Ponyville, just a bit above the skies of it.
The multi-coloured maned mare Rainbow Dash was soaring through the air with three of her Pokemon at the moment. Braviary, Castform and Altaria. At times, they fly together for two reasons. To improve health and speed for future battles or just because it feels good. Yeah, it's usually the second one.
"Hey! Rainbow Dash!" Scootaloo's voice echoed upwards, ringing through the trainer and Pokemon's ears. The young pegasus stood there, sitting right on her Ponyta's back.
"Hiya, Scootaloo! What's up?" Rainbow and her Pokemon brought themselves down to ground level to greet their fellow trainer and Pokemon.
"The Rainbow Dash Fan Club just decided – everypony's coming to see you when the Wonderbolts' new tour comes through Ponyville!"
"Well, it's great that you guys are going to the show, Scoot, but I won't actually be performing in it. Reservists aren't in the show unless one of the real Wonderbolts can't fly." She chuckled. "Braviary, Altaria and I will probably be working crowd control or something."
"You're still gonna be wearing a Wonderbolts uniform though, right?" Scootaloo squeed.
"A Reservist one, yeah." Dash nodded.
"Hmm. That's good enough for me." Scootaloo took the option. It'll have to do.
"Altaria..." Altaria, who was feeling the cold, was kindly warmed up by Ponyta's mane.
Speaking of the Wonderbolts, they were flying by Ponyville, leaving behind their usual speed trails in the sky.
Spitfire had noticed Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo looking up at them, deciding to a quick stop whilst the others go on ahead. With all her flash and dazzle, she made a stylish entrance by slamming her hoof on the ground, separating the rocks from the ground itself.
"Whoa!" Scootaloo ogled.
"Rainbow Dash! Glad we found you." Spitfire spoke. "We need you in the show when we get to Ponyville. Flying!"
"But she's only in the Reserves!" Scootaloo said.
"Not anymore, kid." Spitfire shook her head.
Those words travelled through Rainbow Dash's ears, giving her a moment to process what this could mean. If the Wonderbolts wanted her but she was no longer in the Reserves...that can only mean one thing.
A slow gasp came out of her mouth as her wings were rising up and her pupils expanding. "You mean..."
Scootaloo, however, figured it out instantly. "Rainbow Dash! You're finally a full-fledged Wonderbolt! Woo-hoo!" The younger pegasus let out a laugh of joy for Rainbow Dash, who still stood there completely blown away. "Yeah, Rainbow Dash! Whoo!"
"Braviary?" Braviary waved his wings in his trainer's face, wondering if she was okay.
"Heh. What she said." Spitfire nodded.
Just then, Dash snapped out of it, getting the biggest smile that can only be measured about to a Ludicolo and Wooper smile. This was something she was anticipating for a long time. You could even say that the Pokemon League doesn't compare to this. Not even close.
Up in Cloudsdale, Rainbow was moving around in a hurry in her own home with her friends just watching a streak of rainbows pass by them.
"Uh, anypony seen my wing balm? I don't want to be stiff when I show up at Wonderbolt headquarters." Rainbow Dash asked in a hurry.
Spike dug his claws deep within a couch, finding the required item. "Got it!"
Rainbow Dash zoomed over, slamming the balm and unknowingly also slamming Spike inside of her luggage bag.
"Do you have time to tell us what happened, Rainbow Dash?" Twilight asked.
"Oh, yes, we must know every detail!" Rarity insisted.
"Start from when you were a foal and you first knew your destiny was to become a Wonderbolt!" Pinkie appeared behind her pegasus pal.
"Heh. Well, not much to tell, really. Spitfire told me the Wonderbolts need me to go on tour with them."
"That's really great. I know how long you've been waiting for a spot to open up." Fluttershy nodded along with Applejack.
"Yeah. Fire Streak decided to retire and teach full-time. Cloudsdale Flight School will probably be churning out Wonderbolts with him there. But guess who was at the top of the Reserve list."
"Ooh, ooh, I know! Pick me!" Pinkie aggressively raised her hoof, waving it about.
"So what do you do now, Dashie?" Rarity questioned her.
"I have to report to Wonderbolts headquarters this afternoon. It's only two days 'til tour starts, and I need to learn the routine. Castform. Altaria. Braviary. Let's get a move on quick." Rainbow Dash flew off with her luggage and Pokemon, prepared to take her leave.
"You're leaving already?!" Pinkie gasped, appearing through the doors all of a sudden with some cake and balloons. "But we barely started your congratulation party! I haven't even thought about your going-away party yet!"
"Pinkie, I'm not leaving Ponyville. I just have to train for this show."
"I hope everything goes well. Sounds like an awful lot of pressure having to learn everything so quickly," said Fluttershy, being carried by her Audino.
"Yeah. Good luck, Dash." Applejack uttered.
"Luck? Heh. Save that for the rest of the team." Rainbow placed her goggles on her face, raring to go as Castform hid back inside her Saddle-bag. "Now that my awesomeness has finally been recognized, the other Wonderbolts will have to keep up or eat my cloud trail!"
"Everypony knows you're a great flyer, Rainbow Dash, but so are the rest of the Wonderbolts. It might be more challenging than you think." Twilight warned her.
"Aw, you're right! I mean, do I show up wearing sunglasses or not? Sunglasses are automatically cool, but anypony can put them on. Maybe I'd stand out more if I didn't. What do you think, Braviary?"
"Viary." Braviary was already rocking some sunglasses, looking good in them.
The others looked at her with worried faces, nervous that her confidence might exceed its natural level and just fill up her ego like it usually does.
Rainbow Dash had reached her destination, meeting up with Spitfire immediately once she had arrived. Everywhere you look, you could see some Wonderbolts flying alongside with their Flying-Type Pokemon for obvious reasons that involve better trainer and Pokemon relationships.
"Team briefings are every morning at—" Spitfire went on about the rules until Rainbow Dash finished her words for her.
"07:20, because there were twenty ponies in the original E.U.P. Guard that became the Wonderbolts!"
"Right. And I know you've seen the academy bunks, but these are the official Wonderbolts barracks." Spitfire brought Rainbow Dash along to the barracks, showing it to Rainbow Dash in all its striking glory.
"Built by Admiral Fairweather himself!" Rainbow Dash trotted towards the runway until her tail was stomped on by Spitfire, causing her to fall over.
"Don't forget rule number one, newbie. Always check both ways before crossing the runway." Spitfire warned as she looked both ways, seeing that the coast was clear, causing her to walk forward.
Rainbow Dash did the same. Left, right, nothing here. "Uh, sure, but... nopony else is here."
"They will be, and most of the Wonderbolts like to make a flashy entrance, so stay alert."
"Right, no problem!"
"Scizor!" Spitfire's Scizor had opened up the door to the barracks for them, letting both ponies inside.
The place was exactly what Rainbow Dash imagined to be and more, filling her excitement only further. She got up close to a trophy that held a plethora of Wonderbolt items from the far past or a few years ago. One of which being a cap belonging to a famous pony.
"Whoa! Is that General Flash's cap?!"
"And the original crest with the Wonderbolts motto on it."
"Altius volantis! Soaring higher!" Both ponies recited the motto together.
"Wow!" Rainbow Dash geeked out, flying over Spitfire. She quickly regained her composure, acting all tough and smooth. "I mean, ha, cool."
"Okay, newbie, we've got a show in two days, which means you gotta hustle your haunches to learn this routine. You got five minutes to get dressed and get outside to meet the rest of the team."
"Yes, ma'am! I'll have all of the moves down by the end of the day!"
"Let's hope so. We're all expecting you to make quite an impression. Come on, Scizor." Spitfire had left, flying off with her partner.
Now it was just up to Rainbow Dash to prepare herself for what could be the biggest moment in her life at this point.
The full Wonderbolt uniform had been given to her to fit herself in. And boy, did it fit. Her Pokemon definitely thought the same.
"Lookin' good! Okay, you're about to take your first flight as an actual Wonderbolt. No pressure." She let out a sigh, stretching her hooves and wings. "Just gotta go out there and knock 'em off their hooves. You guys are gonna cheer me on, right?"
"Okay, Wonderbolts, get ready to meet your most awesome member ever!"
"Altaria!"
"Braviary!
"Castform!"
Her Whirlipede and Luxio who were inside their Poke Balls for safety definitely agreed as well.
"Okay, Wonderbolts, get ready to meet your most awesome member ever!"
Heading out to where most of the Wonderbolts were at the moment, Rainbow Dash, alongside her Pokemon was completely unaware of what was heading their way.
But Spitfire wasn't. She noticed both Soarin and Fleetfoot soaring towards Rainbow Dash without her paying any attention.
"Hey, look out!" She exclaimed.
"Huh?" She turned her head to notice the pegasi heading her way, gasping in shock. She and her Pokemon flew out of the way, thankfully avoiding the collision. "Whooaaa!" Unfortunately, Rainbow ended up crashing herself into a trash can, rolling inside of it.
Spitfire went up to the trash covered pegasus, shaking her head. The sound of both Fleetfoot and Misty Fly could be heard as they laughed at Rainbow's current condition and how she got into it.
"Whoa, most awesome entrance by a newbie ever." Misty Fly said in a somewhat sarcastic tone.
"Are you okay, Rainbow Dash?" Soarin asked, worried.
"More like Rainbow Crash." Fleetfoot mocked, prompting other Wonderbolts to laugh as well.
Hearing the word 'Rainbow Crash' brought back some memories she would rather no reminisce about at all. But they did get her down.
"Cast." Castform being the good partner that he is, washed off all the dirt and garbage from Rainbow Dash with Water Gun.
"Hey! You guys buzzed me on purpose!" Rainbow Dash snapped at them.
"Not quite. You forgot rule number one, newbie." Spitfire replied.
At the same time, all the Wonderbolts present around her had said the exact same words in unison. "Always check both ways before crossing the runway."
"Yeah, well, I was just... testing you guys!" Rainbow tried to scoff it, attempting to act like she planned that. But that only made them give out disbelieving laughs.
"Alright, nopony got hurt and we got a lot to do, so let's forget about this and get flying!" Spitfire ordered them.
"Classic rookie move, Rainbow Crash. That was amazing." Misty Fly spoke in her sarcastic and mocking tone as usual.
"Braviary." Braviary had placed his wings on Rainbow Dash's back, comforting her while he got some remaining garbage off her mane.
The flying routine began with each of the Wonderbolts flying in a unified formation, leaving behind smoke trails. Rainbow Dash, however, was lagging behind them all. Thus began a series of not-so-great performances from Dash.
"Higher, Crash! You're breaking formation!" Spitfire spoke through a loudhailer.
Next was a spiral formation where each of the Wonderbolts flew about in, of course, a spiral shape. Rainbow Dash struggled with this sort of formation as they were each flying over her, under her whilst picking up speed along the way. Definitely something new that she hadn't experienced yet until now.
"Check your nine, Crash!" Her name had now been mistaken as Soarin exclaimed to her.
Next, a quick turn technique. Where the Wonderbolts dash downwards and then in a spurt of speed, turn to the other side. Rainbow Dash had a bit of a delay, falling behind two Wonderbolts.
"Tighter, Crash, get in there!" Spitfire said.
"My name's not Crash..." Rainbow Dash growled, losing focus for a bit. And that focus caused her to crash right into a fellow Wonderbolt, causing them both to fall into a cloud. The Wonderbolt who had been knocked into the cloud with Dash flew out, shaking her wings.
"Huh, could've fooled me." She said, flying off and leaving Rainbow Dash in the cloud.
So far...it was a disaster.
The routines had ended as each of the Wonderbolts made their way to the locker room for some rest and relaxation. Some were even heading home.
"Hey, Crash, I know it was a tough day today, but don't worry. You'll get the hang of it." Fleetfoot said.
"Tough day? Please. If I can pull off a Sonic Rainboom, I can learn this routine. I'll have it down cold tomorrow. Probably even come up with a couple of improvements." She sure was confident in her abilities.
"Rainbow Dash, over here!" Spitfire stood by the doorway, calling for the rookie's name.
"Yes, ma'am!"
"I'm glad you're still here."
"Oh, yeah? Did you want some ideas on how to make the show extra-awesome?"
"Not quite. I know you've been a Reservist for a while, but the 'Bolts have a few of their own rules you might not know about." Spitfire shifted her eyes past Rainbow Dash, staring at the other Wonderbolts who had a bucket of water along with a scrubbing broom, giving it to the rookie. "Like worst flyer of the day has to clean up the whole compound. Better get to it, Crash."
"My name's not Crash." She spoke underneath her breath.
Along came the night. Rainbow Dash returned home with her Pokemon, feeling a bit down after today. It didn't quite go as expected. Not at all. She wanted to take her mind off it for a bit as she prepared to open the door. But before she could do that, it opened itself as a very familiar party cannon stood in front of her, blasting her with confetti, ribbons and balloons.
"SURPRISE!" All of her friends were there. From ponies to humans to Pokemon.
"Pikachu!" Pikachu and the other Pokemon cheered.
"Hooray, Rainbow Dash! Our favourite Wonderbolt!" The crusaders all said together as there was a flag with a crayon drawing of Rainbow Dash in a Wonderbolt outfit. Made by those three exclusively.
"We know you're probably tired, Rainbow Dash, but Pinkie wanted to throw you a real party," Twilight spoke.
"Espeon..."
"Your best day..." Pinkie Pie held her breath in, shouting through a megaphone. "ever party!"
"Yeah. It was somethin', all right." Rainbow turned her head.
"Pretty sweet that you ended up reaching your goal!" Ash nodded.
"Pika-Pikachu!"
"Mhm! And we can't wait to hear all about it!" Applejack squeed.
"Heh. And I'd love to tell you, I really would, but I'm pretty beat." Rainbow Dash yawned. "You know, from all the... excitement of my big day?" As she flew up to her room, they all noticed that something was definitely wrong due to her body language. It was pretty easy to see through it.
"Um, is something wrong, Rainbow Dash?" Fluttershy asked.
"What could be wrong? I'm finally a Wonderbolt, which means everything has to be totally, perfectly awesome." She sat down, transforming her smile into a frown as her hooves met with both her face cheeks.
"Oh, no. Something is wrong. What happened, darling?" said Rarity.
"I told you, it's nothing! I mean, maybe some of the Wonderbolts started calling me Rainbow Crash..." She rubbed the back of her mane, turning around.
"Oh, no!" Fluttershy gasped. "Isn't that the same terrible nickname those bullies in flight school used to call you?"
That prompted Rainbow Dash to whimper since it sadly was the truth.
"Why would they call you that?" Twilight wondered.
"Well, I kinda sorta fell into a garbage can." She whimpered yet again.
"Well, look at the bright side! At least they didn't call you Rainbow Trash!" Pinkie exclaimed.
"So you started off on the wrong hoof. I'll bet every new Wonderbolt has a tough first day." Applejack placed her hoof in Pinkie Pie's mouth.
"Mmm-hmm! What you need is to find a positive way to stand out. As soon as you're known for something else, that nasty old nickname will be forgotten." Rarity flipped her mane.
"Rarity's right. Why don't you think of the Wonderbolts like us? We're a team, but we all stand out in different ways." Twilight pointed her hoof at everypony and Pokemon here.
"That's it! I'm gonna stand out in a different way, just like you guys! Goodbye, Rainbow Crash; hello, Captain Awesome!" She zoomed out of her home due to her excitement as her friends and even her Pokemon watched her leave.
Returning to the Wonderbolts Academy, the sun was just over the horizon with morning coming up soon. At this time, even the Wonderbolts are still asleep. But they had no idea what was in store for them today.
Soarin slowly opened up his eyes, seeing a suddenly ecstatic Rainbow Dash with a slight mane change similar to that of Pinkie Pie, standing over his bed.
"Good morning, everypony! Who's ready for a fantastic day of flying? I know I am! I just couldn't be more excited for the big show tomorrow. Are you guys excited? I'm excited! Actually, I'm always excited! Some ponies even call me 'Dynamic Dash'!" She didn't just look like Pinkie Pie via the mane, she was even imitating her personality.
Her sudden shift in personality prompted them all to wake up with baggy eyes, confused on why Rainbow was acting like this all of a sudden.
"Uh, Wonderbolts don't get excited, Crash. You gotta keep a level head to fly the way we do." Fleetfoot said.
Rainbow Dash sighed, quickly changing up her personality. This time it was Applejack. Accent and mane included. "Well, of course I know that! But the truth of the matter is, you should be excited! It's the dream of near every little Pegasus pony to grow up and fly with the Wonderbolts! And here you all are doin' it!"
"So are you." Fleetfoot brushed her teeth.
"True! Go ahead and call me 'Forthright Filly' if you want. But shee-yucks, I like to tell it like it is, and I believe a pony oughta appreciate hard work payin' off like this because bein' a Wonderbolt is somethin' special!"
"We know." Misty Fly responded. In a matter of a few seconds, they had all left the room, leaving Rainbow behind. But even still, she decided to mimic her friends once more.
Outside with the rest of the Wonderbolts training and flying about, Rainbow Dash had decided to imitate Twilight this time. She even went the extra mile to put on some glasses and grab herself some random book.
"You know, I was just reading about how dihedral wing angles can help increase stability in banking turns. It made me think that pre-flight checklists could really help increase our efficiency, so I went ahead and made them for everypony!" She spoke to Spitfire. "I'm always finding so much interesting information in books. In fact, a lot of ponies call me 'Reading Rainboom'."
"Scizor..." Spitfire's Scizor winced at the sight of this. It was enough to make a Pokemon like him uncomfortable.
"We all know how wings work, newbie! And we already have checklists! Now get off the runway!" Spitfire spoke through a megaphone, blowing Rainbow Dash back a bit.
She shook her head, quickly changing her personality to match Fluttershy. "I'm so sorry. I was just trying to help because I care about all of the Wonderbolts oh-so-much. Yessiree, just call me 'Care Mare'. Um, but if you're busy now, I can just come back later..."
"Mrrrgh..." Spitfire growled at her.
"Or, you know, not at all..." Rainbow Dash had then zoomed away.
How does another attempt sound? Rainbow Dash up for it. This time, she imitated Ash. She got most of it right by changing her mane to match his hairstyle, using some markers to add his signature Z-Shaped birthmarks whilst also having Luxio on her back as her own Pikachu. Her accent stayed the same since she and Ash practically sound alike in a way when they speak.
"You know. I think if we could pull off some even cooler tricks with our Pokemon involved. Just think about it! If we work alongside with our Pokemon, especially the Flying-Types, we'll be able to give it more than 100%! There's nothing that can be achieved without a Pokemon by your side!"
"Lux..." Luxio winced, confused at why Rainbow Dash was acting like this all of a sudden.
"...We're not allowed to use Pokemon for the Wonderbolts..." Misty Fly raised her eyebrow.
"Oh..." Rainbow Dash's mane returned to normal. "I knew that..." She squeed, flying off.
Another attempt was made. With yet another imitation. She went over to the locker room, standing behind one as she held her breath in. "Okay..."
Who could she possibly be imitating this time? Well, judging by the mane and, eyelashes and enticing eyes, the imitation was clearly Rarity. She went up to Soarin, pulling off her best posh accent that she could come up with, along with very sophisticated trots.
"I must tell you how much I just love these uniforms. Why, ever since I was a foal, I've admired the mixture of bold lines and classic contours. They don't call me "Rainbow Fash" for nothing."
"Uhhhh... huh...?" Soarin was at a loss for words. How does one respond to this sudden change in personality?
"The 'Fash' is for 'Fashion'." Rainbow fluttered her eyes.
"Crash!" Spitfire bellowed. "I'm not sure why you're acting like this, but you need to stop."
"I was just, you know, trying to show everypony all the awesome ways I can contribute to the 'Bolts."
"I know you're excited to find your place on the team, but just focus on the routine for now, okay?"
"Yes, ma'am." Rainbow lowered her head.
"Maybe this will help motivate you." Spitfire smacked her hoof on a locker, causing to open. Inside was a pretty neat looking jacket just for her.
These jackets were made for the Wonderbolts with their nicknames on them. And unfortunately, since she's been given the name Rainbow Crash a lot recently, instead of it being a rainbow that was dashing, it was a rainbow that was crashing through a stop sign.
"Crash?! Couldn't you just put my regular name on it?!"
"That's not how it works around here. We all have our nicknames on our jackets. Right, Clipper?"
"Clipper?" Rainbow turned around to see that Spitfire was referring to Soarin, revealing his nickname.
"Right, boss!" Soarin replied.
"Now it's official. Welcome to the Wonderbolts, Crash!" Spitfire walked away as she had installed Rainbow Dash as a true Wonderbolt member. And all it took was a jacket.
"Mrrgh..." Rainbow quickly tossed the jacket back inside of the locker.
"If I don't come up with something unforgettable to add to the routine, I'm gonna be Rainbow Crash for the rest of my life!" She looked like she was about to tear up all of a sudden. She hid her face in the locker, trying to push back the tears.
But she had some help. Braviary, Castform and Altaria caught up, surrounding their trainer.
"Taria!"
"You guys? Oh. Sorry, I left you behind."
"Brav. Braviary." Braviary pointed his wings over on the outside of the barracks, trying to tell Rainbow Dash that her friends were coming over to see the show soon.
"...Oh, it's soon?!" Rainbow Dash could tell what Braviary was getting at. "But how am I gonna make this routine super cool...? Could I try Rainbow-Braviary, maybe? Nah..." Then, a gasp came out of Rainbow Dash's mouth. Something struck her mind, creating an idea. "Unless..."
Outside, ponies were gathering around to see the show along with their Pokemon as many had already seated themselves.
"Pika...chu..." Pikachu stretched his arms, laying on Ash's lap as a cushion.
"This is gonna be so amazing!" Scootaloo could barely contain herself.
"I know! I'm almost as excited as Pinkie Pie!" Spike exclaimed.
" I can't wait to see Rainbow Dash's first performance as an honest-to-goodness Wonderbolt! I hope there's cotton candy!" Pinkie popped up out of nowhere, catching Spike with her mane. She then took off with her Spinda, dragging Jade along, off to find some candy to scarf down.
"We should all remember to be extra supportive for Rainbow Dash too," Fluttershy said.
"Excellent point. It's simply dreadful that she's had such a rough start after finally achieving her dream." Rarity nodded.
"Rainbow Dash is a pretty resilient pony. I'm sure she's shaken off her tough first day and turned it around by now!" Twilight commented.
"Dino? Audino." Audino had heard the wingbeat of Rainbow Dash closing in. Along came their pegasus friend, prompting them all to turn their attention to her.
"Hey, Dash!" Ash greeted.
Rainbow hovered over Scootaloo, stopping by just for her. "Perfect! Hey, can I borrow Scootaloo? Oh and Ponyta too if that's cool."
"Me? What for?" Scootaloo wondered.
"Pony?"
"Oh, heh, I just needed some help and figured the president of the Rainbow Dash Fan Club was the right pony for the job!" She replied in a nervous tone.
"I thought the Wonderbolt Reserves were here to help," Twilight said.
"Oh, yeah, they're all busy doing, uh, official Reserve stuff. But don't worry! With Scootaloo's help, everything's gonna be awesome. Better than awesome!" Rainbow Dash picked both Ponyta and Scootaloo up.
"Does... Does that mean practice went well yesterday?" Rarity held her sun hat.
"Gotta go. Stay here, guys." Rainbow Dash ordered the rest of her Pokemon to stay behind, including Whirlipede and Luxio as she let them out.
Flying off with Scootaloo and Ponyta, Rainbow Dash went up to a fairly high spot up on a ridge for two specific reasons. One, so that Fluttershy's Audino doesn't hear her and two for something involving Scootaloo and her partner.
"What are we doing up here, Rainbow Dash?"
"I just need a small favour from you that's really gonna make this show something special. Now, the Wonderbolts are gonna fly over this ridge right before the finale of the show." She grabbed a cloud, pushing it near a wooden ramp. "I'll fly by last, and when I signal you, you get on Ponyta's back, while he gets on the scooter. Then, Ponyta's gonna use Flame Charge to zip up the ramp on your scooter and use Double Kick to smash the storm cloud into my path!"
"What?"
"That kick will shoot off a lightning bolt right behind me, making me look totally awesome! And then I'll do some incredible Rainbow Dash flying with it to create the coolest, show-stoppingest, lightning-tastic light show anypony has ever seen!"
"Are you sure about this?" Scootaloo held onto her scooter. "I'm not sure Ponyta's even capable of doing that."
"Uh-huh! It's gonna be so awesome! And don't worry! Ponyta's a tough Pokemon! From what I've seen, those hooves are no joke! And nopony will ever call me 'Rainbow Crash' after this!" She was really determined to make this a real show-stopper as she noticed the Wonderbolts fly by. "Oh, gotta go! Be ready for me, okay, you two?"
" Um... okay...?"
Back at the show, the whole thing was about to begin as the announcer spoke through the loudspeaker.
"Mares and gentlecolts, fillies and foals of all ages! Pokemon of all types! Look to the skies and prepare to be awestruck by the incredible flying prowess of... the Wonderbolts!"
Along came those stunning pegasi, flying in perfect sync as the crowd cheered, watching the flashy flying moves play out. Their speed was something to be admired. If they got close enough, they could blow anypony's mane in the wind just from the sheer force they exhibit.
"Pikachu!"
"I hope Spike and Pinkie Pie are done getting their snacks, or they're gonna miss Rainbow Dash!" Fluttershy exclaimed.
"Oh, don't worry, Fluttershy. Nothing would keep Pinkie Pie from missing this!" Rarity replied.
"Heh. Except maybe cotton candy." Applejack replied.
And what of Pinkie, Jade and Spike?
Well, their cotton candy situation was taking a bit. Mostly due to Pinkie Pie's craving for more cotton candy. It must be bigger.
"Come on, Pinkie, the show's starting!" Spike said.
"One second! Just a little bit bigger please, but hurry! Bigger!" She demanded much more than candy she received.
Whilst she attempts to really get the perfect cotton candy size, the Wonderbolts continued to amaze everypony there. That's when Rainbow Dash's friends spotted her actions. The way she was keeping up with the others and flying in perfect unison with them. It looked like she would struggle, but not at all. It seems that her promise of improving herself in one day wasn't a joke.
Her Pokemon watched as Braviary clapped his wings together.
"One second! Just a little bit bigger please, but hurry! Bigger!" Pinkie spoke.
"Oh! Are these Wonderbolt shows always like this?!" Ash gawked.
"Pika!"
Whilst the show carries on and Pinkie Pie orders more and more cotton candy so large you could build a house out of it, Rainbow Dash gave the signal to Ponyta and Scootaloo who stood atop the ridge, with the Fire Horse Pokemon taking control over the scooter.
"Okay, Ponyta...Let's just relax." Scootaloo got on the back of her Pokemon, holding tight. And for good reason. Ponyta may have seen Scootaloo use her scooter here and there, but he's never really utilized it. "I hope this works. Use Double Kick."
"Ponyta!" The Fire Horse Pokemon had raised one hoof up, kicking the black cloud away. The amount of power put behind Double Kick was so strong that it made the cloud move at ludicrous speeds that clouds don't usually move at.
As the show was coming to an end, Rainbow Dash had noticed that the cloud had been launched, prompting her to fly to the side with Soarin noticing.
Once each of the Wonderbolts finally stopped flying with everypony giving their applause, Soarin went over to Spitfire, showing her what Dash was currently up to.
She raced towards the cloud which had lightning sparking inside of it. Unfortunately, she didn't anticipate the speed it would move at. As a result, she attempted to stop in her tracks, but it was too late. The cloud had grabbed a hold of her with ease.
"Whoa!" She wailed as she felt herself being engulfed by the thundercloud. Sparks of lightning shot out it, reacting to Rainbow Dash's speed. The lightning had then shot Rainbow Dash out of its cloud, forcing her to take off like a rocket without any control whatsoever.
As she was being propelled through the skies, she bumped into a Tranquill, causing it to respond out of anger with Razor Wind, only making Rainbow Dash's air time last longer. Then, she found herself making contact with the tree near Ponyta and Scootaloo.
The tree acted like a slingshot, launching the blue pegasus higher into the air. And yet, there was still no control over her movements. She found herself making contact with that same rapid-moving cloud as it engulfed her once more. More lightning bolts shot out until one finally spat her out, sending her towards the ground this time.
Rainbow Dash had a lightning-shaped aura surrounding her as she was trying so hard to stop but it was no use. Where she was headed next was right towards Pinkie Pie and Spike's location, who had just finished getting the right amount of cotton candy she desired.
"Hope I'm not too late. I dunno what took that pony so long." Pinkie scoffed as Spike shook his head.
The lightning covered Rainbow Dash crashed right through the candy, but yet, despite the thick amount of cotton candy, she still didn't stop due to the speed she had been shot out with.
"Scizor! Catch her!" Spitfire commanded.
"Sciz!" The Pincer Pokemon took off from the ground, moving at much faster speeds than Rainbow Dash's current propelling pace. The Bug-Steel-Type effortlessly caught Rainbow Dash with his pincers, grabbing a hold of her tail. The lightning around her only slightly shocked him though as Scizor placed Rainbow Dash safely on the ground.
"That was amazing!" Pinkie was impressed by that.
"Spinda!"
"Urgh..." Rainbow Dash groaned. She looked up to see Spitfire arriving with her shadow casting over.
"Way to go, Rainbow Crash." She said, prompting Rainbow to sigh as she dug her face in the ground with cotton candy on it.
Afterwards, Fluttershy's Audino had healed her up with Heal Pulse, causing Rainbow to recover quickly. The blue pegasus rubbed the back of her mane, walking out with her head down. Up ahead were Spitfire and the rest of the Wonderbolts, looking right at her.
"You gonna tell us what just happened, newbie?" Spitfire asked.
"I'm so sorry." Rainbow sighed.
"I should hope so. You changed the routine without consulting me and put other ponies at risk. I've drummed flyers out of the 'Bolts for less."
"I know, and I'm ready for whatever punishment you want. You guys were right to call me 'Rainbow Crash'. I've always been a standout flyer, but since I joined the Wonderbolts, I've only stood out for making mistakes. It's been my dream my whole life, but... I guess maybe I'm not Wonderbolt material after all."
"Are you serious?! You're the most talented flyer we've ever had!" Soarin exclaimed, nudging her.
"And you've saved all of Equestria like, a dozen times." Fleetfoot nodded.
"Uh...I-"
"Of course you're supposed to be a Wonderbolt. We've been waiting for a spot to open up ever since you joined the Reserves!" Spitfire said to her.
"But... you guys all called me Rainbow Crash."
"Yeah, so? My nickname's 'Clipper'. You know why they call me that?" Soarin raised his wings up.
"Uh... 'cause you're as fast as a ship?" Rainbow answered.
"Because I clipped my wing on a flagpole as I was landing on my first day. Heh."
"Huh..."
"'Flatfoot'," Fleetfoot spoke. "My first day, I misjudged my landing and came down right on Spitfire's hoof."
"Dizzy". Misty Fly referred to herself as others did the same.
"Slowpoke".
"Hoof-in-Mouth".
"You don't wanna know what they call me," Spitfire whispered in Rainbow Dash's ear.
Whilst everypony else couldn't hear what she said, Audino picked up on the name, causing her to hold her laughter in.
"Audi...Audino..."
"Whoa! That is so much worse than Crash." Rainbow jerked back.
"Right?" Spitfire chuckled.
"So does this mean I'm... still on the team?"
"Do you think you can be part of this team and not constantly try to showboat?"
"I promise! I spent my whole life trying to be a standout flyer, but now that I'm a Wonderbolt, it's time to be okay with fitting in!"
"Good, because I really didn't want to miss the chance to tease you for years about this catastrophe! I mean, that crash was epic!" Spitfire bellowed as the other Wonderbolts laughed. All in good fun.
Rainbow Dash's Pokemon came over to her, giving their trainer a tight-spaced group hug. They were satisfied with her conclusion to all of this since they were worried in the beginning.
"But you're on probation for a month. Got a problem with that?!" Spitfire pointed her wing at her.
"No, ma'am," Rainbow replied quickly.
Along came the night.
Rainbow Dash was currently sweeping the area after the show had ended. Her Pokemon offered to help with Braviary using his wings to blow away any dirt from here whilst Castform used Water Gun. Whirlipede picked up dirt by rolling on the ground, allowing Castform to eventually wash it off of him.
Along came here her friends, seeing their friend and her Pokemon clean away.
"Hey. Rainbow Dash. We just wanted to check on you. Are you doing okay?" Twilight asked.
"Vulpix?"
"I'm doing great, thanks!"
"Sure you don't need any help?" Scootaloo offered.
"Nah. I've already got my Pokemon to help me out. This mess is my responsibility, and I've gotta clean it up myself. And after this, Spitfire's got me cleaning the Wonderbolts' compound for the next month." Rainbow Dash gave her Luxio a pat on the head as he was carrying a bucket with his mouth.
"Lux."
"So why are you in such a good mood?" Scootaloo wondered.
"Ponyta?"
"Duh! Because I'm a Wonderbolt!" That's all she needed to say.
Her dream of becoming a Wonderbolt had finally been realized, becoming a true reality. Even without the interference of the Rift or any cosmic ongoings. Granted, she did mess up and end up getting herself stuck in probation. But on the bright side, she's now learned that she wasn't the first Wonderbolt to gain herself a nickname and performing accidents along the way. That made her a true Wonderbolt and it'll certainly stay that way for years to come as the journey continues!
Chapter 212 End!