowing him to one day earn his title....and that's what the both of us lack." Flash glanced back at Grand. "I haven't found a reason to be strong yet, but I'm gonna keep searching until I find it. And until then, I'll train as hard as I can so that when I do find a reason, I'll be ready." Grand nodded at this, "That's good." He turned back to Lightning, only to see anger on the teen's face, "Well kiddo? Do you get it?" "Oh please, I already have a reason to be strong. To become Champion." "You'll need more than that." "No, I don't. I'll become Champion and return that honor to our family. And when I am Champion, I'll hold that title until the day I die. Unlike you, I won't go soft and start using weaklings like the Pokémon you and this loser use!" And as Grand began to open his mouth up to reply, a ringing sound rang out above them. "Lightning Blitz, your Pokémon are ready for pickup." Lightning said nothing more as he shoved past Grand, growling as he went to the reception desk. The others followed and watched as he retrieved his Pokémon, then headed to the exit. "Lightning..." he stopped for a second and turned back to his grandfather, "You should really listen to what this boy has to say. There's only so much training alone can do." Lightning remained silent before pointing at Flash, "You say he knows the true way to grow stronger, yet he's never once beaten me." Grand raised an eyebrow at this, surprise on his face as he continued, "We've battled twice before, the first time ending in a draw and the second time ended in my victory. And if you want to know, its because he chooses weaklings as his team, just like you!" "That was a long time ago," Flash cut in, "Me and my Pokémon have grown a lot stronger since then!" "And so have mine, and I know I'm better than you!" "Then let's battle!" Flash yelled, "Right here, right now! We'll see you beats who." But as Flash said that, Lightning shook his head. "No. Not here. If I'm gonna beat you, it won't be in a forest Pokémon Center in the middle of nowhere. It'll be in a stadium where hundreds of people can watch me prove I'm the best trainer while I beat your team into the ground!" "He may surprise you," Grand told him. "I doubt it," Lightning chuckled. "But if, by some miracle, he does beat me, I may decide to believe what you're say isn't total hogwash." "Then I'll beat you!" Flash chimed in, Lightning turning to glare at him again, "The next time we battle, I'll beat you and prove there's more to Pokémon than you think." Lightning laughed again. "Yeah, good look with that." And with that, the teen turned and stepped out the door to disappear into the forest. And as the doors closes, Flash clenched his hands as he growled, "I will beat him." "I hope you do," Grand told him, the others turning to the former champion, "It is a dark path Lightning has chosen to walk down. One I fear he may not chose to turn away from before it is too late." He then stared Flash in the eye. "Losing to me or Shining will not be enough to save him. Only someone like you will be able to show him the light." "Are you asking me to save Lightning from himself?" Grand nodded, "Okay. I'll do my best." "I know you will." It was several more hours before Grand and his new friends chose to go their separate ways. "Well, this has certainly been an interesting day. Good luck in your next gym battle Flash, I expect to see you at the Equestria League." "Oh, I'll be there." "Then I guess this is it," Grand chuckled. "Just one thing before we go," Twilight asked. "You were looking at those large stones before, but why? Are they important?" "That's what I came to find out," Grand replied, "I might not be the Champion anymore, but I still want to help whenever there's trouble. So when Shining told me about the temple incident, I decided to start looking into other ancient locations that might be of interest." "Wait...you're going after Team Shadow too?" Grand nodded back. "From what we can gather, Team Shadow have been hiding under the radar since before even I was Champion. They might have been able to hide themselves from me before, but now I know they're out there and I won't rest until they're brought down. That's why I was around here. If those stones are hiding a secret, Team Shadow might be interested in them. That means they're the perfect bait to trap them." "So what do you think?" Spike asked next, "Are the stones special?" "I haven't determined that yet. But if they are, I'll let Shining and the others know." "Well I hope you'll inform us too" Doc added. "Yeah!" Flash and Springer both punched their fists into their palms, "I'm itching to get some payback on them for last time! If they think they can cause problems for Equestria, they've got another thing coming!" Grand laughed at this, "I'll be sure to let you know. But right now, you should just focus on your next gym battle." Flash nodded before the group walked away, Grand watching them leave. As he did, he couldn't help be see an image of Shining Armor overlay itself on Flash. "Don't lose that selfless caring spirit boy. It'll take you far." Having met the former Equestrian Champion and learned about his and Lightning's past, they continue their journey to Cloudsdale City. One can only wonder what adventures await them. As the journey continues.