//------------------------------//
// The Ocean Champion 
// Story: Pokémon: Equestrian Champions 
// by Banshee531 
//------------------------------//

Continuing their journey to Manehatten City and Flash's seventh Equestria Gym Challenge, the group was now riding the open ocean on a large sailing ship. They had shipped off from Seaward Shoals two days ago, Flash and his friends having enjoyed their time aboard. They fished, played games, read books and so much more. Currently, Flash was having his bandages taken off his foot to see how well his ankle had healed.

"How's that feel?" Doc asked while putting the bandages in a bin bag.

Flash stood up, smiling before jumping up and down. "Feels great. Better than ever."

"Good. Just be careful from now on." Flash nodded before a splashing sound made him turn to the edge of the boat, now seeing a certain sight that made him chuckle. It was Riptide swimming beside the boat, his head-fin above the water as he swam at great speed. Holding onto his head fin was Springer and Astro, the two letting out cries of excitement as they felt the wind in their faces.

Flash couldn't help but smile, this open ocean being the perfect place for Riptide to grow into his new body. "Guys!" He yelled, "Everything okay down there?" In response, Riptide shot straight up. He did several flips, throwing his passengers off his head before landing on the deck and holding his arms out so Springer and Astro landed in his hands.

"Rep!" Riptide cheered while putting the two down.

Flash laughed at this, kneeling down to scratch them behind the ears. "Riptide's really taken to being a Reptidal," Doc commented as he walked up to them. As he did this, he looked out at the sea...and noticed they weren't anywhere near land. "That's strange. We should be seeing some signs of land."

He quickly walked up to the area where Captain Algae was steering. Up there, Twilight and several other people were sitting on benches, enjoying the sun or reading from books. "Excuse me, captain?" Twilight and the captain turned to Doc, "I'm just wondering what route you're taking us on because it feels like we're a bit too far from the mainland."

Captain Algae chuckled at this, "So you didn't realize this was a special voyage."

"Special?" Twilight asked with a raised eyebrow, putting her book away, "How special?"

"So special that I only make it once every five years." In this moment, Flash, Spike and their Pokémon walked up to the elevated deck. "I figured you already knew, given what Pokémon you're here with." He pointed at Riptide, who raised an eyebrow at this.

"What are you talking about?" Flash asked, only for the captain to point toward the horizon.

"See for yourself. We're almost there." The others turned to where he was gesturing, seeing a small land mass in the distance.

"You're taking us to an island?" Spike asked.

"Not just any island," Algae laughed. "That there is Reptidal Island, the location of the Ocean Champion Tournament."

"Ocean Champion?" Flash asked, having heard that name before. "Wait..." he pulled out his Pokedex and scanned Riptide, seeing his page.

"So that legend is true?" Twilight chimed in, getting a nod from Algae.

"Yup. Happens every five years. I've been taking trainers there for decades. Surprised you didn't know about it." Flash glanced around at this, seeing several trainers polishing their Pokeballs.

"So all these people are looking to compete?"

"Most of 'em, yes. But it's not just trained Reptidal that compete. Look over the edge and you might see a few wild ones." They walked up to the edge, only to see no sign of Reptidal in the water. Instead, they saw a ton of boats, soon losing count of how many there were.

"So many people, all coming to compete...."

"Or to just watch," Twilight corrected Flash. "So what are you gonna do Flash? Are you and Riptide going to compete?" Flash and his Reptidal turned to one another, both smirking and nodding.

"You bet we are! And we're gonna win!"

"TIDAL!" He roared in agreement.

The rest chuckled at this as the boat sailed closer to the island, Spike then pointing at something in the water. Everyone saw it was a Reptidal with an Aquana and Spranitor swimming beside it. Another Reptidal then appeared, followed by more and more, multiple members of the Aquana line all swimming up to them.

"Wow...so many." Flash whispered before turning to Riptide, "We're gonna have our work cut out for us. But we got this, right bud?"

"Tide," Riptide nodded as the boat got to the island's harbor. The land was a like a large ring, the ship pulling up to one of the empty peers and coming to a stop, Captain Algae dropping the plank for them to disembark. As they did this, they saw the other people getting off their own boats, which went from speed boats to yachts, while the wild Reptidal climbed onto the peer and helped their prevolves up onto the land.

"Aw..." Twilight giggled at all the Aquana waddling along the ground. "How cute."

"So where will they be battling?" Spike asked, getting a shrug from the others. Flash turned to the wild Reptidal, seeing them heading up the rocky mountains that made up the island.

"I guess up there," he commented before he, Springer, Astro and Riptide started walking toward them. But as they did this, loud footsteps suddenly rang out as a familiar voice called out to him.

"FLASH!" He turned to the voice, only to get tackled. He cried out as he hit the ground, opening his eyes to see nothing but blue hair and blue skin. That is, till the person hugging pulled away to showed her face.

"Sonata?!" He yelped, the priestess of Vocanctus giggling.

"What are you doing here?" Twilight asked as the girl picked herself up.

"We came to watch the tournament," Sonata replied.

"We?" Doc added before they heard a coughing sound, making them turn to see the other two members of Sonata's family standing with arms crossed. "Aria and Adagio?"

Twilight smiled at this, "It's good to see you all."

"You too," Adagio responded, the group then noticing a trio of identical Pokémon at the girl's feet. It was a trio of Popplio, each with a different colored ribbon around their left ear.

"Are those yours?" Twilight asked, moving over to pet them.

"Sure are," Adagio reached down and picked up one with a yellow ribbon. "They were a gift from the people of Vocanctus."

"We're gonna evolve them into a trio of Primarina," Aria added as the one with a purple ribbon moved up to her. "Then they can sing with us on stage."

"That's awesome," Flash chuckled as the last Popplio with a blue ribbon was picked up by Sonata, "I was kinda expecting you to have Sirenity with you."

Sonata giggled at this, "She has to stay in Vocanctus. But I'll see her again, when we return for the Voice of the Ocean festival."

Adagio turned to Twilight, "We weren't expecting to see you here. Thought you'd be heading to the next gym or something."

"It wasn't really in the plan," Twilight replied, "We just found out about this little event, so we decided to come."

Sonata gasped and turned back to Flash, "Does that mean you'll be competing?" Flash nodded, the girl jumping up and down at this, "That's amazing! Don't worry, you'll have me cheering you on!"

"Thanks," Flash chuckled, "So did you guys just come to watch out of curiosity, or was there someone you were actually planning to come root for?"

"The second option," Aria responded, "We came because another guy from our city's competing. We decided to tag along because he said he'd drop us off somewhere else on the way back. That way, we can start our journey off somewhere exciting."

"So who's competing?" Spike asked.

"That'd be me," another voice said, the group turning to see a pair of teens walking up to them. The first was a boy about their age, with white skin and hair that was two different shades of green. He was wearing a cream shirt with gray swirl patterns designed to mimic waves and brown pants. He also wore a necklace around his neck. The other was a girl slightly younger than him, with pink skin and hair that was two different shades of blue. She was a dark pink shirt and a purple skirt. The boy had his own Reptidal walking with him, "Hey there, nice to meet you. Name's Terramar."

Before anyone else could say anything, the girl ran up to Flash with an excited look on her face, "Oh my Arceus! You're Flash Sentry! The guy who helped Sonata save our city!"

"Err...yeah," Flash replied, almost backpedaling, "That's me."

"Hi there! Its so nice to meet you! I'm Silverstream!" She exclaimed while grabbing his hand and shaking it, "Are you gonna compete too?! OH! Maybe you and my brother will compete in the finals together! Wouldn't that be awesome?!"

"Uh...sure would," Flash barely replied as the handshake stopped, Flash now feeling the same pain he had gotten from Astro biting his hand.

"Sorry about my sister," Terramar chimed in, "She get's a little...overenthusiastic about some things."

"No kidding," Spike chuckled, "So do you know where this tournament is taking place?"

"Of course," Terramar pointed up at the mountain, everyone seeing several trainers and Reptidal beginning to climb it. "Come on, I wanna get there before the stadium appears."

This made them raise an eyebrow at this, but they soon just followed him. It took a few minutes, but they quickly got up to the top of the ringed mountain. They looked down next, now seeing the wild Reptidal standing further down the mountain, the very center of the island being filled with water.

"What are they staring at?" Flash asked.

"It's just a pool of water," Sonata added.

"Wait for it..." Terramar responded.

The others just blinked at the sight, only to go wide-eyed as they saw the water in the cove begin to get lower, as if someone had pulled the plug out of the drain. The water was being sucked into holes on the seafloor and then began to reveal a stadium. This one was not made of bricks and metal, but instead made out of coral. It was a large bowl made entirely of coral with a single opening to allow people entrance. A circle of stair-like constructs created a seating area and in the middle was a pool of water with three elevated sections of land in the middle of the water. One was a large round platform while the other two were much smaller. A coral bridge also connected the entrance to the shore, allowing people to cross.

"Say hello to the Coral Stadium," Terramar announced, "For three days every five years, the currents shift and reveal this natural creation. And it's here that the Ocean Champion will be decided." The others stared in amazement as they headed down the path leading to the stadium, Riptide unable to keep his eyes on the place as he then accidently stepped on a tail.

"Rep!" He heard, turning to the owner of the tail as they glared to him.

It looked like a Reptidal, but this one was a different color. In place of light blue skin, it was dark blue. And in place of being dark blue, its tail, feet and hands were black while the fins on its mouth and head were light blue. Its eyes also were a bright green and filled with annoyance.

"Rep," Riptide apologized, but the shiny Reptidal simply growled back at him.

"Riptide, what's wrong?" Flash asked as he turned to his Pokémon, now seeing the shiny Reptidal before hearing a new voice.

"What are you doing to my Reptidal?!" yelled the voice, all looking up to see a teen around the same age as Doc. He had dark blue skin with a light blue lower jaw along with the front of his neck. His hair was light blue with dark blue tips and was wearing a dark blue leather jacket with black pants.

"Sorry," Flash replied, "I think my Reptidal accidently stepped on your's tail or something."

The teen hissed at him, only to raise an eyebrow at this, "Wait...I know you! You're the guy that lost in the finals of the Hoofington Battle Tournament!"

Flash frowned back at him, "Yeah, that's me."

"I thought so," he laughed before staring at Riptide, "So this is the Spranitor that lost you the whole match."

"Hey! It wasn't Riptide's fault Flash lost," Twilight chimed in.

Flash nodded at this, "That's right. We were all at fault for that."

"Maybe, but he's the one that struck the final nail in the coffin. If he'd been able to beat that Chimplug before it evolved, the whole match could have gone differently." He then chuckled as he pointed at Riptide, "Then again, I gotta admit, Lightning Blitz is right. He looks like a total weakling, even when evolved! HA!" He looked away at this, "If you're in this match, it'll be a cinch for Fin to win the title of Ocean Champion."

"Hey! Don't you dare insult my Pokémon like that!" Flash yelled as the teen began to walk away, "Don't ignore me!"

"I can ignore a loser. After all, all of Equestria knows you're a loser."

"You little...what's your name?!"

The teen stopped and glanced back, "Wingill. Remember it, as my Reptidal will become Ocean Champion." With that, he continued to laugh as he walked into the stadium.

And as the two disappeared, Riptide let out a low whimper, staring down at the ground. That is, until he felt a hand on his shoulder, making him look up at Flash, "Don't believe a word he said. You're not to blame for what happened back then, and you're not a weakling. We'll make those two find out how big of a mistake it is to underestimate us."

"Rep..." Riptide whispered, feeling Flash pat his head.

"Wow..." Sonata gasped before glancing at the others, "Flash is really good at pep-talks. I thought he was gonna be upset after what happened in the Battle Tournament."

"Oh, he was. You have no idea." Twilight sighed, making the trio of girls grimace at Twilight's expression, only to see Twilight shine a small grin, "But he got over it. Now he's just focusing on the next time he faces off against Lightning Blitz."

"And he'll win," Sonata added while hugging her Popplio tightly. Twilight saw the look in Sonata's eyes, remembering what she had told Flash the last time they had met. Though Flash hadn't heard it, the memory went through Twilight's head, making her feel a sense of dread.

At the same time, Riptide sighed as he continued to walk beside Flash. Memories of the match against Lightning went through his head, remembering how that battle went still going through his brain. And as this happened, they entered the stadium, all now seeing two Reptidal on the battlefield, one appearing to have a trainer who stood on one of the smaller platforms while the other was wild.

"So what's the rules of this tournament?" Twilight asked Terramar, the teen pointing toward the side of the battlefield in response. There, they spotted an elderly looking Reptidal with many wrinkles.

The Reptidal was sitting on the wall beside some kind of wheel device made of stone. On that wheel was a hourglass-like object with water on the lower section. "Rep..." it called out before spinning the wheel so the water-filled section was on top. "Reptidal!" It yelled as the two Reptidal charged at one another. At the same time, the water flowed down and began to dribble through the very small gap into the lower section.

"The Reptidal battle until the time is up. And whichever Reptidal is still on the platform at that moment will be the winner."

"What if they're both on the platform when time runs out?" Spike asked as the wild Reptidal was thrown off the battlefield and splashed into the water.

"Then it's overtime, and whoever gets knocked into the water next loses."

"Makes sense," Twilight replied before turning to the water clock, seeing half the time was already gone. "How long does it take for the time to run out?"

"Not sure," Terramar responded, "I don't think anyone ever really counts. Nobody even knows how that clock was made. Some think it's natural, and others think it was made by someone." As he said that, the wild Reptidal shot out of the water and had a water katana in its hand.

"Aqua Break!" The trainer yelled, his Reptidal creating his own sword to block the wild Reptidal's attack. "Now, use Frost Breath!" It opened its mouth, letting out a roar as a sparkling blue wind shot out and struck the opponent in the face, causing the goggles around its eyes to frost up.

"Rep!" It cried while staggering back, trying to wipe the frost from its goggles. But as it did this, the trainer Reptidal spun around and slammed its tail into it. "TIDAL!" It screamed while getting knocked back into the water.

As it did this, the last of the water trickled into the lower section and the elder Reptidal raised an arm. "TIDAL!" It roared, pointing to the trainer Reptidal as the crowd cheered.

"Wow..." Spike gasped, "That was awesome!"

"So anyone can just step up and compete?" Flash asked.

"Pretty much," Terramar replied, "Today is the first day, when everyone can enter. They only have to fight once and if they win, they can enter to tournament properly tomorrow. But you only get one try, and if you lose, you can't enter again until the next tournament in five years." As he said that, Fin jumped onto the battlefield as Wingill hopped onto the trainer's podium.

Another Reptidal leapt onto the podium and the elder spun the wheel, starting the battle. Everyone watched as Fin charged while summoning a water sword, reaching the other and striking instantly. The wild Reptidal staggered back at this, Wingill then yelling, "Water Gun!" Fin took a deep breath before unleashing a blast of water, knocking the Reptidal right into the water. "Now, Ice Beam." Fin opened his mouth, firing a burst of blue lightning that struck the water and began to freeze the surface. Eventually, the entire stadium's lake-top was frozen, the wild Reptidal unable to break through.

"Hey!" Spike called out, "That's cheating!"

"I don't think the judge agrees," Adagio pointed to the elder as it did nothing. All it did was focus on the clock as the water flowed into the lower section while the wild Reptidal tried to break through the ice...only for the water to run out.

"Rep!" It exclaimed, pointing to the shiny Reptidal.

"Ha!" Wingill guffawed as several Reptidal jumped onto the ice, starting to work together to break it while Fin leapt over to him and they high-fived. "Wasn't even close. This is gonna be easier than I thought." He and Fin left the battlefield, Fin turning to Riptide before giving him a giant smirk, laughing at him as he walked away.

Riptide frowned at this, only to rapidly shake his head and look up at this trainer, "Rep!"

Flash chuckled at him, "I like the enthusiasm bud. Let's do this thing!" Flash leapt onto the trainer podium while Riptide landed onto the battlefield, letting out a roar that challenged any Reptidal who wanted to compete.

And ten seconds later, his opponent leapt onto the battlefield. It was a bulky Reptidal covered in several battle-scars. "This could be tricky..." Flash mumbled as the elder turned the wheel.

"Begin," it said in its language. When it did this, the scarred Reptidal ran up and summoned a water sword. Riptide was instantly hit, unable to react to the Pokémon's speed.

"Get up and use Rock Smash!" Riptide leapt back up as his legs began to glow, quickly swinging a jab at his opponent. But the Reptidal raised his sword, blocking the kick before pushing Riptide back, making him almost fall back into the water.

"Tidal!" He skidded along the ground, pulling himself to a stop as his opponent charged at him again.

"Get out of there!" Riptide rolled to the side to avoid the Reptidal's second sword attack, leaping to the side to dodge the blow. "Aqua Break!" Riptide created his own sword and charged at the Reptidal, but the scarred lizard easily blocked his swipes.

And as he tried to slash him again, the Reptidal suddenly threw a punch into Riptide's stomach. "Riptide!" Flash cried as his Reptidal was thrown back by the Sucker Punch, hitting the floor before sliding off into the water.

"Not good." Twilight gulped, looking over at the clock and seeing their time was already half up.

"Come on Flash!" Sonata yelled, "You gotta win, win, win!"

"Riptide, get out of there!" Flash ordered, not sure what command to give, but Riptide did as instructed and swam straight down to the bottom. He then kicked off and swam straight up, flying out of the water a second later. And as he did this, the wild Reptidal watched and took a deep breath.

"TIDAL!" It roared while unleashing a burst of water that shot straight at Riptide.

"Aqua Break!" Riptide created the sword, cutting the Water Gun attack in half. He then fell down at the wild Pokémon as it also summoned a water blade. The two clashed again, the scarred Reptidal easily knocking Riptide's blade back. And as their blades struck, Flash yelled, "Ice Punch!"

The wild Reptidal charged to impale Riptide, Flash's Pokemon then dodging the sword while clutching his fist. He spun around at this, doing a full three-sixty before slamming his punch into the Reptidal.

"Rep!" The scarred lizard cried as it staggered back, its stomach and upper parts of its legs and tail now being encased in ice. "Tidal?!"

"Aqua Tail!" Riptide leapt up as water spiralled around his tail, then spinning around before smacking the Reptidal. The blow knocked it flying out of the arena, falling into the water. And as it tried to recover and get out of the water, its frozen legs and tail making it struggle...only for the clock to run out.

"Rep!" The elder announced, pointing to Riptide.

The newly evolved Reptidal sighed in relief while the crowd cheered, "Way to go Riptide!"

And as cheers continued, Wingill and Fin smiled down at the battle, "I was right, they'll be no problem for us. It'll be a miracle if they even manage to get past the first round tomorrow." With that, he spun around, "Come on Fin, there's no point in watching losers like them."

Once Flash and Riptide left the battlefield, many more Reptidal fought for the chance at the title. Terramar and his Reptidal managed to win their match, going into overtime before knocking their opponent into the water. All the while, Flash and Riptide watched the other Reptidal battle, seeing them be much stronger than they were. They all seemed to be more accustomed to fighting, all almost always wielding their water blades like they were poetry in motion. And in the end, sixty-four Reptidal made it through to the next round.

It was here that the sun began set, a party now breaking out at the harbour. Many of the boats had been packed with beverages, which were soon passed around while campfires were started to light up the night sky. Trainers and Reptidal, wild and trained, were partying together on the port of the island.

"Woo-hoo! Let's party!" Sonata cheered, Aria and Adagio rolling their eyes at her antics, but were happy to celebrate alongside her with any other trainer that wanted to.

Twilight, Spike and Doc were sitting on the port having their own drinks, Twilight mumbling, "This competition isn't going to be easy. Flash and Riptide will need to win six times tomorrow if they want to be the Ocean Champions."

"They can do it," Spike chimed in, "Just watch. Flash and Riptide will clean up tomorrow."

"I wish I could agree with you," Twilight sighed, shaking her head, "But from watching the matches today, it's clear Riptide is the least experienced Reptidal here."

"Maybe, but Riptide isn't a battle novice." Doc added, "He's been up against opponents some of these Reptidal wouldn't even dream of. He just needs a little time to get comfortable with his new body."

"But does he have the time?" Twilight asked before looking up at the colosseum.





Meanwhile...

Flash and Riptide were staring down at the battlefield. "I'm gonna be honest...we're seriously out of our league here bud."

"Rep," Riptide nodded in agreement.

"We need to figure something out..."

In that moment, the two heard the sound of footsteps, turning to see Terramar and his Reptidal. "Your Reptidal just recently evolved, didn't it?"

Flash sighed at this, "Yeah, it was two days ago."

"And I'm guessing he learned Aqua Break at the same time." Flash nodded. "I see. Just knowing the move isn't enough. You also need to know how to use it. You can't just wildly swing the blade around and expect to win, especially against those with a lot more experience than you."

"So what do we do?" Flash asked, Terramar giving him a smirk before turning to his Reptidal and nodding. The water lizard nodded back before hopping onto the battlefield, motioning Riptide to join him. Riptide turned to Flash, his trainer nodding back as Riptide went over and drew his sword.

"Have your Reptidal copy mine's movements exactly." Flash and Riptide nodded, the Reptidal staring at each other before Terramar's began to move. Riptide followed him, both dancing around as hours began to pass. They started slow, Riptide getting more and more accustomed to moving in such a manner, also practicing kicks, flips and a few other tricks.

"Not bad," Terramar commented as Riptide began to move in perfect sync with Reptidal. "He's a fast learner."

"Thanks..." Flash replied before turning to him. "But...why are you helping us? Wouldn't it be easier for you to win if we weren't any good?"

"Maybe, but that's not really my style. Your Reptidal needs help, and it's the responsibility of more experienced ones to give it to them. Besides, I really don't want that Wingill guy's Reptidal to win. I can tell he's trouble, and no one like that should be Ocean Champion. That and the better you are, the less likely he'll be able to beat you."

Flash laughed at this, "Got it. Then let's make a deal. We'll meet each other in the finals."

"Deal," Terramar responded, shaking Flash's hand while the Reptidal continued to train.





The next day...

As soon as the sun was up, everyone was heading for the colosseum. Once there, those competing stood on the lowest section of the seating area as the elder decided who battled who. Meanwhile, Flash and Riptide let out a yawn after having practicing late into the night.

The elder then leapt out of the water, landing on the battlefield before pointing to two of the Reptidal. Both hopped onto the arena, the elder moving over to the clock and starting the timer. The battle started, ending with a wild Reptidal defeating the trained one, the elder then selecting two more Reptidal to face off. It was on the fourth battle that Riptide was selected to compete.

He and Flash leapt onto the battlefield while a trainer and his Reptidal did the same. "Let's go!" The trainer yelled.

"We can do this Riptide!" Flash told his Reptidal, who nodded back as the elder started the time. "Aqua Break!" Both trainers yelled as their Reptidal charged, both forming a sword as they clashed against one another. But unlike yesterday, Riptide wasn't wildly swinging his around.

"Whoa!" Spike gasped as they watched the two go at it. "Check it out!"

"Since when was Riptide that good?!" Twilight asked, Sonata and her Popplio cheering along with Silverstream. Terramar simply smiled at the sight, already seeing the training had helped.

The two Reptidal clashed swords, zipping around while also shooting Water Guns, Rock Smashes and other attack. But as the time began to run out, Riptide's opponent charged with another slashing attack. But Riptide, instead of blocking, jumped straight up and flew over the Reptidal.

"Rep!" Riptide spun around and slammed his tail into Reptidal's back, knocking it toward the edge. Riptide then slashed the Reptidal down the middle, making it cry out before falling into the water. And in that moment, time ran out.

"Rep!" The elder raised an arm before pointing to Riptide, declaring him the winner as the crowd cheered.

After that, more and more Reptidal competed against one another. This included Wingill and Terramar's, both managing to claim victory. And between the rounds, Flash and Riptide continued to practice sword techniques, the practice paying off in every match.

They managed to win the second and third round easily, Terramar and Wingill doing the same. The fourth round was particularly hard for Riptide, having been knocked into the water twice. But luckily, he managed to get back onto the battlefield seconds before time ran out, knocking his opponent out in overtime. After that, the semi-final round had Riptide making it to the finals of the competition, now about to see who would be his opponent.

"Water Gun!" Wingill yelled as Fin unleashed a burst of water at Terramar's Reptidal.

"Aqua Break!" Reptidal used his sword to slash at the water, Terramar's friends cheering him on. Reptidal then got close to the shiny, slashing away at it. But Fin easily evaded this attack, drawing his own sword as Wingill glanced over to see they only had a quarter of the time left.

"Rep!" Fin slashed at Reptidal, the two swords clashing before Fin pushed him back toward the edge.

"Ice Beam!" Fin unleashed the blue lightning, creating a crescent wall of ice that trapped Reptidal, Terramar calling out to use his sword. Reptidal slashed through the ice, needing several swings before breaking it. But as he did this, "Sucker Punch!" Fin suddenly closed the gap, throwing a punch into Reptidal's stomach, making him cry out as he was thrown into the water just as time ran out.

"Rep!" The elder announced, pointing to Fin and declaring him the winner.

"NO!" Silverstream cried, looking close to tears as Terramar helped his Reptidal out of the water. "This isn't right! My brother was supposed to win!" She looked close to tears until Adagio patted her on the shoulder.

"That's just the way things are kid. That Wingill guy just wanted it more." Silverstream let out a whimper, Flash and Riptide sighing at this before turning to see Wingill and Fin laughing. The two teams then locked eyes, Wingill and Fin smirking before they walked away.





That evening, the harbor was much more quiet. Many of the defeated Reptidal had left, both wild and trained, but others had stayed to see who would stand as the new Ocean Champion. Meanwhile, Flash and Riptide were continuing to practice his sword style with Terramar's Reptidal. "That's it," Terramar told Riptide as they clashed swords. "Remember to watch your footing. Accidentally stepping on a rock could cause some major issues."

"Way to go Riptide," Flash clapped after Riptide side-stepped a swipe.

Up on the boat, Twilight was staring down, watching the four with a smile on her face. "Isn't he amazing?" She turned to see Sonata walking up with a plate of what Twilight assumed was tacos. "I made these so he and Riptide can keep their strength up and keep training."

"Great idea," Twilight replied before frowning, "Wait...what did you put in them?"

"The usual. Onions, peppers, cheese and beans. Oh, and some spice for an extra kick."

"Uh oh." She grabbed one of the tacos, taking a bite before flinching. "Thought so. This is gonna be way too spicy for Flash."

"Really?" Twilight nodded, "Oh. I guess I don't know what kind of foods Flash likes."

"Well, you're not around him like we are." Twilight responded, "We had to find that one out the hard way when we started traveling with him." Sonata then showed a big frown at this, Twilight turning and gesturing for her to follow, "Come on, I know exactly the kind of tacos he'd love to have." Sonata's face morphed to a grin as she followed her, both heading to the ship's kitchen.

As this happened, the Reptidals continued to spar, "That's it, that's it!" Terramar told Riptide as he spiraled the sword around him, "Faster! Even the dullest blade can cut through anything if it's moving fast enough!"

"Come on Riptide!" Flash cheered as Riptide swung the blade into Reptidal's, causing the sword to shatter, allowing him to slash Reptidal down the chest.

"Rep!" It cried while sliding back, clutching the area struck. He then smirked at Riptide and gave him a thumbs up.

"Nice." Flash commented, only to see Riptide panting while also gesturing to Reptidal to 'bring it'. "Maybe we should give you guys a break. Don't wanna exhaust ourselves too much." Riptide frowned at this but nodded before walking away.

"Is he okay?" Terramar asked, "He seems...upset."

"I think Wingill's words from yesterday are still rattling around in his head," Flash sighed, "He still feels guilty for losing against Gorillamp."

"Well, he'll need to get over it if he wants to win tomorrow," Terramar responded, "Wingill's Reptidal is no joke."

Flash nodded back and moved over to sit next to Riptide, the two staring out at the horizon. "It isn't your fault, you know?" Riptide turned to him, "Losing to Gorillamp. It wasn't your fault. Lightning trained his Chimplug so intensely, it's no surprise it evolved." Riptide let out a whimper at this, only to feel Flash pat his shoulder, "But just because it's strong, that doesn't mean you're not strong too. Sure, Gorillamp beat you. But that was the last time it ever will, because Twilight was right."

"Rep?"

"Even though Lightning's Pokémon are physically strong, they're weak in every other sense of the word. And that'll be their undoing. Because unlike them, you're strong both in mind, body and soul. And one day, Lightning's Pokémon will reach their limits. And when that happens, you'll catch up because you can break your limits." He stood up, "But that won't happen if you don't believe you can do it. So what do you say?" He held out his hand, "Let's both put our pasts behind us and focus on the future."

Riptide stared at his hand for a moment, nodding before taking Flash's hand and letting his trainer pull him back up. "Rep."

"Guys!" They turned around to see Twilight and Sonata moving up with a plate of tacos. "Grubs up. You're gonna need all your strength if you wanna beat that jerk."

The two smiled back before nodding, consuming the tacos before sparing against Terramar's Reptidal again. And as this happened, Wingill and Fin were relaxing on their boat. Both were laying back in some lounge chairs, "This is it, Fin. Tomorrow, you'll be crowned the Ocean Champion."

"Tidal..." Fin replied, shining a big grin.

"And I'll be the one who trained that champion." Wingill chuckled, only for both to hear loud grunts and the sound of splashing. They looked up to see Riptide practicing, making him laugh, "Oh please. They could train for a million years and they still won't be a threat." With that, they laid back and stared up at the night sky. "This tournament is ours."





As soon as the sun was up the next day, everyone remaining on the island headed up to the colosseum. There the elder sat, waiting for Flash, Wingill and their Reptidal. At the same time, everyone took their seats. "Ha!" they heard Wingill chuckle as he walked onto his podium, "This is gonna be so easy. They might as well declare us the winners now."

"Don't underestimate us," Flash replied, "Riptide and I have been working hard. He might not have as much experience as a Reptidal then you, but he's got three times the heart, and a hundred times the will."

"Don't make me laugh!" Wingill guffawed, "You'll lose, just like how you lost in the Battle Tournament."

He shined the biggest grin at this, ready to see Flash and Riptide flinch, only for Flash to point at him, "You sure talk a lot, don't you?!" Flash then pointed down at the arena, "Why don't you let your Reptidal do the talking?!"

Wingill's face immediately turned red at this, scowling as he growled back. "You little..." His Reptidal let out a roar before hopping down on the battlefield, Riptide doing the same. It was here that the two Tidal Wave Pokémon glared one another down as they got into a battle stance.

"This is it..." Doc commented.

"You can do it!" Sonata cheered.

"Beat that jerk!" Aria yelled.

"Tidal..." the elder looked between the two, asking if they were ready. Riptide and Fin nodded and the elder spun the wheel, "TIDAL!"

"Aqua Break!" Flash and Wingill yelled as their Pokémon drew their swords, both charging and clashing in the center of the battlefield. Water splashed everywhere as they pushed at one another, only for both to knock each other back, staggering to the edge of the platform.

"Hang on!" Flash told Riptide, the lizard slamming his feet down to keep his balance.

"Take him down now!" Wingill yelled, Fin charging at Riptide as he tried to slash at him. However, Riptide dodged with a side-step, raising his own sword as Fin spin around. The two were suddenly dancing at this, locking swords as both swung their blades around. Liquid splashed everywhere, Fin swiping his sword right at Riptide's head, only for the Reptidal to duck under the sword. He then thrust his blade at Fin, only for the Reptidal to leap back. They charged at this next part, both blades clashing again.

And as they locked blades, both tried to push each other again, only for their legs to slip around. The did a complete one eighty as they moved around the arena, only for Fin to try and swipe at Riptide with his tail. "Rep!" Riptide leapt up to dodged the blow, only to see Fin smirk at him.

"Ice Beam!" Before Riptide could land, Fin unleashed a burst of blue lightning that struck the ground. Riptide landed on the ice, instantly slipping back before falling off the battlefield.

"Tide!" he yelped as he crashed, everyone gasping at the sight.

"Ice Beam, again!" Fin quickly fired another beam of blue lightning, freezing the water. Fin then spun around, freezing the top of the entire battlefield instantly.

"Not again!" Flash yelled.

"Oh, come on!" Spike added, "What kind of Ocean Champion would do that?!" The elder didn't respond, only focusing on the clock as the time washed away.

"Flash! You've gotta get Riptide out of there." Twilight screamed, Flash nodding as he stared down at Riptide.

The Reptidal was swimming around the frozen surface, but couldn't find an opening. He then saw Flash was saying something, but couldn't hear it through the ice. "Rock Smash!" Flash yelled, but Riptide didn't use it. "Dang it!"

"HA! This is too easy!" Wingill cackled, "Just stay down there until time runs out!" He turned to the clock, now seeing half the time had already expired.

Flash bit his lip at this, his eyes darting between his Pokémon and his friends. His mind was going blank, rubbing the sides of his head as he tried to think.

"This isn't fair..." Sonata whimpered, "But what can Flash do?"

And as those words hit Twilight's ears, she stood up, "Flash! He can't hear you, but he can see you!" Everyone turned to her, her eyes glancing over to the elder to make sure that didn't disqualify Flash and Riptide, but he ignored her. But those words were enough.

"That's it!" Flash stared down at Riptide, then raising his leg and started kicking. "Rock Smash!"

Riptide saw this, nodding to the kicking motion. "Rep!" He yelled before swimming down to the bottom of the pool, then kicking off it as he shot straight up, his legs beginning to glow, "Rep..." he spun around and thrust a foot upward, "TIDAL!"

Everyone gasped as Riptide exploded out of the ice, shards flying everywhere. Riptide landed on the arena next, Wingill growling, "You cheaters!"

"We're cheaters?! You're the one that doesn't want to do an actual battle in this!" Flash barked back, "You think you can just win by trapping others in ice instead of fighting like a true Ocean Champion!"

"Don't you mock me!" Wingill screeched, "Water Gun!"

The Reptidal unleashed a powerful burst of water, only for Flash to point at the attack, "Ice Punch!" Riptide punched the stream, freezing it solid. And the ice began to go for Fin, he gasped and stopped the attack, the frozen water now falling to the ground in a shattered mess. "Aqua Break!"

Before Fin could react, Riptide slashed at him with his sword, knocking him back. "Don't let him beat you!" Wingill yelled, "Breaking Swipe!" Fin's tail glowed purple as he charged, spinning around to strike Riptide.

"Dodge it!" Riptide leaned down, letting the tail fly over his head, then backflipped away, "Aqua Tail!" Riptide spun around at this, his tail wrapping in water.

"Another Breaking Swipe!" Fin spun around again, trying to strike him with his tail, the two attacks clashing and knocking them back. Both were sent flying off the platform, Riptide landing on a floating piece of ice while Fin landed in the water. He quickly put himself in a diving pose, recovering and swimming back to the surface.

The two leapt up at this, just as their trainers gave the same command. "Aqua Break!" They both drew their swords and clashed midair, locking blades and falling back to the ground. And as they landed, the elder saw the last of the water drip down on the timer.

"Rep!" He roared, telling them it was now overtime. Whoever could knock the other off the battlefield would be the winner.

"You can do it Flash!" Twilight yelled as Riptide and Fin broke apart.

"Show that guy whose boss!" Spike added.

"GO FLASH!" Silverstream screamed, "GO RIPTIDE!"

"Don't let all our hard work go to waste!" Terramar continued.

"We believe in you!" Sonata cried out as he sisters gave their own yells of support.

"Give it up!" Wingill told Flash. "You can't win! We're the Ocean Champions!"

"Don't go calling yourselves the Ocean Champions yet!" Flash barked back, "Because Riptide and I have come a long way since we first met." As he said this, memories of his first time meeting Riptide went through his head, getting upset when Lightning called him weak. But he knew he had a lot of heart, willing to help Champagoon despite the danger. Saving the Chopmunk, helping Kelpool get its home back, evolving into Spranitor and maturing a great deal. And even though he lost to Lightning, he refused to give up. And now, he was ready to become something more. "Riptide, take this guy down!"

"TIDAL!" Riptide roared as he pushed Fin back, then doing a quick swipe, only for Fin to side-step to evade it.

"Ice Beam!" Fin unleashed a blast of blue lightning, striking Riptide's shoulder, making him flinch as ice formed around it.

"Rock Smash!" Riptide's legs glowed as he began to swing kicks at Fin, hitting the Reptidal in the stomach.

"Rep!" Fin cried, feeling a second kick to the gut before grabbing Riptide's leg, "Tidal!" Fin spun Riptide around before slamming him into the ground, making Riptide cry out.

"Breaking Swipe!" Fin then spun around and slammed his glowing tail into Riptide.

"REP!" He screamed as he was knocked back, sliding to the edge of the battlefield. Everyone gasped as they saw him come just inches from going over. "Rep..." he moaned, flipping over before trying to push himself up, "Tidal."

"It's over," Wingill chuckled, "Let's get the title we deserve! End this with Aqua Break!" Fin drew another sword and pulled it back, Riptide looking up to see Fin about to swing the blade down, only to hear his trainer's voice.

"Ice Punch!" Riptide clenched his fist and threw it upward, connecting it with the water sword. The attacks clashed, the water instantly freezing solid.

"Tide?" Fin yelped, only for Riptide to push his fist more, smacking Fin back. The Reptidal staggered at this, the lizard trying to lift his sword up...only to feel a tremendous weight. He began to stumble, now looking down to see he couldn't lift his now frozen water sword. "Rep!"

"Now's our chance!" Flash yelled as he pointed at Riptide, "Aqua Break!"

Riptide brought his hands together, a sword of water appearing out of one of them. "Rep!" Riptide charged as Fin dropped his sword. Wingill let out a yell, telling him to make another sword, the Shiny trying to take a stance. But before it could form the sword, Riptide reached it and began to spin while un-sheathing his blade. "TIDAL!" In the blink of an eye and with a tremendous swooshing sound, Riptide was standing with his back to Fin while holding his sword out in a traditional vertical katana draw strike pose.

Everyone remained silent as they saw this, Riptide's sword losing its form and splashing down. The sound of the falling water came to a stop next, Fin slumping back at this moment, hitting the pool with a loud splash. And when he surfaced, they saw he had spirals in his eyes.

"REPTIDAL!" The elder yelled, raising an arm before pointing at Riptide, declaring him the winner.

With that, the crowd exploded with applause. "He did it!" Sonata cheered, tears in her eyes as the others applauded. At the same time, Wingill looked absolutely gobsmacked.

"We lost...to them?!" His gaze turned to his unconscious Reptidal, quickly returning him before slinking off without a word while Flash and Riptide let the unbelievable information sink in.

"We did it..." Flash whispered. "We won." His shocked expression quickly turned to a smile as he leaped for joy, "WE DID IT!" He jumped onto the battlefield, throwing his arms around his Pokémon, "You won Riptide!"

"Tidal!" Riptide was just as shocked before hugging Flash back. The two did this for several seconds before sensing another presence, turning to see the elder was now on the battlefield. It slowly moved up to them with its arms behind its back, Riptide letting Flash go.

"Kneel," it spoke in its own language. Riptide did so, the Reptidal created a water sword that it held up, then slowly bringing down to tap Riptide's shoulders. "By the power of the sea and its unyielding might, I now declare you Ocean Champion."

"Thank you," Riptide replied as he picked himself up while the crowd cheered again.

"Go now," the elder responded, "Go and show the world why you have earned this title." With that, the elder leapt off the battlefield and disappeared into the water. Flash and Riptide stared down into the pool, seeing no sign of him...only to notice something else. The water level was beginning to rise.

Riptide grabbed Flash and jumped over to the stands, the water covering the battlefield now continuing to rise. "We need to get out of here!" Terramar told everyone else, the group rushing to the exit. And by the time the last one crossed back onto the island, the bridge was swallowed by the ocean and the rest of the stadium followed suit. It would not be seen again for another five years.





Everything after that was a blur for Flash and the others. Once the stadium vanished, everyone returned to the port. The wild Reptidal went back into the ocean after giving their new champion a handshake, while the trainers began to board the boats.

"Well, this is it." Adagio told them.

"You could still come with us you know," Twilight replied.

"Nah..." Aria shook her head as she scratched her Popplio's chin, "I like you guys, but I don't want to risk learning there's a limit to how much I can stand being around you. It's more fun this way."

"Well, if you're sure," Doc responded while Sonata hugged Flash.

"Good luck in your next battle," she told him.

"Thanks. And good luck with whatever you find yourself doing." Sonata nodded before moving over to Twilight and hugging her as well.

"See you," she said before whispering into Twilight's ear. "And you don't have to worry, I get it." She pulled away from the girl, "He's all yours." she added with a wink.

Twilight just raised an eyebrow at this, blinking as Sonata slowly walked away. "All mine?"

"Thanks for everything," Flash told Terramar.

"No problem," Terramar replied while he and Flash did a manly hand clasp. Riptide and Reptidal did the same before they split, heading for their separate ships. Once on board, the boats pulled away from the island at the same time, allowing them to wave each other off, Sonata and Silverstream waving the hardest until they disappeared into the horizon.

Once they were gone, Flash turned to his Pokémon, "Well guys, now we can focus on the Manehatten Gym. You all ready?" Springer, Astro and Riptide cried out in agreement, Riptide turning to stare off into the horizon. This victory had been hard fought, but he had prevailed, proving himself to be strong. With all his former doubts gone, he could now look forward to the next battle with Lightning. As the journey continues