//------------------------------//
// Intellect VS Power 
// Story: Pokémon: Equestrian Adventures 
// by Banshee531 
//------------------------------//

The Hoofington Battle Tournament had entered its second day, four trainers now battling to compete for a spot in the finals. Flash, Lightning, Twilight and Rainbow had just discovered who there were facing off against, Flash and Rainbow going to the trainer box as Lightning and Twilight moved to the other side of the field, both turning toward one another as they waited for the match to begin.

Mic: "The Hoofington Battle Tournament's second round is about to start. I'm sure everyone's looking forward to seeing who will win in the first battle, and what a battle it is since both trainers have very special relations."

Celestia: "While Lightning is Grand Hoof's grandson, Twilight is the little sister of Shining Armor. Though the fact they're both related to champions won't be the sole purpose we're in for a good match. They're skilled trainers no matter what."

Luna: "Lightning is mostly a power battler, though I've been told he does have a skill for strategy on the rare occasions he uses it. And Twilight's skill is impressive quick thinking with a wide array of mental skills. No doubt when she gives an command, she uses physics and trajectory to calculate the outcome of that attack."

Grand: "Brains verses brawn. Interesting."

"Nothing interesting about this," Lightning scoffed, "My power will overwhelm your strategy every time."

"And that ego's what's gonna make you lose," Twilight instantly replied.

"Yeah right," Lightning laughed. "Don't think you being the champion's sister scares me. You're nothing, just like him, so let's get this battle over with."

As he said that, the X-shaped field suddenly retracted into the ground.

Mic: "It's time to see what kind of battlefield our competitors will be competing on."

The field then returned to an arena of water and earth. Half of it was grassy terrain with a few stray boulders while the other half were a series of pools and a small river running along one side. The field was no longer X-shaped, the sections of the field in front of the empty trainer podiums remaining the metal form they originally were. Both podiums were red or blue, Twilight stepping onto the blue and Lightning on the red.

Celestia: "Looks like an excellent field for Water and Grass-types. Now the question is, how will these young trainers take advantage of it?"

Luna: "They may not be able too. There's every possibility the field could hinder their efforts instead of helping them."

Grand: "You're right. And by taking advantage of the opponent's hindrance, they may be able to gain the upper-hand. This is all speculative, of course."

"Well then," Mic announced. "Let's stop speculating and get down to the battle! Everybody, please turn your attention to the megascreen!" They did as a wheel appeared on it, which was evenly split between red and blue patterns. "Time to find out who'll be selecting their Pokémon first!" The top red section lit up before the light began to circle around the wheel, causing it to glow blue then red then blue for several seconds before stopping on red. "This means that Lightning will be the first to select his Pokémon!"

"That's fine," Lightning took out a Pokeball. "Not like it matters anyway. I'll win no matter which Pokémon I pick. But for now, Guardroid, battle ready!" He threw the Pokeball upward, revealing the robotic Pokémon a second later.

"Guard!" It roared as it began to power up its systems.

Mic: "It's the Steel-type Guardroid. An interesting choice for this field. Now, how will Twilight respond?"

"Peewee," Twilight took out her Pokeball and threw it, "I choose you!" The ball flew through the air before opening up, revealing the smaller than usual Dragon-type.

"Terra!" Peewee exclaimed while spreading his wings, taking to the air before glaring down at Guardroid.

Mic: "Twilight's first Pokémon is Terragon!"

Celestia: "Also an interesting choice for the field."

Luna: "Terragon will likely have the speed advantage, but Guardroid's metal body will make dealing damage difficult."

Grand: "Fire-type moves are a common move most Dragon-types can learn. If this Terragon knows one, it may give it the edge over Guardroid. We'll just have to wait and find out."

"ALRIGHT!" Spike cheered in excitement, "Go get 'em Peewee! I know you'll be awesome!" Peewee smiled and nodded back before glaring at Guardroid.

"Ha!" Lightning chuckled, "That pipsqueak's not gonna be a problem for us. Guardroid, we'll handle this in one minute."

"Don't underestimate Peewee," Twilight responded, "You might find that big things come in small packages." She pointed at the teen with a long glare, "Let's just start the battle already so I can beat you!"

"I agree! Now that the trash-talk's out of the way, let's say we get this battle underway!" Present Mic stood up and threw up three fingers. "In three!"

"TWO!" Almost everyone in the stadium yelled, "ONE!"

Mic: "BATTLE BEGIN!"

"Bullet Punch!" Guardroid's rocket exploded and propelled it into the air, its fist now glowing. Before Peewee could react, the robot thrust its fist right into his stomach.

"WAGON!" He cried in pain as he was knocked flying, Spike crying out in horror until Peewee's eyes and wings shot open, allowing him to break his fall and glide safely toward a nearby rock.

"Alright Peewee, hit it hard and fast before it can protect itself." Twilight instructed as Guardroid began to fly down. "Use Incinerate!" Peewee took a deep breath before unleashing a fire rocket right at Guardroid.

"Block it!" Lightning yelled as Guardroid crossed is arms seconds before the fireball struck. An explosion came next, pushing Guardroid back against the grass, digging into the soil until it stopped at the edge of one of the ponds. "Now, Flash Cannon!" The holes in its shoulders began to glow before a beam of light exploded out of one of them, heading straight toward Peewee.

"Dodge it!" Peewee leapt off the rock, only for the laser to strike the boulder. The following explosion struck his back, knocking him flying into the sky.

"Terra!" He cried as he tried to recover, flinching in pain before flapping his wings.

"That's the way Peewee, stay up there! Use Dragonbreath!" Peewee took another deep breath before unleashing a stream of blue fire, striking the Guardroid head-on, making it cross its arms again. But as it did this, Twilight pointed at the robot. "Use Bite and aim for the joints in its arms and legs!"

"TERRA!" Peewee landed on its shoulder and began to bite down on the section connecting it to the main body. Even though Guardroid wasn't feeling any pain, it was starting to get warnings from its sensors, all complaining about structural weakness.

"Get it off of you! Now!" Lightning barked as Guardroid tried to grab Peewee, but he was positioned in a way that its robotics arms weren't able to reach it. "Fly up and shake it off!" Guardroid's boosters ignited, taking to the air.

The robot began to fling around, soon doing barrel rolls as Peewee felt himself losing grip, "Terra!" he yelped before flying off, Twilight crying out to him.

"Flash Cannon!" Guardroid's shoulder holes glowed again before a laser came out, hitting Peewee straight on. The dragon fell with a thud, slamming into the grass that the it uprooted the green blades around him, creating a circle of dirt.

"Peewee!" Twilight and Spike cried as he picked himself up, Guardroid beginning to rocket down toward the Terragon. "Quick, use Incinerate!" Peewee launched another powerful fireball right at Guardroid, hitting it dead-on.

The metal robot was completely consumed by the flames, many people believing it would do serious damage. But to their surprise, Guardroid continued to rocket toward Peewee. "Bullet Punch!" Before Peewee could react, Guardroid threw a punch to the dragon's face.

"Terra!" He yelped in pain, the dragon rolling along the ground as the Guardroid landed on a nearby rock as the flames faded from its body.

Mic: "And here I thought Guardroid was in trouble. After two powerful Fire attacks, it should be on its last legs."

Celestia: "Normally it would be, but Guardroid's ability is Fireproof."

Luna: "It's body is made of a special heat resistant metal. It doesn't stop the damage done by the flames, but it does lessen it."

Grand: "Twilight's gonna need more than Incinerate if she wants to win this match."

"You okay?" Twilight asked as Peewee picked himself up, getting a roar of agreement. "Alright." She turned to Guardroid as it jumped from the rock, Lightning giving his next order.

"Use Flash Cannon!" Guardroid prepared to fire a beam from its shoulders, Twilight growling at the sight.

"Not gonna happen. Use Dragonbreath!" Peewee unleashed the blue flames right as Guardroid fired his attack. The two clashed, pushing against each other, both somehow appearing equal in strength before Peewee took to the air as the attacks began to fade.

"Hit it with something big!" Lightning ordered. "Zap Cannon!" This order caused many to gasp as Guardroid brought its hands together and formed a sphere of yellow and green electrical energy, firing it right at Peewee.

The Terragon saw it coming and gasped, only for the orb to completely miss him and explode a safe distance behind the drake. "Terra?"

Mic: "Yikes. Talk about bad aim!"

Grand: "Zap Cannon is a move that's a fifty-fifty split. It'll either hit or it won't."

Lightning growled while Twilight giggled, "Too bad!" She pointed at Peewee, "Wing Attack and aim for the joints again!" Peewee roared as his wings glowed, flying past Guardroid and slashing at one of the rods connecting the shoulder to the rest of its body. Peewee then turned back and flew at it again, doing the same to the other shoulder joint. "That's the way! Keep hitting it, back to back!"

Lightning hissed as he watched Guardroid be struck again and again, the robot trying to dodge but Peewee was just too fast to evade. "Flash Cannon!" Guardroid tried to fire its shoulder blasts at Peewee, but the little dragon easily dodged the laser before hitting it again.

"TERRA!" He roared while spinning around and slashing his wing into the back of Guardroid's leg, causing it to fall onto one knee.

"Nice! Now get in close and use Incinerate!" Peewee zipped up next, landing on the submarine hatch on Guardroid's front. He began to power up a blast of fire, ready to take Guardroid out with one hit.

"Don't you dare let that shrimp beat you!" Lightning screeched, "Grab it and beat it now!" Guardroid quickly spun around and grabbed Peewee by the tail. And before the Terragon could breath fire, he was swung off before being smashing into the ground.

"WAGON!" He cried as he accidently let the fire blast loose, causing the flames to fly high before exploding. Everyone was so focused on this blast that they didn't notice Guardroid firing its jets, propelling into the sky as Lightning gave his next command.

"Lock-On!" Guardroid's eyes went red as it brought its hands together, a red ring appearing between them. It thrust its arms next, sending the red ring at Peewee as it had just got up.

"Peewee!" Twilight yelped, now seeing the ring turn into a red target that imprinted onto Peewee's chest. "Not good..."

"Now Guardroid's next attack will hit no matter what," Doc reminded everyone. "And I get the feeling we all know which attack he's gonna use."

"Charge up a Zap Cannon," Lightning ordered. "Make it as powerful as you can, or else." Guardroid brought its hands together, beginning to charge the green and yellow sphere.

"Dragonbreath!" Peewee spat out a barrage of blue flames, but Guardroid's boosters flared, making it fly above the fire. The Dragonbreath just managed to clip its foot, but only for a second. "Its about to attack! Get out of there!"

Peewee turned to fly away as fast as he could, but Guardroid was finished charging and thrust the orb forward. The ball flew after Peewee, who tried to escape by zigzagging through the air. But the Zap Cannon simply followed him, closing the gap with ease as the Lock-On prevented him from escape.

"No choice. You've gotta try and stop it Peewee! Dragonbreath!" Peewee spun around before unleashing the blue fire, striking the Zap Cannon. But instead of stopping it like they had hoped, the sphere carved through the flames, instantly striking Peewee.

"TERRAGON!" He screamed as the orb exploded, electrifying the dragon. "Terra..." he moaned a second later, his wings giving out as he began to fall like a rock.

"PEEWEE!" Spike cried as he jumped up from his seat, watching in horror as his best friend hit the dirt, everyone soon seeing the swirls in his eyes.

Mic: "Terragon's KO'd! The winner is Guardroid!"

The crowd let out a mild cheer as Guardroid landed in front of Lightning while Twilight returned Peewee. "Good work," she smiled at the ball before putting it away, "That Guardroid's strong." She took out her other Pokeball, "So I'll need speed if I want to win this. Shine, I choose you!" She threw the Pokeball upward, unleashing the Galarian Ponyta.

"Nee!" She neighed while staring down the Guardroid, the robotic Pokémon's eyes giving her the feeling it was smiling at her mockingly.

Mic: "Twilight has chosen Ponyta. Is she planning to rely on Mystical Fire?"

Celestia: "Only one way to find out."

"Psybeam!" Twilight yelled as Shine unleashed a rainbow colored beam of energy out of its horn, the attack striking Guardroid instantly. The robot staggered back, almost tripping into one of the pools.

"Guard!" It ignited its booster and pushed itself into the air, allowing it to fly over to pond and land on the other side as Lightning gave his next command.

"Flash Cannon!" Lightning fired the beam of light at Shine, but the tiny horse dodged by leaping to the side with ease. "Grrr...Bullet Punch!" Guardroid then charged with a glowing fist, but Twilight just smirked at the sight.

"Mystical Fire!" Shine launched the fire rocket through the flaming ring, striking Guardroid before it could unleash its attack, pushing it back as she galloped over to another area of the terrain.

Lightning hissed at this, only for his gaze shifted over the field, "Of course. Guardroid, fly up!" Guardroid did so, shooting straight up as it quickly got out of Shine's range of fire.

Luna: "Strange. I wonder if he's getting scared."

Grand: "I doubt that. He's up to something."

"Yeah," Flash sighed from the trainer box, "And it's not gonna be something good."

"I hope Twilight can handle it," Rainbow added.

"Use Flash Cannon and aim for the water!" This ordered confused everyone, including Guardroid. But it did as it was told, firing a laser out of each shoulder, weaker than normal but able to hit two pools at once. The impact sent the water flying, all crashing down onto the grass before getting soaked up by the earth. "Again!" Lightning ordered as Guardroid repeated the process, making a tidalwave that struck the ground nowhere near Shine.

"What's he doing?" Twilight asked as Guardroid fired again.

Once that was done, Lightning pointed at Shine, "Now, get close and use Lock-On!" Guardroid flew down in response, Shine backpedaling as Twilight called out a command.

"Dodge it, then use Fairy Wind!" As Guardroid formed the ring between its hands, Shine tried to gallop away. But as she ran across the grass, she suddenly found her hooves slipping out from under her.

"NEE!" She cried as she slid across the ground, feeling something slimy now seeping into her coat.

"Mud?" Twilight whispered as her brain began to shift gears, "So that's why he was doing that."

As she said this, Guardroid fired his attack, the ring hitting the muddy Ponyta that morphed into a target that connected to her. "Perfect! Another Zap Cannon, NOW!" Guardroid began to power up his attack, the sphere forming between its hands. Shine saw this coming and began to pick herself up, barely able to as the mud messed with her footing.

"Mystical Fire!" Shine drew the ring before firing a blast of flames at Guardroid, who raised its attack above its head so it wasn't struck by the flames.

"Guard!" It cried as the flames exploded, pushing it back. But as this happened, it then threw the sphere at Shine.

The sight made Twilight's eyes shrunk, her brain burning through a folder of ideas, each more useless than the last. But as the last one was destroyed, inspiration struck. "I hope this works." She pointed at Shine, "Use Psybeam and aim for the ground in front of you!"

"Nee!" She fired the blast at the ground, causing the mud to shoot into the air. She carved a trench, creating a tidalwave of muck to fly up between her and the Zap Cannon. The sphere struck the mud, going straight through it...but the lightning within began to go toward the ground.

"Now jump!" Shine hopped straight up, the Zap Cannon's trajectory changing before slamming into Shine.

"NEE!" He cried as she felt a zap of electricity, though it did little damage.

"What?!" Lightning screeched as Shine landed on a rock, "That's impossible! That should have took out that weakling!"

"Seems you don't understand basic science, especially since I just turned your Zap Cannon into what is basically one hit from a Fury Swipe." Twilight replied with a smirk, Lightning growling in response as she continued, "Though to be fair, you did give me the idea, just like you gave me the mud to protect Shine."

Mic: "What's she talking about?"

Celestia: (Chuckles) "She used the mud to conduct the electricity out of the attack, weakening it enough so that when it struck Shine, it wasn't as powerful. She had Shine leap up so the conducted electricity wouldn't be grounded into her as well."

Luna: "Smart."

Up in the stands, the others all cheered, "Way to go Twilight!" Spike yelled.

"Now take dat hunk of metal down!" Applejack added.

"Agreed. Let's finish this Shine." Twilight finished as she pushed up her glasses.

"Nee!"

"You little..." Lightning hissed, "Don't you dare mock me, you loser!"

"Use the rocks to avoid the mud, then use Mystical Fire!" Shine leapt from one rock to another as she got closer to Guardroid, the robot now flying toward the ground.

"Use Flash Cannon and destroy the rocks!" Guardroid fired at the boulders, destroying them with ease. Shine soon found herself trapped on one rock, no more within jumping distance. "Fire!" Guardroid then unleashed an extra strong Flash Cannon, hitting the mud to Shine's left as it began to carve its way toward her.

"Get out of there!" Twilight yelled as Shine leapt off the rock, the boulder turning to dust seconds later. She then landed on the ground, bending her knees to stay upright as she slid along the mud. While she did this, her horn ignited as the Flash Cannon came to a stop as she slid under Guardroid.

"NEE-TAAAAA!" She roared, unleashing another fire rocket right at Guardroid. It slammed into the robot, exploding as it cried out in pain. The metal body then crashing into the mud, spirals appearing in its eyes.

Mic: "Guardroid's KO'd! The winner is Ponyta!"

The crowd let out a colossal cheer, Twilight and Shine smiling at the praise while Lightning returned Guardroid.

Grand: "An impressive display of quick thinking and adaptability."

Celestia: "Yes. Now they're all tied up. It's anyone's game now."

Mic: "Who will Lightning pick to go up against Ponyta?"

"Why are they cheering that loudly..." Lightning hissed as he took out a Dive-Ball. "Sharazor, battle ready!" The ball opened up, unleashing the humanoid shark.

"RAZOR!" It roared while glaring down at Shine, the pony trying to backpedal at the sight.

Luna: "Sharazor? Looks like he's trying to take advantage of the terrain."

Mic: "This should be good!"

"Psybeam!" Twilight yelled, Shine firing the rainbow beam at the giant shark.

"Water Pulse!" Sharazor created an orb of water and tossed it, hitting the attack before creating an explosion. "Now, in the water!"

Sharazor leapt into the nearest pool, diving below as the smoke cleared. Shine blinked at the sight, slowly trotting through the still muddy grass, waiting to for the enemy.

"Water Pulse!" Sharazor exploded out of the pool behind Shine and threw its attack, the orb hitting her head on and exploding.

"NEE!" She cried as she was thrown forward, Sharazor diving back in. Shine shook her head next, steadying herself before glaring at the water. She began to run up to the were the Sharazor was, only to hear a splash behind her.

"SHAR!" the other Pokémon roared as he flew out of the water again, this time landing in front of Shine and spinning around, hitting her with its tail.

"The water is all connected?" Twilight yelped as Shine cried out, falling back from the blow.

"Aqua Jet!" Sharazor's body became surrounded by water, instantly charging at the pony like a raging bullet. The water stream arched down, ready to slam into the opponent, only for Shine to point her horn at Sharazor.

"Psybeam!" Shine unleashed another blast of psychic energy, striking the Aqua Jet...only for it to do nothing. Instead, the Sharazor crashed into Shine, knocking her back before the Aqua Jet shot up and circled around for another hit. The sight made Twilight gasp, only for a new idea to appear in her head, "Mystical Fire!"

"Nee," Shine drew the circle, "TAA!" She neighed as she shot the flaming bullet through the ring. It struck the Aqua Jet, but didn't stop it...only for the front of the attack to steam up and blind Sharazor. Shine then leapt out of the way as the Sharazor kept charging, only to hit the ground with a thud.

"Razor!" It cried as it slid along the ground, quickly trying to pick itself up.

"Tackle!" With as much force as she could muster, Shine leapt forward and slammed her head into Sharazor, making sure to stab with her horn. Sharazor flinched at the blow, staggering back as Shine hopped to a safe distance.

"Water Pulse/Fairy Wind!" The two launched their attacks, the water orb slamming into the glittery wind before pushing the liquid into the sky. Sharazor was also buffeted by the wind, making it stagger back until its feet reached the edge of a pool.

"Shar!" Sharazor leapt into the pool next, making Shine growl as the water instantly became still.

Time began to pass at this, the entire stadium on the edge of their seats as they waited to see what would happen next.

Mic: "There's no telling where Sharazor will appear. Will Twilight figure out a way to locate it, or is Lightning safe?"

Celestia: "There always a way to find an opponent if you keep your eyes open."

Celestia's words proved true, as Shine and Twilight heard a splashing coming from one of the pools to her left. "Psybeam!" Shine fired the laser into the pool, causing it explode...but Sharazor was nowhere to be seen.

Then, the pool to her right shot up as the shark Pokémon leapt out. "SHARAZOR!" It roared as Lightning ordered it to use Water Pulse, Sharazor throwing the attack before Shine could respond.

"Nee!" She cried as the orb struck her in the head.

"Shine!" Twilight yelped as she watched Shine open her eyes, only to see them go hazy. "Oh no..."

Grand: "Confusion, a possible side effect of being hit by a Water Pulse. Now Ponyta's in trouble."

"Crunch!" Sharazor ran up and grabbed Shine by the back, biting down as the pony screamed in pain.

"SHINE!" Twilight cried as her Pokémon kicked her legs around. Twilight then saw the giant smile on Lightning's face, only to glance down and get another idea. "That'll work. Use Psybeam on Sharazor's feet!"

Shine was quick to fire the blast at Sharazor's feet like she was told, causing the shark to flinch before crying out in pain. "Shar!" It then dropped Shine, the pony turning to him.

"Again!"

"NEE!" Shine fired another blast at Sharazor, causing it stagger back.

"Oh come on! Why isn't the confusion affecting that weakling?!" Lightning yelled as Sharazor began to backpedal into the water.

"Fairy Wind and aim low!" Shine spun her tail around, unleashing the pink glittery wind that skimmed along the ground before curving up and hitting Sharazor. It yelped as it was thrown upward, soon landing on the other side of the pool before rolling over and hopping back to its feet.

"Water Pulse!" Sharazor formed the orb and threw it, Shine barely managing to jump to the side to avoid the attack.

"Aqua Jet!" the shark was surrounded by water before turning into a bullet, ready to strike Shine.

"Psybeam!" Shine fired the rainbow beam from her horn, the attack striking Sharazor, but not slowing him down.

If people could see through the water, they would have noticed the pained looking on its face. But it pushed through the psychic attack, still going as it screeched, "RAZOR!" It then struck Shine, an explosion of water coming next as both were blasted away from one another.

Sharazor hit the mud and slid back, slamming its clawed hand into the dirt to quicken the slowing. As for Shine, she rolled across the ground before flopping over with spirals in her eyes. "Taa."

"SHINE!" Twilight cried as Mic took a deep breath.

Mic: "Ponyta's KO'd! Sharazor is the winner. Now Twilight's down to only one Pokémon."

There was no applause here, not a hint from the audience. Lightning growled at this as he glared at the crowd while Twilight's friends sighed as she returned Shine to her ball. "It's okay Shine," she told it. "You did amazing against such strong opponents." She replaced her Pokeball and stared at Lightning. "You are strong, I'll give you that." Lightning said nothing in response. "But I'm not pushover either. Owlicious, I choose you!" She threw the ball upward, unleashing her strongest and oldest partner.

"OWL!" The Owlolar squawked as it flew up, gliding around before landing as it and Sharazor glared at one another.

"Tch. Really?! This is just too easy! Water Pulse!" Sharazor fired the orb of water at Owlicious, the bird easily taking to the air to dodge the attack.

"Mind Force!" Twilight yelled as her partner began to glow blue. He then squawked before beating his wings, the light shining as it went after their opponent. Sharazor quickly tried to run for the water, but the blast hit him with ease.

"Razor!" It roared in pain as it was blasted back, only to then leap into the pool.

Mic: "Ouch! Now Twilight won't know where Sharazor's next attack will be coming from. This could be bad for her."

Luna: "Maybe, but I get the feeling she was prepared for this."

"Too right," Twilight responded, "Time to show what all that hard work and training was for." She pointed at the water. "Owlicious, use Psychic!"

"OWL!" Owlicious's eyes glowed along with the water, confusing the crowd until they gasped at the sight of the water suddenly beginning to float up.

"What?" Lightning yelled as he saw multiple bubbles of water now hovering, one of them holding Sharazor. "Impossible...Sharazor, use Aqua Jet to get out of there now!"

Sharazor nodded as it began to summon water around itself, only for Twilight to speak up, "Now drop it!" Owlicious's eyes stopped glowing along with the water, Sharazor instantly falling like a rock into the dirt.

"RAZOR!" It cried as it crashed along with a half a ton of water on top of it.

"That's the way!" Twilight cheered before pointing at Sharazor. "Now use Peck!" Owlicious flew down as his beak began to glow and extend, the giant owl preparing to impale the shark.

"Dodge it!" Lightning barked as Sharazor got up, then leapt to the side in order to avoid the beak. At the same time, it reached out and grabbed Owlicious's left wing in its claws. "Good! Now use Ice Fang!"

"Shar!" it opened its mouth as its fangs began to glow blue, "RAZOR!" It bit into the wing, the attack freezing Owlicious's feathers.

"OWLOLAR!" He screamed at the intense cold, parts of his wings beginning to freeze over.

Celestia: "Looks like Owlicious is starting to get frozen. If Twilight's not careful, she'll have a frozen Flying-type on her hands."

Grand: "But it won't be easy. If Owlolar tries to pry Sharazor off, it could do more damage. What's she gonna do?"

"That's simple. Psychic!" Twilight commanded before Owlicious's eyes glowed, Sharazor soon following as his mouth was slowly opened. He started to flail his legs, trying to move as Owlicious pulled his wing free. The owl then beat both his wings, smacking Sharazor away.

"RAZOR!" It yelped as it was levitated a good ten feet off the ground before being slammed down. It was then picked up again and thrown across the field again. "SHARAZOR!" Owlicious let it go as it bounced along the mud, soon falling into one of the pools. About half the water had managed to get back into the pool after Owlicious has used his first Psychic, so it wasn't as soft a landing as Sharazor would have liked.

"Let's finish this!" Twilight yelled as Owlicious pecked off the ice on his wing. "Use Sky Attack!"

"OWL!" He flew up in response as Sharazor hopped back onto the field.

"Aqua Jet!" Sharazor dove down into the water, picking up speed before blasting out of another pool. He flew up while being surrounded by water, morphing into a watery bullet as Owlicious charged at full throttle.

And as both collided, a midair explosion rocked the stadium.

This caused an explosion in midair, a giant cloud of smoke appearing next. What followed was a figure falling like a rock, landing with a thud as it yelled out, "RAZOR!" The shark then flopped over, spirals for its eyes as Owlicious flew out of the fog, gasping as it weakly flew out.

Mic: "Sharazor's KO'd! The winner is Owlolar."

Grand: "Now both trainers only have one Pokémon each. This next match will decide it all."

"That's the way Twilight!" Spike cheered, "You've got this sis!"

"We believe in you!" Sunset added as Lightning returned Sharazor. "Win this and wipe that smirk off his face!"

Lightning stared at his Pokeball for a moment before turning back to Twilight. "Don't think you've got me on the ropes. I will win this." He replaced his Pokeball with another. "I will beat you, and I will show that Legendary why it made a mistake in not choosing me."

Twilight's eyes went wide, "You know about that?"

"And about the other two's run in with the other Legendaries. So tell me, what makes you so special? Is it because you're related to that weakling that has no right to be the champion?!" Twilight didn't respond, just frowning at Lightning continued, "What, got nothing to say?! Why would a Legendary Pokémon reveal itself to you and no one else?"

Twilight just stared at him, taking a deep breath before replying, "I don't know. Celestia said Mysticorn chose me because of my inquisitive mind...but honestly, I haven't a clue why Mysticorn chose me." She then pressed her glasses up, "But I'm not going to dishonor its choice by losing to you."

"Like you have a choice," Lightning spat. "You're out of your league. Clearly, Shining's so-called ultimate battle skills aren't a family trait. He would have already won. Though his time will come." A grin shined on his face, "I'll just settle with simply wiping you out! Pitchawk, battle ready!" He threw the ball upward, unleashing the Dark flying-type.

"Pitchawk!" It squawked while taking to the air, circling around the field while Owlicious glared at the bird.

Mic: "Looks like we'll be having a battle in the skies!"

Luna: "This'll be difficult for Twilight, mainly due to the fact that Pitchawk is immune to Owlolar's Psychic attacks."

"You got that right! End this now! Shadow Ball!" Lightning yelled as Pitchawk created a sphere of black and purple energy.

"Hawk!" It roared as it fired the orb, hitting Owlicious before it could react, the owl crying out in pain as he fell back but managed to pull himself up before hitting the ground.

"Use Peck!" Owlicious let out a hoot before flying straight up at Pitchawk, his beak extending at this.

"OWL!" He barked as he stabbed into Pitchawk, the hooded bird staggering back from the blow.

"Air Cutter!" As it fell, Pitchawk turned to Owlicious and beat its wings. Air blades came next, the attack instantly hitting Owlicious while it spread its wings, stopping its fall. Owlicious did the same, two soon at the same height as Lightning called out, "Now, Night Slash!" Pitchawk flew forward with now glowing purple wings, Owlicious now taking evasive maneuvers.

"Come on Twilight!" Spike yelled, "Don't let him win! Hit him with the big guns!"

"She can't!" Applejack responded while letting out a sigh, "All she can do is use Peck."

"But doesn't she have Sky Attack?"

Sunset shook her head, "Sky Attack takes too long to charge up. It's a move you should really use when your opponent is vulnerable, and since she can't use her Psychic attacks, she's doesn't have many options left."

At this moment, Pitchawk finally managed to slash a wing into Owlicious's stomach. "LAR!" He cried as he was thrown back, hitting the ground with a thud. The owl soon began to get up, flinching in pain as it felt the bruises from the final blow from his fight with Sharazor.

"Owlicious..." Twilight's body shook as she watched him begin to pick himself up. "What do I do?"

"Shadow Ball!" Lightning called out before Pitchawk began firing the spheres at Owlicious, her Owlolar seeing them and began jumping side to side. The attacks prevented him from properly taking off, leaving him stuck on the ground. "That's it! Don't give that weakling time to recover! Non-stop Shadow Balls Pichawk!"

And as she saw the orbs keep coming, Twilight whispered to herself, "There has to be something I can do...if Mysticorn really did reveal itself to me because of my mind, I have to start using it." She then glanced at the many Pokeball sized rocks that were littering the ground and at the bottom of the pools. They were where remains of the boulders Guardroid had destroyed, making an idea form in her head. "Wait...that's it! Owlicious, use Psychic!"

The command made everyone raise eyebrows, including the commenters.

Mic: "I don't get it. A Psychic attack won't do anything."

Grand: "She's obviously planning something."

"No she's isn't! She's being an idiot!" Lightning laughed, "She's lost it!"

"I haven't lost anything," Twilight told him as Owlicious's eyes glowed. "Grab the arena's rocks and send them flying!"

"Owl!" He hooted as the rubble that littered the battlefield began to float up, circling around him to form a sphere of rocks. And with one might beat of his wings, Owlicious sent them flying off in all directions.

"Hawk!?" Pitchawk cried before it was suddenly bombarded, the hooded bird unable to escape the volley of attacks. The attack knocked it back, letting Owlicious to leap up and spread its wings.

"Now use Peck!" Owlicious was quick to stab Pitchawk with his extended beak, making it cry out as Lightning gave his command.

"Shadow Ball!" Pitchawk yelped in pain before firing the orb at Owlicious, Twilight grinning at the sight.

"Mind Force!" Owlicious unleashed the blue beam and struck the orb, causing it to explode and fill the air with smoke. "Now, Sky Attack!"

"Night Slash!" Pitchawk shot into the smoke cloud as its wings glowed, but when it flew out the other side, Owlicious was nowhere in sight.

"Pitch?" It said as its eyes darted around, only to look up to see Owlicious glowing before swooping down with a ready powered up Sky Attack.

"OWL!" It squawked while smashing into Pitchawk, smacking it toward the ground.

"Air Cutter!" Once again, Pitchawk beat its wings and unleashed the air blades, striking Owlicious in the wings. Pain surged in his body as both began to fall, only to flare their wings right before crashing, but still rolling into a sliding landing.

"PITCH/OWL!" They yelped while rolling, soon coming to a stop as their trainers gave the next command.

"Shadow Ball/Mind Force!" The two launched their attacks, both blows colliding in the center of the field and exploding. But Pitchawk had already took flight as the attacks hit one another, rushing into the smoke as it filled the field. "Night Slash!"

"PITCHAWK!" It roared while leaping out of the other side of the cloud, reaching Owlicious before he had a chance to escape. He crossed both wings as they glowed before swinging them open.

"OWL!" The giant owl squawked as the X-shaped slash struck him, knocking him back as Pitchawk took this chance to leap into the air.

"Aerial Ace!" Lightning yelled, Pitchawk quickly circling back around before dive-bombing Owlicious. And as the Owlolar began to pick itself up, Pitchawk had already started to skim along the ground while picking up speed.

"Psychic! Use the water!" Owlicious's eyes glowed as the water flew out of the pool behind him. It floated upwards like a tsunami before zipping over his head and crashing down on the ground in front of him. The wave then collided with Pitchawk, making him squawk as he was washed backwards.

"HAWK!" He cried as he was slammed into the mud as Owlicious took to the skies.

"Sky Attack!" He spread his wings and began to glow, Pitchawk instantly getting back up.

"Shadow Ball!" It fired the dark energy orb upward, striking Owlicious as he started charging up his attack. And as he let out a yelp of pain, Pitchawk spread its wings and took to the air, "Now, Night Slash!"

"Don't stop! Hit him with everything you got!" Twilight yelled as Owlicious flew straight down. The two birds glared at one another as the flew closer and closer, knowing this next attack would likely end the battle.

"GO!" Their trainers screamed as they collided, no one able to tell who landed the finishing blow as an explosion occurred in the air. And as the cloud began to fade, one of their feathered fighters fell out of the sky, crashing with the loudest of thuds. The trainer of that Pokémon then saw the spirals in its eyes as Mic called out.

Mic: "Owlolar's KO'd!"

In that moment, the smoke faded to reveal Pitchawk as it flew down, landing in front of Lightning as the trainer laughed at the sight.

Mic: "All of Twilight's Pokémon are unable to battle. So the winner is Lightning Blitz!"

The crowd applauded, Twilight's friends the only ones not clapping. They all frowned as the two returned their Pokémon to their Pokeballs.

"This bites!" Spike barked.

"I know...but there's nothing we can do," Sunset added.

"It is a shame." Rarity chimed in while nodding, "But Twilight did well."

Celestia: "Even though Twilight lost, she showed great skill. Especially at the end, despite the disadvantage she had against her opponent."

Luna: "But Lightning was just too strong, and now he's entering the final round of the tournament."

Flash and Rainbow growled as Lightning entered the trainer's box, a giant grin on his face as he passed the two of them. "Hey losers, I look forward to seeing which of you I'll be meeting in the finals," he laughed before stopping at the exit. "Though it doesn't matter which one. The result will still be the same. You will lose."

Flash and Rainbow glared at him as he left, only to turn to see Twilight enter the room. "Sorry guys," she sighed. "He's just...too strong."

"Don't worry about it," Flash replied while patting her shoulder, "You did great."

"Yeah!" Rainbow added while nodding, "And don't worry, I'll get revenge for you. Once I'm done with Flash, he'll be next to taste my wrath." She turned to Flash, "You ready to go?"

"You know it. And I'll be winning this one." With that, they both left the trainers box. Knowing a battle with Lightning was on the line, the duo had every intention of giving this battle everything they had. Only time would tell who would claim victory and enter the finals of the Hoofington Battle Tournament. As the journey continues.