//------------------------------// // Mystical Meetings // Story: Pokémon: Equestrian Adventures // by Banshee531 //------------------------------// Mic: "BATTLE BEGIN!" The final battle of the Hoofington Battle Tournament's first round was on, with Lightning facing off against Micro Chips, Sandalwood and Spark Plug. The winner of the battle would join Flash, Twilight and Rainbow in the second round and it would be between the battle of Frillace, Soundrop, Oaking and Volemming. "Poison Jab!" Frillace charged as the stringer on the end of its tail glowed purple. It reached Oaking before any of the others could react, thrusting the stinger into its chest, making it flinch as the poison was injected into it. "Oak!" It cried while staggering back, Frillace smirking until it heard Micro's voice. "Hyper Voice!" Frillace turned to the Soundrop as its speakers began to shake. "SOUND!" Powerful sonic blasts rocketed out of the speakers, slamming Frillace's ears. The toxic lizard grunted a it tried to cover its ears, giving Oaking time to recover. "Oh?" Lightning chuckled, "Ganging up on me, huh?" "This won't be like our last battle," Micro pushed his glasses up. "Sandalwood and I will do whatever it takes to knock you out of this tournament." "That's right!" Sandal nodded before turning to Spark Plug. "Give us a hand, alright?" Spark raised an eyebrow at this before nodding, "Okay," he turned back to the battle as the Hyper Voice stopped, "Use Ice Shard!" Volemming opened its mouth as a jagged piece of ice appeared, firing right at Frillace. "Dodge it!" Frillace leapt into the air, "Now use Venoshock!" Frillace's frills shot up as it spat a burst of purple goop down on the ground, hitting it between Volemming and Soundrop. The goop exploded, unleashing a barrage of purple lightning that struck the two. "VOL!" Volemming cried in pain as it was zapped, Soundrop just standing strong, not flinching from the shock. Mic: "Volemming's taking some serious damage, but Soundrop looks completely fine." Celestia: "That's because Steel-types are immune to Poison-type attacks. Lightning will find himself having a hard time dealing damage if he only uses Poison-types attacks." "Leaf Storm!" Oaking's bush-like hair began to glow as a wind swept up around it, leaves appearing in that wind that spiraled into a tornado around the living tree. Oaking then thrust its hands forward, sending the leaf-filled wind at Frillace. The Pokémon braced itself for the blow, the leaves slamming into its body, slashing at it while it flinched. "Use Faint Attack!" As the leaves began to get fewer, Frillace charged at blinding speed. It came at Oaking from the front, then suddenly vanished when it got within range. Seconds later, it reappeared behind Oaking, spinning around to slam its tail into its head. "Oak!" It cried while staggering back, Frillace landing just as Micro gave his next command. "Metal Sound!" Soundrop began to unleash another soundwave, this one sounding more like nails on a chalkboard. And unlike the Hyper Voice, it flew out across the entire field, hitting every Pokémon. "Frill/Oak/Vol!" They all cried while covering their ears, Lightning, Sandal and Spark doing the same. "Micro!" Sandal yelped over the sound, "Stop it dude! You're weakening our Pokémon too!" Micro growled and ordered his Soundrop to stop, the sound vanishing as Sandal called out, "Terror Root!" Oaking glowed as the ground began to shake before exploding, giant roots coming out next. Frillace looked up, glaring at the attack before leaping side to side. Dodging each blow with ease, Volemming slowly made his way over to the Fillace. But as it tried to do this, it fell into the line of fire as one of the roots slammed into it. "VOL!" It screamed as it was whipped away, rolling across the field. "Volemming!" Spark yelled before shooting a glare at Sandal, the teen giving him a sheepish smile, not having the time to apologize. It was here that Frillace got up close and personal to Oaking, jumping around and on the roots until it got close enough to strike. "Poison Jab!" Frillace spun around on command, thrusting its glowing tail stinger into its chest. "Oak!" It cried as more venom was pumped into it, Frillace leaping away while Oaking began to stagger back. And before it could do anything, it flinched as purple lightning sparked around its body. "OAKING!" Mic: "OUCH! First a burn, and now a poisoning! This round's full on status afflictions today!" Luna: "That'll cause issues for Oaking over time. Not to mention Frillace's Venoshock will do even more damage to it. If Sandal wants to win this, he'll need to act fast." "Use Supersonic!" Micro yelled as Soundrop unleashed let another type of soundwave, this one intending to confuse the enemy. "Dodge it!" Lightning ordered before Frillace leapt to the side, the soundwaves shooting past it and instead hit the Pokémon behind it, being a one Volemming. "Vol!" It cried as the Supersonic began to mess with its head, causing it to slowly go dizzy. "Stop!" Spark yelped, Micro gulping before ordering Soundrop to stop its attack. "Brutal Swing!" Frillace ran over to Soundrop and grabbed it by the handle chords, spinning around like a top before letting it go. "Frill!" He grunted as Soundrop was sent flying, unable to stop itself as it flew through the air. Frillace had aimed it perfectly, Soundrop now falling toward the intended target: Volemming. "Get out of there!" Spark screamed, but Volemming was still suffering from the confusion. As such, it didn't recover until seconds before Soundrop slammed into it. "VOL!" It screeched when the living stereo fell onto it, causing its instincts to kick in. "VOLEMMING!" It yelled before using Discharge, accidently zapping Soundrop. "DROOOOP!" It cried as its systems were electrocuted, Volemming slowly managing to push it off of it as the lightning died down. Mic: "Geez! These three were trying to work together in order to defeat Lightning, but they keep getting in one another's way." Celestia: "One of the possible drawbacks of working as a team. No real teamwork." "Come on guys!" Spike yelled, "Pull it together and beat that jerk!" "It's not really surprising," Twilight said with a long sigh, "None of them have probably battled like this before. They don't just need to think about how their moves affect their opponent, but also their teammates." "Lightning knew these three would trip over one another," Doc added while shaking his head, "He's smart." "Use Leaf Storm!" Sandal commanded as Oaking summoned the tornado, launching the leaves at Frillace. The Pokémon braced for the attack, enduring the blow as Soundrop managing to rock back to its feet while Spark gave Volemming his next order. "Dig!" The electric rodent leapt into the air before diving down just as Soundrop pointed itself at Frillace. "Time to pull out the big guns," Micro said before pointing at Frillace. "Steel Beam!" Soundrop's handle split apart as a silver-blue orb appeared between the tubes, the sphere growing brighter by the sound. "FIRE!" "SOUND!" It roared as the ball exploded into a beam that rocketed across the field, making the ground shake beneath it as it flew toward Frillace. Lightning growled at the sight before pointing at his Pokémon, "Dodge that now!" Frillace used all its speed to leap out of the way of the blast, the laser just skimming its back and burning it. "Frill!" It flinched as the beam faded, Soundrop's body suddenly starting to spark as it cried out in pain. Luna: "Steel Beam. A powerful move, but one that causes recoil damage. Not to be used lightly." As Frillace picked itself up, the ground exploded before Volemming flew out and slammed into the poison lizard. "Frill!" It staggered back as Volemming tried to jump away, but before it could, Frillace surged forward and bit into its tail. "Vol!" "Poison Jab!" Frillace raised its tail as it glowed, as Oaking running over at this. "Slam!" Oaking prepared to attack, only for its posion to flare up, making it freeze up in pain. This allowed Frillace to stab its stinger into Volemming, making it flinch as the poison flew through its body. "Finish this!" Lightning roared, "Brutal Swing!" Frillace began to swing its head around, pulling Volemming around by the tail. It spun the rodent around, picking up immense speed before finally slamming it down into the dirt. "VOL!" It screamed in pain before its body gave out, spirals now in its eyes. Mic: "Volemming's KO'd! As such, Spark Plug is now eliminated!" The crowd didn't even get a chance to cheer as Lightning gave his next command. "Venoshock!" Frillace turned to Oaking and launched the poison orb. The sphere hit the ground at Oaking's feet, exploding and zapping it with deadly precision. "OAKING!" It screamed, the attack doing extra damage due to the poison. "Hyper Voice!" Micro yelled, causing Soundrop to unleash the sonic blast at Frillace, pushing it back while it covered its ears. "That's it! Push him back!" As this was happening, Oaking had recovered as Sandal gave his next instruction,"Focus Blast!" Oaking brought its hands together as a yellow ball of energy appeared between them, the orb growing larger by the second. Once big enough, it threw the orb at Frillace's back. "Behind you!" Lightning said as Frillace barely managed to hear it, turning to see the orb coming right for him. It began to leap away, only for the sphere to explode, knocking the lizard back. "LACE!" It flew through the air before crashing, now stuck between Oaking and Soundrop. But despite the damage it had taken, it quickly pushed itself back to its feet with a low growl. Mic: "Whoa! Talk about grit!" Grand: "But how much more can Frillace take?" Frillace's eyes shifted between Soundrop and Oaking, then turned back to Oaking and smirked before giving it a 'bring it' gesture. "You are so done!" Sandal yelled, "Use Focus Blast!" "And if it tries to escape, hit it with Steel Beam!" The two Pokémon formed the orbs, Soundrop ready to fire if Frillace tried to dodge. Oaking threw the orb next, ready to hit the toxic lizard. It had no place to safely run without getting slammed by Steel Beam, but despite the massive damage about to hit it, Frillace and Lightning just grinned at this sight. "NOW!" Lightning roared as Frillace dropped and fell onto its back, causing the orb to fly over it. This shocked Micro, Sandal and their Pokémon, the four so surprised that they didn't have time to counter what was about to happen. KABOOM! The Focus Blast slammed into Soundrop and exploded, the stereo screaming as it was blown backward. The force of the blow also made it fire its attack upward, missing everything. Mic: "OH! What an upset! Lightning was able to turn the two's expected final strike against them." Celestia: "Soundrop's both a Steel and Normal-type, which gives it a four times weakness to Fighting-type attacks like Focus Blast." "This is just too easy," Lightning laughed before pointing at Oaking. "Get in close!" Frillace charged at the Pokémon, Sandal growling at the sight. "Terror Root!" Oaking glowed as the Frenzy Plant knockoff exploded out of the ground, trying to strike Frillace, who managed to avoid the attacks as it got closer and leapt into the air. This was when Oaking was hit with another surge of poison, giving Frillace the opening it needed. "Venoshock!" Frillace unleashed the toxic goop orb, hitting Oaking right in the chest. "OAKING!" It screamed in pain while the root retreated into the ground, Frillace now getting pulled back to the ground by gravity. "Finish this now! Poison Jab!" Before Oaking could react, Frillace threw its stinger forward and stabbed the Pokémon again. More poison flooded into the Oaking's system, a blast of purple lighting coming next as the Pokémon slumped over from the blow. "OAK!" Was all it could cry before its eyes were replaced with spirals. Mic: "Oaking's KO'd! Sandalwood is out!" "HA! Too easy!" Lightning cackled as Micro growled at the sight of Sandalwood returning his Oaking. The teen turned to him as Soundrop picked itself up. The damage done by the Focus Blast had done some serious damage to the stereo Pokémon, but Frillace wasn't firing on all cylinders either. "Metal Sound!" Soundrop unleashed the ear shattering screech, striking Frillace and forcing him to cover his ears again. "Now, Hyper Voice!" Soundrop quickly changed the sound from a screeching to a powerful burst of pure sound, striking Frillace head on. "Don't you dare let that stop you!" Lightning barked, "Get out of there and use Faint Attack!" Frillace leapt out of the attack's range, quickly zipping around the Pokémon before it could react. Due to its design, Soundrop couldn't follow it, having to carefully bounce on the spot to face Frillace. But every time it got the lizard in sight, it had already run further around it. Frillace got around Soundrop several times before finally reaching its behind. "Faint Attack!" Frillace got close as the living stereo jumped around, facing Frillace as it was about to strike. But before it could counter with another sonic blast, Frillace vanished before appearing behind it and spinning around. "Lace!" It roared while slamming its tail into Soundrop's back, knocking it forward, causing it to roll along the ground. "Now, let's finish this!" Lightning called out, "Brutal Swing!" Frillace ran up to the rolling Soundrop, the Pokemon coming to a stop before spinning around to face the opponent. "Steel Beam!" Soundrop created another orb of light that it fired right at Frillace. They all expected the toxic lizard to dodge, but Frillace just held both claws hands up to block the beam. It hissed as its claws were burnt, tears appearing in its eyes, but it didn't let that stop it. With as much power as it could, Frillace pushed itself forward and shortened the gap between it and Soundrop. And as it got within a foot, the Steel Beam ended while Soundrop cried out from the recoil. "Sound!" It hissed while the lightning sparked around it, Frillace smirking as it reached down and grabbed the tubes in its burnt claws. "Frill," it used all its strength to lift Soundrop into the air before spinning it around until, "LACE!" It let it go, the Speaker Pokémon now flying through the air. Soundrop unable to save itself, it landed with a mighty crash, the sound of its fall shaking the stadium. "SOUND!" It roared in pain as it felt its systems give out, completely shutting down as its eyes became swirls. Mic: "Soundrop's KO'd! With that, the winner going through to the next round is Lightning Blitz!" The crowd applauded, though it was nowhere near as loud as compared to the other battles. Lightning didn't even notice though, just returning to Frillace with a chuckle. Once that was done, he turned to Micro as he picked Soundrop up. At the same time, Sandal and Spark Plug moved over to him. "Well, I guess that battle wasn't a total waste of time, even if you were just weaklings." He turned away from them, "I give you points for surviving longer than a minute." With that, he walked off the field with a triumphant grin on his face as the megascreen activated and showed his face along with Flash, Rainbow and Twilight. Mic: "There we have it folks. The four heading into the second round of the Battle Tournament are Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Flash Sentry and Lightning Blitz! Due to Twilight Sparkle only having three Pokémon, the next round will consist of two three on three matches. The match ups for tomorrow's battle will be decided tomorrow, so we hope to see you all then!" Several hours later... As the sun began to set, the group was now in the Pokémon Center, waiting for their Pokémon to be healed up. The only ones not there were Doc, Pinkie and Lightning, Lightning having left to train for tomorrow while Doc and Pinkie were busy in the kitchen. "Hello everyone," Redheart announced as she and her Wigglytuff walked out from the recovery room. Wigglytuff was pushing a trolley with Springer sitting on it, which also had trays of Pokeballs. "Thank you for waiting. I'm happy to report your Pokémon are all completely fighting fit." Everyone nodded as they walked up to take their Pokeballs, each unleashing the Pokémon they had used in the battles of the day. This was followed by giving each Pokémon some praise for the hard work they had done, the losers of their matches not caring about what had happened. Twilight also took Doc and Pinkie's Pokeballs as the group headed into the cafeteria, the trainers beginning to set up the bowls of Pokémon food. Once everything was set up, they took out their Pokeballs and unleashed the horde of hungry mouths. In a flash of light, Skyler, Riptide, Prongs, Viper, Hopper, Owlicious, Tank, Movine, Gliscor, Fletchinder, Hawlucha, Angel, Seabreeze, Winona, Brawloey, DaisyJo, Lombre, Bloomberg, Opal, Herbarald, Aquapphire, Beautifly, Magitual, Girafarig and Slowpoke all appeared besides the other Pokémon. They all quickly ran over to the bowl with their favorite food, (With the exception of Slowpoke, who Trixie had to push the bowl over to) and began to chow down. Doc then pushed a large cart of food into the room as he announced, "Grubs up!" He yelled as everyone turned to him, their lips watering at the sight of a giant feast. Pinkie followed him in, carrying a massive three layered cake above her head. "And look what I've got for dessert!" "WOW!" Rainbow yelped as Pinkie put it into the center of the table, everyone and their Pokémon unable to take their eyes off of it. "That's the most beautiful thing I've every seen..." "Thanks," Pinkie giggled as Twilight turned to hand her and Doc their Pokeballs. The two then tossed them, now summoning the rest of their Pokémon. Higear, Tockwork, Lairon, Gummy, Mellowmarsh, Jigglypuff and Bloxx all appeared, ready to join the rest of the Pokémon in the buffet. Twilight then focused back on the cake, a question appearing in her head. "Pinkie...how did you make something like this so quickly?" Pinkie gave her another smile as she prepared to snap her fingers, "It's easy when you've got great help." On cue of the snap, another Pokémon stepped into the room. It looked like a giant pile of white whipped cream with blue eyes and six blueberries in its 'hair'. "Is that an Alcreamie?" Sunset asked, only to now remember the Milcery Pinkie had had during summer camp. "So it evolved." "That's right!" Pinkie picked Alcreamie up and hugged it tightly. "She's the best baking assistant ever!" Alcreamie giggled back while Luna turned to her sister, Celestia now staring at the cake like it was her lost child. "Sister..." Luna put her hands on her hips, "I hope you aren't intending to go overboard in tasting this cake." "Of...of course not," Celestia managed to pry her eyes away from it. "I'm not completely gluttonous. Just a slice or two will be enough...maybe three." Luna gave her a deadpan stare, "Do I need to remind you when I stopped you from catching a Slurpuff a few weeks ago because of things like this?" "No. No you do not." Celestia hissed, silently gesturing to hide a Pokeball in her jean pocket. The others laughed as the two glared at each other, both soon enjoying the buffet Doc had prepared with the rest of the group. They spent the next long while talking about what each of them had been doing since the last time they were together. Flash's group was considered to be the most interesting, mainly due to their adventure at the city of Vocanctus. "You met another legendary?" Sunset asked while eating a piece of cake. "We didn't just meet it," Spike replied as Peewee finished his meal and hopped over to sit on Spike's head. "We freed it from being controlled by a psychopath, and saved an entire town from getting wiped out by a giant tidal wave." The entire cafeteria went silent at this, the four blinking at the sight as everyone froze up. A bit of food fell off Rainbow's fork at this, the teen quickly catching it with her mouth. Doc did a slight shrug at this, "Well, we didn't really save them. We helped the girl with the power to stop the disaster." "Ah have so many questions," Applejack commented. "I think we all do," Grand added, "But maybe that's best left for another time." "He's right," Celestia finished as she gulped down the last of her food. She then reached over to take an extra large slice of cake. "For now, Flash, Twilight and Rainbow need to focus on their battles tomorrow." Sunset turned to Twilight at this, "Any idea which of your Pokémon you're going to use?" "Not like I have much choice," Twilight sighed before turning back to Shine, Peewee and Owlicious. "I'll be relying on you three." The Pokémon looked up from their bowls of food and gave roars, neighs and hoots of agreement. "I guess you're at a disadvantage," Rarity added, "Whichever opponent you have will know exactly which Pokémon you're using, and they'll pick ones with an advantage against it." "Maybe..." Twilight replied while looking away, "But...I think I'll be fine. It takes more than knowing what your opponent's using to win a battle." She put her plate down and let out a sigh, feeling absolutely stuffed. Shine also appeared full, the Ponyta pushing her bowl away before turning to her trainer. Twilight glanced down and patted her head, knowing what she wanted. "I think I'm gonna go for a walk with Shine." "You sure?" Sunset asked, "We can come too if you want." Twilight shook her head, "No, you guys keep eating if you want. I need to walk off that great meal." The others nodded back as Twilight lead Shine out of the cafeteria. As they left, they spotted Lightning over at the counter. He had just picked up his Pokeball and put it away, turning to leave without even appearing to notice her. Twilight sighed before following, walking out of the center and seeing Lightning heading up the street. Not wanting to deal with him, they spun around and went down a different road, soon making their way through the town and walking up to the stadium. Shine ran around it here, going up to a railing that was over the large lake by the arena. However, the railing kept her from getting a good view, making her pout. This made Twilight laugh before she bent down to pick her Pokémon up, the two then looking over the lake, smiling at the beautiful sight of the moon's reflection. "So beautiful," she whispered while Shine neighed in agreement. The two continued to walk around the edge of the lake, marvelling at the beautiful night that it was. "It's moments like these that I'm really glad I went on this journey," Twilight said to herself as they got to the far side of the lake. "It's funny. When I started, all I wanted was to learn as much about the world of Pokémon as I could. Before this journey, I'd have probably been happy to do it on my own." "Nee?" Shine asked as she looked up at her, Twilight patting her head back. "But now, the best thing about this adventure is the friends I've made. Flash, Doc, Springer...you." "Nee taa!" Shine replied. "Thanks. And you know, even if I didn't learn anything from my time on this journey, I wouldn't call it a waste. After all, I got to make so many amazing friends. And I sure do hope to make more friends on the way." Shine neighed in agreement, the two happily staring at one another. But as they did this, Twilight suddenly heard a noise, the sound of some kind of light splashing. The two turned back to the lake, now seeing something standing atop the water on the area currently reflecting the moon. They couldn't quite make out what it looked like, but it appeared...equine. At first, she wondered if she was looking at a Galarian Rapidash, but upon closer look of the figure, Twilight thought otherwise. This Pokémon appeared much larger than a Rapidash, and the horn on its head didn't appear as large. The mane wasn't as thick, and the tail wasn't as long. Whatever it was, it was walking across the lake with an incredible elegance. The world 'majestic' sprung to Twilight's mind as she and Shine watched it, only for it turn its gaze on the duo. As it and Twilight locked eyes, she couldn't help but feel like it was staring into her soul. Even though she had no idea what this Pokémon was or where it had come from, she felt like she knew it better then she knew herself. And she also felt like the same was true for this creature. Eventually, the beast broke eye contact before moving its head around. In doing so, a strange light appeared around its horn. Both Twilight and Shine stared at it before large bubbles of water suddenly began to float out of the lake. Those bubbles then split into hundreds of tiny drops, Twilight and Shine unable to take their eyes off of them as the creature's horn unleashed a rainbow of colors that refracted through the drops. Soon, the entire lake was illuminated by the light until the drops popped, causing the light to flow out into an aurora. The sight almost hypnotized the two as the exploded water began to rain back down into the lake, the image pulling Twilight and Shine out of their haze before looking back across the lake. But as the last of the mist faded, the creature was nowhere in sight. "What...was that?" "Nee?" Shine added as the two stared out at the lake, trying to find any trace of the Pokémon they had just seen. Back at the center... Things were going well at the center, Rainbow, Applejack, Trixie, Spike and Pinkie were playing video games while Rarity, Doc and Fluttershy were cleaning their Pokémon. "How does that feel?" Doc asked after he finished polishing Lairon, the Pokémon roaring happily before moving over to the side in order to take a well deserved nap. "Here you go darling," Rarity added while using a soapy sponge to wash Aquapphire. "Phire..." Aquapphire sighed as she felt the sponge wash over her. Rarity had already polished Pyruby with a special polish and cleaned Herbarald using just plain water. Now Aquapphire was getting a proper clean with the soap, loving every minute of it. Opal was off to the side, waiting for her turn to be brushed. She gazed over at Fluttershy, who was running her brush through Harry's fur, making him purr in joy while Angel was laying on a bench with its hands behind its head. Rarity's Beautifly was also nested on Fluttershy's head, the girl not appearing to have any issue with it being there whatsoever. At the same time, Flash and Springer were sitting at a desk with Celestia, Luna and Sunset. Grand was standing behind them, leaning against the wall as he listened to Flash explain everything that had happened during their visit to the city of Vocanctus. "And that's when Sonata managed to tap into her power and sing a song that was able to free Sirenity from Guile's control." "Amazing..." Celestia whispered, rubbing her chin in thought, "To think a human has that kind of power." "How is something like that even possible?" Sunset asked next, "A voice with the power to control a Legendary Pokémon? Sounds...far-fetched." "There are many unusual people in this world," Luna responded, "I've heard many a tale of extraordinary individuals. There are legends of the Kanto Region that state those born in and around the Vermilion Forest have the ability to connect to their Pokémon and even heal them of their wounds. In the Sinnoh Region, there are legends of warriors that could wield the power of aura and use it as a weapon. I'm sure if you look close enough, even Equestria has individuals with abilities like that. This Sonata is clearly one of them, but there may be more." Celestia nodded in agreement. "I'd certainly like to meet this Sonata girl and see her use her powers for myself." "That might be tricky," Flash replied, "She and her sisters should already be out on their own journey right now. And even if you manage to find her, she might not be so keen on showing off her powers. After what happened with Guile...well, I'm betting she'll want to keep a lid on who hears her singing." "Understood," Celestia sighed, "its a shame though." "Plus, Sirenity's not exactly fond of humans. Years of trainers trying to catch it will do that too ya." Celestia nodded in agreement and was about to speak up again, only for the doors of the Pokémon Center to burst open as Twilight and Shine raced in. "GUYS!" She yelled, getting everyone's attention as she ran to the center of the room before bending over to catch her breath, "You won't believe..." "Twilight?" Celestia walked up and placed a hand on her back. "Are you alright? What happened?" "We saw it," Twilight straightened up. "Shine and I were by the lake when we saw it." "Saw what?" "I'm...not really sure what it was," Twilight sighed. "But it was like nothing I'd ever seen before." A bulb went off in her head at this moment, a certain memory clicking as she pointed at Doc and Flash, "It's like what you saw!" The two blinked at her, only to slowly realize what she meant. "No way," Flash whispered. "You're talking about those Legendary Pokémon?" Twilight nodded, the others gasping at the same time. "Which one was it?" Spike asked, "Was it the one Flash saw, or the one Doc saw?" Twilight shook her head, "I don't think it was either of them. The one I saw had a horn, but no wings." "The one I saw didn't have a horn," Doc replied. "And the one I saw definitely had wings," Flash added. Celestia tilted her head at this, "Then it's obvious Twilight saw the final member of the trio." Everyone turned to her, the professor signaling them to follow her. Soon, they were all gathered around the table in the cafeteria as she began to speak up, "Ever since Flash and Doc told me about what they saw, I've been looking into the ancient legends of Equestria. You all remember what I told you about the Legend of Equestria?" They all nodded back. "Alicormony, the being of creation, created three heralds to watch over the world in its stead. Horsearth, Pegasoar and Mysticorn are their names, and whenever they sense great danger, they will take measures to prevent it." "What measures?" Twilight asked. "It is said they will seek out humans they see as worthy and join forces with them. Horsearth is said to seek out a human with an unbreakable will. Pegasoar is said to seek out a human with a noble heart, and Mysticorn is said to seek out a human with an inquisitive mind." The group shared glances at this, Rainbow then asking, "So...these Pokémon showed themselves to these three because they're the chosen ones?" "It's possible," Luna responded, "They've certainly had their fair share of unbelievable adventures, and there's no doubt in my mind that each of them fit the criteria the Pokémon are looking for in human partners." "Indeed," Celestia turned to the blue haired teen. "Flash, you have been chosen by Pegasoar. Your noble heart and love of Pokémon is clear of that." Flash smiled back as Celestia turned to the next one. "Doc, you have been chosen by Horsearth. It is clear you have shown a tremendous amount of will in order to earn its respect." Doc looked like he was blushing as Celestia turned to her student. "And Twilight, it is obvious why Mysticorn has chosen you. In all of Equestria, I doubt there is another with a mind quite like yours, always hungry for knowledge." Twilight felt great pride at those words, the three turning to each other. Each was starting to think the same thing, knowing it may not have been a coincidence that they were travelling together. Maybe they were meant to be friends, with the heralds of Alicormony selecting each of them. "So why are they being picked?" Spike asked next, "Is something gonna happen and those three are warning us?" "Possibly," Grand replied while crossing his arms, "Or they're just preparing in case something comes up." He turned to the three, "You should keep an eye out for everything unusual. Who knows when you may be called to action." The trio nodded back, all thinking the same thing, the single continuous issue facing Equestria at the moment. It was one they had already faced with mixed results: Team Shadow. As they group got up and began to make their way to bed, none of them noticed Lightning standing out of sight. "Again?!" he hissed as the chosen three walked out of the room. "What are those Legendary idiots thinking, picking those losers?!" He turned to glare out of the window, wondering if Mysticorn was still around. "If Equestria's in danger, it needs the strongest trainer to save it, and that's me." He turned back to the group, Grand having stopped to stare at him. "Just watch. I'll prove why I'm the one they should have chosen." With that, he walked out the center, that sight making Grand sigh, "Lightning...when will you realize being strong requires more than strength." That night... With everyone fast asleep, Celestia and Luna were now in the lobby, dialing a number in the phones. Staring at the screen, the phone began to ring before a certain woman appeared on the panel. "Hello Cadance, sorry for calling so late." "It's fine," Cadance replied, shining a small smile, "I was still up anyway. So what's the matter? Not that I don't mind speaking, but calling this late must be about something important." "Indeed. It appears your sister-in-law has been having a few impressive adventures," Luna responded. "Twilight?" Cadance raised an eyebrow at this before gulping, "Oh no, what happened now? Did they run into Team Shadow again?" Celestia shook her head, "No, but this might be just as bad." They then explained everything that Flash had told them while also telling her about Twilight's encounter that night. "If Twilight's been picked my Mysticorn, she may end up being dragged into something beyond our comprehension." Cadance sighed at this, "I hope she'll be up for it. Shining said she's become a skilled trainer, and even if she's managed to get through to the next round of the Battle Tournament, I'm worried she still might not be ready." "Well, what can you do about it?" Luna asked. "With your big discovery, I doubt you have much time to focus on Twilight." "I might have to head to a small town near Manehatten City in a few weeks," Cadance responded, "If you can find a way to direct them all there, I'm sure I can arrange a meet-up. And I'm sure Twilight would be interested in seeing the Crystal Empire." "You've found it?" Celestia gasped. "Discovered the entrance last week," Cadance chuckled, "I know you've been wanting to know details, but there's a seal that we need to break through and its taking a long while. However, once it's done, the city will be open for us to uncover." "Amazing," Luna whispered. "I'll have to come and see it for myself." Celestia nodded in agreement, "Me too...but be careful Cadance. An important historical sight like that will have a lot of valuable treasures. You may end up getting targeted by scrupulous individuals." "I'll remember that," Cadance replied before letting out a yawn. "Well, I need to get some sleep. I'm not gonna discover anything if I'm tired." The three then said their goodbyes before hanging up the phones, the sisters sharing a glance as Luna spoke up, "I get the feeling things are only just beginning." "Agreed. Flash and his friends have already faced more peril than trainers with three times their experience. I just hope they're ready for whatever's coming." The next day... The stadium was filled with a deafening amount of noise, all coming from the stands as the spectators cheered out in anticipation of the upcoming battles. Out on the field, Flash, Lightning, Twilight and Rainbow stood in a line, waiting to hear who they would be facing off against. In one of the best spots of the stadiums, Spike and the rest of the eliminated trainers all sat, cheering in excitement as they waited to see how the day's battles would turn out. "Hooray!" Spike yelled as he vibrated in his seat, "Alright guys." He began to pump his arms up and down through the air, "Show us how awesome you all are! Except for Lightning." The others laughed and turned back to the field. "Give us a show to be proud of," Rarity added. "Eeyup!" Applejack cheered. "Don't ya'll hold back, yah here!" Fluttershy calmly clapped at this. "Good luck, all of you!" "I'M SO EXCITED!" Pinkie screamed, "These battles are gonna be so much fun to watch, I can tell!" "You've got this guys," Sunset called out. "Remember to play it strategically," Doc hollered. "And don't beat Lightning too quickly," Trixie finished. "Seeing him lose won't be as enjoyable if it happens too quickly!" It was then that the megascreens came online, Present Mic's face appearing with a microphone in his hands. "WAZ-UUUUP! Welcome to day two of the Hoofington Battle Tournament! I'm your host, Present Mic! And with me once again are my guest commentators, Professors Celestia and Luna!" The screen changed to show the sisters sitting side by side. "And the former champion, Grand Hoof!" The screen switched again, showing the older gentleman. Lightning growled at the sight of his grandfather while the others glanced at Lightning, all remembering what Grand had said the previous night. The screens changed again at this, this time showing the four faces of the trainers competing in the next round. "These four have proven themselves and earned their place here in round two. But they still have two more battles to win before they can be awarded the coveted title of Hoofington Battle Champion and the astounding prize. Now, let's see who will be facing off against who in this next round." With that, the four images flipped around and began shuffling themselves around until they divided themselves into two sets of two. After a second, the flipped around as a large V appeared between the faces, revealing who was battling who. Battle One Twilight Sparkle V Lightning Blitz Battle Two Flash Sentry V Rainbow Dash The opponents in question turned to one another. Flash and Rainbow smirked, both pumping fists at the thought of going out. At the same time, Twilight glanced at Lightning as she felt a shiver run down her spine. She had known this was a possibility, but the thought of facing him still sent a wave of fear through her. 'Lightning's brutal,' she thought to herself. 'No doubt he'll be aiming to completely destroy me...but I'll show him I'm no so easily beaten.' Lightning then glanced over at her, a smirk on his lips. "This is gonna be so easy. I'm going to prove to that legendary that it picked to wrong one to reveal itself too. When this is over, it'll see the only one worthy of its power is me and me alone. Then I'll show the other two legendaries why they should also join me and not some nobody like you." "We'll see." Twilight replied, Lightning rolling his eyes at this. "You're nothing, just like your worthless brother." He pointed at himself, "I'll prove it." The Hoofington Battle Tournament's second round had begun. Now Flash, Twilight, and Rainbow would need to use every trick in the book in order to win a spot in the finals. But as this began, the thought of the mysterious encounters were still on everybody's mind. What could they mean, and what danger could Equestria be facing? You'll have to stay tuned to find out, as the journey continues.