As the Canterlot Tournament resumes with its break finally over, Rarity's match is up next.
A match that she aims to win, all for the sake of reaching Adagio tomorrow. Her opponent was a pegasus who owned the same amount of badges as Rainbow Dash. So this was one trainer she couldn't underestimate at all.
Over at the crowd, Ash and the others were joined by Twilight and her Pokemon. She was now just a spectator after losing in the previous round. All of Rarity's friends were here to see how this match will play out.
Stepping into the battlefield was a trainer by the name of Wind March and of course, Rarity herself. She stood on the left, while Wind March stood on the right.
"Good luck, Rarity! Show them how much your training paid off!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed.
"Training? What training?" Pinkie Pie asked.
"During the break, Rarity went out of Canterlot to train on her own," Ash explained. "Both her Leavanny and Flaaffy really looked like they were giving it their all."
"Pikachu."
"Oh. Is that what those random thunderbolts were..." Fluttershy uttered.
"Both trainers. You may now send out your Pokemon!" The referee said.
"I'm going for you! Pangoro!" Wind March's first Pokemon was none other than a Pangoro.
"Pan!" The Daunting Pokemon bellowed, causing Rarity's mane to flow back a bit.
"In that case...Flaaffy! Out you come!" Rarity had chosen Flaaffy as her first Pokemon to battle.
"Ffy! Fla?" Once Flaaffy came out, he noticed that a Pangoro was staring at him in the face with its usual gruff eyes. "Flaaffy..."
"Pangoro? What's that?" Twilight pulled out her Pokedex.
"Pangoro. The Daunting Pokemon. Although it possesses a violent temperament, it won’t put up with bullying. It uses the leaf in its mouth to sense the movements of its enemies. It charges ahead and bashes its opponents like a berserker, uncaring about any hits it might take. Its arms are mighty enough to snap a telephone pole. Those who wish to become Pangoro’s Trainer have no choice but to converse with their fists."
"Don't panic, Flaaffy, darling. It wouldn't be the first time you've gone up against a big strong Pokemon." Rarity spoke to him.
"Flaaffy!"
"You're gonna be amazed at how hard my Pangoro hits. Watch," said Wind March.
"Goro!"
"Battle Start!"
"Flaaffy! Start with Electro Ball!" Rarity exclaimed, making the first move.
"Flaa!" The Wool Pokemon sparked up his tail, summoning a ball of electricity as he flung it towards the Daunting Pokemon.
"Destroy it with Hammer Arm!" Wind March shouted.
"Pan!" The Fighting-Dark-Type raised one hand, slamming it down on the incoming orb of lighting. One strike and Electro Ball was out of here as sparks of electricity flowed across the ground.
"How about we come to you? Pangoro! Head in and use Hammer Arm!" Focusing all his attention on Flaaffy, Pangoro left the spot he stood on, raising both of arms this time as they were covered in dark energy.
"Dodge and use Thunder Shock!"
"Fla?!" Flaaffy gasped as he saw a huge panda-like creature coming his way with big furry arms that could crush him in an instant. Flaaffy quick-stepped to the side, evading Pangoro's hit.
Once Hammer Arm hit the ground, a large crack formed up with dust rising. Flaaffy veered on the ground as he sent a blast of thunder from his ears. That blast struck Pangoro head-on, shocking the Daunting Pokemon with thousands of volts.
"Pango!"
"Excellent! Now use Charge to power yourself up!" Rarity thrust her hoof forward. Her partner sent a tiny little bundle of concentrated lightning forward that would power up the next Electric-Type move he would use. Which was all of them.
"Quick, Pangoro! Block it!"
"Go? Pangoro!" Pangoro put his arms up, allowing the bundle of electricity to hit him. Pangoro's not exactly a Pokemon that dodges since it's relatively slow and only aims to get up close and beat its opponents senseless by rushing in blind.
However, even though he blocked the Charge, Flaaffy still obtained a power boost with his tail lighting up.
"Are you alright, Pangoro?"
"Goro!"
"Not a single scratch on Rarity's Flaaffy! He's doing a great job at keeping his distance!" The announcer exclaimed. "Then again, most Electric-Types moves are about distance, aren't they?"
"But wait. Flaaffy only knows Electric moves and nothing else." Apple Bloom noticed.
"Right. There's no other from any other type that he can use." Ash replied. "But no need to worry. Rarity's pretty good at getting creative."
"All we need is one hit and we win. Pangoro! Swords Dance!"
"Pangoro!" Instead of attacking, the Daunting Pokemon had decided to increase its already absurd physical strength. The Fighting-Dark-Type crossed his arms together as multiple light-blue swords circled him. These swords then entered Pangoro's body, boosting his attack.
Not only that, but the energy of Swords Dance had infused itself with Pangoro's fists. Now they were glowing blue with a ton of power packed into them.
"What is that?!" Rarity pulled back. "But that blue is divine to look at!"
"What move is that, Ash?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"Swords Dance. A move that lets a Pokemon hit harder than normal." Ash explained in a simple way that everypony understood.
"Watch this. Pangoro! Close Combat!"
"Goro!" Pangoro stomped his foot on the ground as he rushed over to the Wool Pokemon.
"Ah! Flaaffy! Dodge and Use Thunder!" Flaaffy turned around, making a run for it as he was currently being chased by a 6'11 panda with earth-shattering fists. Pangoro attempted to hit Flaaffy by outstretching his arms, but he missed, leaving yet another crack.
The sight of a tiny sheep being chased by a huge panda was actually somewhat comical as everypony was laughing at it. Especially the way Flaaffy ran and how Pangoro kept missing each time he struck his fists. Pinkie Pie especially was loving this.
"If only Pangoro's speed was as great as his strength. But I guess that's the eternal drawback of being large." The announcer spoke.
"Oh, this is just ridiculous." Wind March facehoofed. "Catch it already, Pangoro!"
"Goro! Pan!" Try as he might, Pangoro just couldn't catch Flaaffy. This went on for 40 seconds until a conclusion arrived. Pangoro had actually exhausted himself a small bit due to all that constant running around. As a result, the Daunting Pokemon sat down, catching his breath. "Pan...Pan..."
"What's this?! Pangoro's tired himself out!" The announcer noticed.
"Excellent. Now! Thunder!" Rarity found an opening. And a free hit. From above, Flaaffy summoned the power of a storm with his ears and tail. Unlike Pangoro, Flaaffy couldn't tire himself out so easily since he is an Electric-Type.
"Yikes!" Wind March gasped, looking up at the approaching thunderstorm. "Pangoro! Make a run for it!"
"Pango..." Pangoro raised a finger, telling his trainer to wait until he recovers. But right now, it wasn't the best time to wait.
"Ugh! Nevermind! Return, Pangoro!" A smart move on Wind March's part. To prevent her partner from getting crushed by lightning, she returned the Daunting Pokemon to his Poke Ball.
Flaaffy ceased Thunder as the clouds separated, revealing the blue skies once more.
"Whew...That was a close one." Wind March sighed.
"Well. What shall your next Pokemon be?" Rarity asked.
"Oh, just you watch." Wind March held out a Dusk Ball. "I caught this Pokemon whilst in a cave. No way your Flaaffy's getting past this!" Tossing the Dusk Ball forward sent out the Cave Pokemon. Druddigon.
"DRUDDIGON!" The moment he landed down, a tiny earthquake occurred along with his roar startling everypony with a strong wind pressure kicking up.
"Oooh! Look at that Pokemon!" Sweetie Belle aimed her dex at the Dragon-Type.
"Druddigon. The Cave Pokemon. Druddigon lives in caves, but it never skips sunbathing. When its body temperature falls, it can no longer move. In narrow caves, it squares off against its enemies and charges face-first right into them. The skin on its face is harder than a rock."
"A Dragon-Type, eh?" Rarity held her breath. "This might be a problem. Stay sharp, Flaaffy."
"Flaa!"
"Watch this. Druddigon! Dragon Tail!"
"Ddigon!" By letting out a vicious roar in the air, the Cave Pokemon's tail emanated green draconic energy. He lowered his head, locking onto Flaaffy with laser vision. Once a Druddigon sees its target, it's nigh-impossible to escape. He rushed on over, dragging his tail on the ground.
"Move back and use Thunder Shock!"
"Flaaffy!" The Wool Pokemon forced himself away from Druddigon. However, this was far different from Pangoro. Druddigon outsped the Electric-Type with its surprising speed, despite its size. He appeared right in front of Flaaffy with his teeth just near the Wool Pokemon's nose. "Fla!?"
"Dru!" Druddigon swung his tail around, smashing it against Flaaffy's stomach. But this wasn't just an average Dragon Tail. Druddigon's ability Rough Skin added some extra power to the move.
The Wool Pokemon was sent flying from the Dragon Tail as the feeling of Druddigon's rock-like skin stuck to his stomach with a tiny little bruise.
"Ah! Flaaffy!" Rarity moved forward, gasping as her partner tumbled in front of her. "Are you alright, darling?!"
"Ffy...Fla!" He got right back up, holding his injured stomach with one eye closed. Flaaffy wasn't a Pokemon that could be taken out so easily. Even though that Dragon Tail left a mark.
"Have a look at that!" The announcer stood up. "I take back everything I said! Turns out you can be huge and still move insanely fast! What speed!"
"Like that? I trained my Druddigon's speed so that no other Pokemon can catch him off guard!" Wind March crossed her hooves together, grinning. "Now he's no longer slow and laggard."
"Druddigon!"
"Hm. You're not the only pony that's trained their Pokemon for specific situations." Rarity smirked. "Flaaffy! Get in close for an Electro Ball!" A fairly risky command by Rarity.
The decision to get closer to a Pokemon such as Druddigon who also has hard skin can be considered reckless and foolhardy. However, Rarity had a plan involving something that Flaaffy had within him.
"Big mistake!" Druddigon! Crunch!"
"Druddi!" By opening up his huge gaping jaws, Druddigon bolted towards the Wool Pokemon, landing a powerful bite and possibly a free snack.
"Gotcha." Rarity suddenly said in a quiet tone.
Once Druddigon bit onto Flaaffy's head, it did in fact deal damage as Rarity expected. Flaaffy didn't even get the opportunity to pull off Electro Ball. Druddigon tossed Flaaffy aside with bite marks engraved on the Wool Pokemon's body.
"Fla!"
"Oh! That's gonna leave a mark!" The announcer winced. "But Flaaffy's somehow standing still!"
"Why did Rarity decide to get close while using Electro Ball? Wouldn't it make sense to do it from far away as usual?" Twilight scratched her mane in confusion.
"Yeah. But look closely." Ash pointed over at Druddigon.
Rarity's plan involved one single thing that would grant her a major speed advantage. It took a few seconds to process but when it did, Druddigon felt a sudden shock in his body.
"Dru?!" There it was. Druddigon's stopped moving out of nowhere with sparks of electricity surrounding his body. Flaaffy and Rarity's secret weapon had been revealed.
Static.
Druddigon was now paralyzed.
"Perfect!" Rarity stood up with joy.
"Flaaffy!"
"Oh! It was Static!" Pinkie gasped. "That's so evil but clever at the same time, Rarity!"
"Static works well as a counter to Druddigon's Rough Skin. A perfect trade." Ash nodded.
"Pika-Pikachu!"
"Ah! Druddigon!" Wind March squealed.
"Now, let's finish this! Flaaffy! Thunder!"
"Flaa!!" Flaaffy concentrated all of his power into one spot. Instead of using the clouds this time, the Wool Pokemon summoned Thunder from his ears and tail instead. A massive blast of electricity was shot forward afterwards.
"Quick! Dodge it Druddigon!" But it was too late. Since he was paralyzed, dodging would prove to be a difficult task. The moment Druddigon tried to move, he felt the force of 200,000 volts bombard his entire body.
"DRU!"
"Now! Electro Ball repeatedly!"
"Fla!" The Wool Pokemon jumped into the air with his tiny shadow looming over the Cave Pokemon. From his tail, a single Electro Ball was hurled at Druddigon, shocking him even further. But it didn't stop there. Flaaffy repeatedly flung electric orbs towards the Dragon-Type, non-stop without rest.
Druddigon was getting pelted by Electro Balls to the face while his body was still paralyzed. "Druddigon! Use Dragon Tail to hit them away."
A smart decision. But, again, Druddigon was paralyzed. So its reaction time wasn't as good as before. He attempted to whack the incoming orbs away with his draconic-clad tail, but the constant volley of Electric-Type attacks from the Wool Pokemon kept throwing him off focus.
"I can feel that too! Druddigon's getting pelted by those Electro Balls!" The announcer gawked.
"Finish it with a bang, darling!"
"Ffy!" Flaaffy made an extra-large Electro Ball as the final attack. With all his might, he flung the super-sized orb towards a still out of focus Druddigon whose eyes widened at the sight of the attack.
A direct hit followed by an explosion of lightning that filled the battlefield. The power of that final Electro Ball was nothing to scoff at. Once the smoke cleared, the result of Druddigon's current state was visible to everypony. Fainted.
"Drudd..."
"Druddigon is unable to battle! Flaaffy wins!"
"Flaaffy!"
"Just as planned!" Rarity stomped her hooves. "A marvellous display of skill, Flaaffy!"
"Fla."
"Taking down an entire dragon! You're the best Rarity!" Sweetie Belle cheered with the crowd. Her excitement reached a point where she accidentally uppercut Pinkie Pie, knocking her out for a bit.
"Oof!" Pinkie uttered.
"Beaten by paralyzation. Shame." Wind March shook her head as she returned Druddigon. "That was pretty crafty of you, ya know."
"Isn't it? It'll be my ace in the hole when I face off against Adagio's Pheromosa." Rarity replied.
"Yeah, well. You won't pull the same trick on me twice, I'll tell ya that! Go, Pangoro!" Out came Pangoro who was no longer exhausted.
"Goro!"
"Pangoro! Use Swords Dance and Close Combat one more time!" Wind March went for the same tactic from before. And this time, they're both hoping to land a hit in.
"Do what you did before! Flaaffy!" Another attempt at escaping from Pangoro to avoid getting hit by his glowing blue fists. A second chase scene had played out.
"Not this time. Pangoro! Hit the ground!"
"Pan!" By stopping in his tracks, the Daunting Pokemon had attacked the ground itself, causing a mini-earthquake. This tremor tripped Flaaffy who lost his balance due to Pangoro's actions.
"Now, get Flaaffy!" Pangoro immediately ran after the fallen over Flaaffy, who was just getting back up.
"Ah! Quick, Flaaffy! Dash away!" Rarity gasped.
"Ffy?!" Flaaffy turned around to see that Pangoro was right in front of him. He finally had Flaaffy where he wanted him.
"Pan..." Pangoro threw one punch that struck Flaaffy's jaw, dealing some major damage. But it didn't stop there. Once Pangoro landed a single hit, he followed up with multiple rapid-fire punches. "Goro-Goro-Goro-Goro-Goro-Goro-Goro-Goro-Goro-Goro-Goro-Goro!"
"Fla! Ffy!" With each punch, Flaaffy could feel Pangoro's heavy fists punish every part of his body. This lasted a few seconds until Pangoro finally finished it off with one final strike.
"PANGO!" By smashing his fist on Flaaffy's face, the Daunting Pokemon launched the Wool Pokemon to a far distance, passing Rarity herself even.
Flaaffy hit the walls of the stadium, shaking the seats of the crowd themselves. The Electric-Type couldn't really withstand a pummeling like that. So of course, he fainted.
"Flaaffy..."
"Flaaffy is unable to battle! Pangoro wins!"
"What a beatdown!" The announcer pressed his face on the glass.
"Aw. Just when Flaaffy was doing so well." Fluttershy whimpered.
"How do ya like that? Once Pangoro lands a hit, the battle's already over." Wind March smirked. "Right, buddy?"
"Pan." Pangoro crossed his arms, feeling proud of himself as he nodded. Unfortunately, his huge reward in defeating Flaaffy came with a risk. Since he hit Flaaffy more than once. Possibly 50 times in a row, he was gifted with the same effect that his friend Druddigon obtained.
Static yet again.
"Goro!" Pangoro fell on his knees as sparks of lightning surrounded his body.
"Are you kidding?!" Wind March squealed, pulling the pigtails that she had.
"Hmph. I suppose you ended up falling for that a second time. Now, Leavanny! Finish it off!" Rarity sent out Leavanny who was 100% healthy and raring to go.
"Leavan!"
"X-Scissor!"
"Van...!" Leavanny crossed her arms together with green energy illuminating with an X-Shape forming.
"Pangoro! Use Fire Punch!"
"Pan..." Pangoro held his head, trying to power through the paralyzing effect. He pulled one of his arms back as flames ignited around his fist.
Both Pokemon crossed paths, however, only one could pull off an attack faster than the other. And that was Leavanny, who cut past Pangoro, leaving behind a shockwave that struck Pangoro.
Leavanny stood up tall, turning around to see Pangoro feeling the effects of X-Scissor and Static. Thanks to all their training 40 minutes ago, X-Scissor was powerful enough to knock out Pangoro as the Daunting Pokemon fell flat on his face, defeated.
"Pangoro..."
"Pangoro is unable to battle! Leavanny wins! Thus the victor is Rarity!"
"A One-Hit-KO!" The announcer gawked. "And Leavanny's still healthy without a single scratch!"
For such an impressive display of skill and taking down two huge Pokemon with immense power, thunderous acclaim and praise were sent towards Rarity and her Pokemon. It was so impressive that everypony even stood up.
"That was amazing! She battled like she was a top trainer!" A pony exclaimed.
As always, Sweetie Belle was the most pumped out of everypony here. Her frantic flailing and cheering almost made her dizzy from all the excitement.
"It seems our hard work really showed itself, didn't it Leavanny?"
"Lea!"
"Good job, Pangoro. Return." Wind March returned her partner to his Poke Ball. "Pretty sneaky using that Static on me. Twice, even!"
"Apologies for that." Rarity squeed.
"But it's fine. You said you were gonna use it for that Adagio pony right? If so, then make sure you win."
"I will. Thank you, Wind March!"
Rarity's victory was something to admire. So much so that the higher ranking trainers were taken aback by how well she played. If anything, Rarity could be deemed as a major threat to them. And she wasn't even participating in the league.
"That was some mighty fine battling there, Rarity." Applejack gave her a pat on the back.
"Yeah. I'm a bit scared. A bit..." Rainbow Dash commented.
"Thank you, girls. I made sure to put in more than 100% of my effort into that battle. And any battle going forward. But for now...I need some rest. Leavanny."
"Lea." Leavanny brought out Rarity's fainting couch as the unicorn fell on it.
"I wish you all good luck with your battles. That reminds me. What is your second Pokemon, Applejack?" Rarity asked.
"Mine? Well, Grovyle's my only partner, but I got one from the rental team. A Venasaur." Applejack held a Poke Ball containing a Venasaur. "I don't know too much about it, but Ben said they were all well trained."
Speaking of Ben, he came rushing through the doors with Gothitelle. "Quick announcement!" He shouted, grabbing everypony's attention. "It took me a while to realize but... Christmas or Hearth's Warming is closing in. The tournament is put on hold for now."
"On hold?!" Rainbow Dash squealed.
"Mhm. Sorry for the inconvenience. But family and friends come first after all. No need to worry. We'll continue in the new year. That'll give all of you a bunch of time to prepare yourselves for when we resume."
"He's right ya know." Applejack nodded. "I should be home preparing for Hearth's Warming right about now."
"I should be sorting out the gifts for the Pokemon!" Rarity sat up from her couch.
Everypony was chattering about how they almost missed Hearth's Warming. They were so caught up in the tournament with all the battling that it completely passed their mind. But that just goes to show how addictive and fun Pokemon battles can be. They sure know how to take up most of your time.
The news passed on to the crowd as well. They all got a move on, planning to head back home for Hearth's Warming before it's too late.
"I can't believe Hearth's Warming almost passed our minds," Twilight said. "Pokemon battling might be a bit bad for our health."
"Espeon."
"Well. If we hurry, we can still finish up decorations and presents." Pinkie replied. "Are you gonna be here for Hearth's Warming, Ash?"
"Sorry. Goh and I are gonna be back at Kanto for Christmas." Ash answered.
"Pika."
"Yeah. It is our home after all." Goh nodded.
"Can't you convince your mom to come over?" Sweetie Belle looked up at Ash with a puppy-dog face, trying to pull at his heartstrings.
"Well, mom wouldn't mind. But, she's already got a ton of plans for some of her old friends that are coming over." Ash chuckled nervously. "But I'll see if I can find something that can work for both of us."
"That reminds me. Sonata. Aria. You've never experienced Hearth's Warming yet, have you?" Fluttershy turned to the two sisters.
"First time hearing about it. Is it about getting warm?" Sonata squeed.
"We'll explain it all to you along the way. Let's meet up with Rainbow Dash and the others quickly." Twilight walked ahead of everypony else. Her Bisharp stood in front like a bodyguard. Since Twilight was a princess, Bisharp automatically gained a powerful urge to protect her. He and his Pawniards do guard Queen Serperior after all.
Celestia returned indoors to Canterlot, taking a deep breath now that the Canterlot Tournament is on hold until next year. For the first two days, it gave everypony here a rush.
"We should probably prepare ourselves for Hearth's Warming as well, Passion, Arcanine. Or I suppose for your world I should refer to it as Christmas."
"Kirlia!"
"Arc."
Teleporting inside was Luna, who wiped some dust off her ethereal mane. "I can't believe the tournament is taking a break. I was so prepared to show off my Musharna for the first time." She groaned.
"Next year, Luna."
"Hopefully everypony remembers their brackets." She responded as she placed her Poke Balls back inside of her room. "By the way, sister. Have you talked to Adagio ever since her battle with Twilight ended?"
"No. Not yet. I'm more curious about where she'll go during the Hearth's Warming break. Or if she'll even return once the tournament continues."
"I assume that she roams around Equestria freely." Luna released all of her Pokemon from their Poke Balls, letting them roam around in her room. Her Musharna, who loved Luna to an abnormal level, hovered over the alicorn's head, glomping on it. "Musharna! Not now!"
"Perhaps." Celestia looked outside of the window, gazing at the battlefield. There were a bunch of marks plastered everywhere along with cracks and other hazards. Whether it was from Fire, Electric, Ground and even water, it was put through some intense battles. And most likely, when the tournament returns, it's only going to get rougher later on.
As for Adagio, she had actually left Canterlot after hearing the news about the tournament taking a break until the New Year. But she wasn't leaving in her usual cocky spirit. Not this time. Ever since Aria admonished her with every fault she had, the siren kept on mumbling to herself about how Aria was wrong.
"What does she know...? I'm in the right here," Adagio grumbled, trying her best to forget everything Aria said. But it was no use. Her scolding left a massive impact on her. It wasn't going anywhere for a long time. "I swear, I'll prove her wrong. All of them."
Meanwhile, the trains that led to Ponyville, The Crystal Empire, Manehattan and other locations in Equestria had taken their leave. Ponyville's train went first since it was the closest to Canterlot after all.
Inside, the CMC had fallen asleep due to their time in Canterlot along with other ponies who were just out of it lately. Pinkie Pie and Sonata had actually fallen asleep themselves.
Twilight looked out of the window, thinking about her match with Adagio. She didn't let it get to her anymore. Not after how Rarity and Celestia comforted her. She was leaving Canterlot in high spirits, confident that somepony would be able to defeat her and that speedy Pheromosa.
With the Canterlot Tournament on a break until the new year, many ponies are already setting their minds on Hearth's Warming, prepared to enjoy it all until the new year arrives. And as a bonus, everypony can prepare themselves for when the tournament resumes, working on their battling skills as the journey continues.
Chapter 235 End.