//------------------------------// // Coordinating a Grand Display // Story: Pokémon: Equestrian Champions // by Banshee531 //------------------------------// "Shadow Ball!" Flash yelled as Astro created the purple energy sphere. A week had passed since Tidal's departure, leaving Flash and the rest of his Pokémon nothing to do but train in preparation for his return. At the same time, the others had spent the time sightseeing, seeing the city's amazing landmarks. They had managed to drag Flash with them to see the most famous ones, but also gave him the free time to train. Currently, all of his Pokémon were out practising for the coming battle. "Star!" Astro roared as he fired his Shadow Ball at the target, only for it to go off course and explode behind it. Flash let out a sigh, "Still needs a little more work." Astro let out a moan, only to feel Flash pat him on the head, "Don't worry. You're getting better with ever try. A little more practice and you'll have this attack nailed." Astro let out a yip next, Flash telling him to do it again. Off to the side, Twilight, Doc and Spike were sitting at a table, enjoying their lunch while watching them train. Twilight showed a big smile as she saw Flash keep helping Astro before commenting, "Everyone looks like they're in top form." "They'll need ta be if they wanna beat Tidal." They turned to see Applejack walking up, only to see something balancing itself on her hat. At first, they thought it was an apple, only to see its leaves on the top had two black dots while some kind of tail came out the back. "Is that an Applin?" Twilight asked, getting a nod from Applejack. "Pretty cool, right? Found him not long after the Battle Tournament. He's mah kinda Pokémon." Flash turned his attention away from his training, now seeing the Pokémon jump down onto the table. "Cool. Got any other new Pokémon?" "Well ah got one yah might not have seen before." Applejack took out a Pokeball and opened it up, unleashing a red light that revealed a six foot kangaroo Pokémon. It looked like a larger version of Brawloey, with a lot more bandages around its body. Aside from its arms, hands and feet, it also had them around its thighs, and an X-shape around its chest and around its head was a light headband. "Clobber!" It cried out while jumping onto its tail before hopping forward while throwing some fast kicks and punches. "Pretty cool, huh?" Applejack chuckled. "Wow...that's awesome!" Spike exclaimed as Flash took out his Pokedex. Name: Clobberoo Category: Mega Kick Pokémon Type: Fighting Info: The evolved form of Brawloey. In battle, Clobberoo randomly thrashes its arms, feet and even tail to strike the opponent down. Trainers beware, this Pokémon is highly dangerous when angry. "So your Brawloey evolved?" Flash asked, getting a nod from Applejack. "Awesome. Hey, why don't we have a battle to see how strong it is?" "Yer on!" Applejack laughed as they ran up to the battlefield. But before they could fight, Spike called out, "Hey, where's Rarity?" Applejack rolled her eyes at this, "Oh, her? She went shopping. A big city like this, she couldn't resist." Meanwhile... Rarity was now sauntering down one of Manehatten's best shopping streets. Herbarald, Aquapphire and Pyruby were with her, the four carrying shopping bags. "Ooh, this is fantastic! I'm in heaven...." They passed another clothes store, Rarity coming to a stop as she stared at the window display. "Magnificent! Just...magnificent!" She then spun around, staring at another store, "Oh, I could live here!" But then, a nearby megascreen began to show a commercial. "It's almost time for the Manehatten Pokémon Contest!" This made the girl spin around again, looking up at the screen. "Contest?" The screen began to show images of different Pokémon on stage, performing a series of amazing tricks and dances while showing off their elegant majesty. "Contests. A Pokémon event mostly known for taking place in the Kanto, Johto, Hoenn and Sinnoh Regions. But now, Equestria will be joining the ranks and attempting to start it's own Contest series...starting right here in Manehatten City!" The screen changed to show a woman wearing pink and yellow with brownish-orange hair, "Greetings. I'm Marian, your lovable contest announcer. Do you think you have what it takes to be a Coordinator? If normal battles aren't your thing, why not try Contest Battles? If you're up for it, then enter the Manehatten Pokémon Contest." She then held up a yellow metal pick with white and purple ribbon running through it. "And if you win, you'll earn the prestigious Manehatten Ribbon." "Gorgeous..." Rarity whispered as her Pokémon watched with wide eyes. The screen began showing off more images of Pokémon doing a performance, Rarity feeling something inside spark, "I...I have to enter!" Back at the Pokémon Center... Flash and Viper were now battling Applejack and Clobberoo. "Blaze Kick!" Applejack yelled as her Pokémon leapt, his foot igniting as he swung it around to hit Viper. "Dodge it, then use Flamethrower!" Viper hissed as he swung his chord like body out of the way, the flaming foot flying over his head, only to swing back and unleash a burst of fire. "Clobber!" Clobberoo cried as the flames hit him before hearing Applejack call out a Rolling Kick. "Clobberoo!" It leapt up and began to spin, turning into a mini whirlwind that charged at the snake, hitting him several times in the head. "Vi!" He yelped as he was knocked back, Clobberoo coming to a stop as he hopped away. Viper quickly got back up, hissing as Flash asked, "You okay?" Viper nodded back, "Okay, let's use-" "EVERYONE!" They all jumped at the sudden voice, soon turning to see Rarity running into the Pokémon Center's gardens. She then saw them, coming to a stop, "Oh, my apologizes. I didn't realize you were battling." "It's fine," Flash assured her. "But what's got you so hyped up?" Ribbons began to appear in the girl's eyes, "Manehatten is going to have a Pokémon Contest, and its tomorrow!" Doc and Twilight went wide-eyed at this while the others raised an eyebrow. "A what?" Spike asked. "A contest," Twilight replied. "It's a type of tournament that requires the trainer and their Pokémon to put on a show." Doc nodded at this, "In a contest, it doesn't matter how strong a Pokémon. What matters is the skill. In a Pokémon Contest, a Weedle could go up against Arceus itself and still win if its moves are shown off more effectively." "Think of it like a talent show," Twilight continued, "Even if two Pokémon know the same attacks, one could be better at making it look more spectacular. It's a whole different style of battling." "Cool." Flash added, "Sounds like fun." "Though...Equestria doesn't regularly do any." Twilight countered before tilting her head, "Did something change?" "Oh yes. They want to make a series here in Equestria." Rarity responded before pointing at everyone, "We should all try and enter it!" The group blinked, Twilight humming, "Well, it could be an interesting experience." She turned to Flash, "What do you say?" Flash nodded back, telling them he was in. This was followed by Doc and Applejack saying no, both thinking it wasn't really for them. With that decided, the group headed off to where the contest would be taking place. But when they arrived at the contest hall, they found a long line of people who were also looking to enter. They feared they were too late to get the spots available, but as they waited, their rewards was some of the last few spots. "With that, your entry is confirmed." The receptionist replied to Flash as she picked up a box they had seen her give to everyone else that entered. "Here's everything you need for the contest." Flash took the box and moved over to the others, Twilight and Rarity already opening theirs. Inside were four items, two being a round glass orb that appeared to resemble a Pokeball. The other was an envelope, and the fourth was a metal case. "What are these things?" Spike asked as he picked up one of the orbs. "They're ball capsules," Twilight replied, "They were first made in the Sinnoh Region." She opened the envelope and took out a bunch of stickers. "And these are seals." She grabbed one that was shaped like a heart, sticking it to the capsule before taking out Peewee's Pokeball and returning him. "Watch." She placed the ball inside the capsule before she threw it up. The ball popped open, unleashing a burst of light with a bunch of hearts also appearing next. The hearts swirled around the light as it took form and exploded off the Terragon, the hearts flying around like fireworks. Everyone marveled at the sight, Flash and Rarity now staring down at their seals. "So which Pokémon are you guys using?" Doc asked. "I'm just gonna use Shine," Twilight responded, "I think she's my only Pokémon with any real grace." "I'll be using Beautifly in the appeals round," Rarity announced, "And then I'm using Aquapphire in the battle round." They then turned to Flash as he spoke up, "Astro, then Springer. None of my Pokémon are really graceful, so I'm gonna need to use natural cuteness." They nodded before Rarity stood up. "Now all we need is something to wear." Flash and Twilight raised an eyebrow, "Don't tell me you didn't notice." She pointed to the screens, the two looking up to see more contest footage. They focused on the trainers, now seeing they were all wearing fancy clothing. "We need to look our best if we'll be appearing on television." Flash and Twilight's eyes shrunk at this, now feeling very self conscious...only for Rarity to grab both and drag them away. And as Applejack, Doc and Spike watched her pull them away, the three wondered what kind of insanity Rarity would put the two through. As it turned out, Rarity chose to make their fancy clothes herself. When they returned to the Pokémon Center, she took the two's measurements, quickly getting to work. Flash and Twilight then headed outside to come up with a routine, hours soon passing as Rarity kept at it. "Geez," Applejack sighed. "With how gung ho she was about entering, ya'd think she'd being doin' the most training. Guess she only wanted ta enter so she could wear somethin' fancy." "Maybe," Doc replied, "But if this is how she wants to prepare for the contest, that's her right." The others nodded back, the group soon turning in for the day. While they did this, Rarity kept working into the night. And as she did this, her mind was running a million miles a minute. She was trying to come up with the best performance she could think of, using the moves her Pokémon had at their disposal. It wasn't until ten o'clock that she finally finished the clothes, soon pulling out her Pokeballs and opening them up. Beautifly and Aquapphire appeared, Beautifly flying onto her head while Aquapphire yawned. "I know it's late, but I had some ideas for tomorrow that I want to try out. Ready to give it a go?" The two nodded, but before they headed outside, Rarity moved over to a computer in the lobby and switched it on. "First, lets see if there's anything online we can use as reference." She started typing away and the computer began showing multiple images and videos of different contest appeal and battle rounds, the three of them watching in amazement. "So beautiful. So elegant. I wish Equestria had started this sooner. I could have entered so many more contests." Deciding not to could-as and would-as ruin this, she focused back on the screen. As she did, ideas formed in her head about what she needed to do tomorrow. "I can win this. I know I can." The next day... Fireworks filled the skyline as people funneled into the performance hall, the place was abuzz with anticipation. The people of Manehatten were all ready to see the many performances about to happen, noise blasting out of the stadium due to the amount of people. Inside the hall within a large dressing room, the competitors were waiting for the contest to start, everyone competing now wearing some form of fancy clothing, including Flash, Twilight and Rarity. Flash was wearing a black blazer over a white shirt and blue vest with black pants with a rose in his lapel. Twilight was wearing a dress that was purple around her chest and waist but turned green around her legs while also wearing purple high-heeled sandals. And Rarity was dressed in a green top and pink skirt, the skirt having a long purple see through material around it that allowed people to see legs. Her legs had pink ribbons tied around them with green flower buds attached, the ribbons starting above her knees and spiraling down until they connected to the back of her pink shoes. "Wow," Twilight gasped as she twirled around in her dress, "This feels amazing Rarity." "Thank you darling. It's not to restrictive, is it? I tried to make them all look fabulous and functional." "You kidding?" Flash did a few stretches in his suit. "I feel great. Like I could be the one doing the performance in it." As he said that, he saw Rarity let out a yawn, "Tired?" "I was up late last night," Rarity replied, the two grimacing at her response. But before they could say anything, the TV came on to show Marian on stage. "Greetings, and a warm welcome to coordinators and contest fans of all ages. We've all come together for one very special reason. And that's to find out who will take home the coveted and fabulous Manehatten Contest Ribbon." She then held up the ribbon, making all the contestants smile. The same was for the audience, Doc, Spike and Applejack now watching from their seats as Marian began to explain the rules. And as she finished, she gestured to the stage, "I know you've all be waiting patiently, and now it's time for you to be rewarded!" As she said that, fireworks went off on either side of the stage. "It's time for me to introduce our judges!" She walked to the side as the curtain behind her split, revealing a trio of people. "And here they are!" The first judge was a man in a red jacket with a black bowtie. "Head of the judging comity and Pokémon Contest Director, Mr. Contesta!" "Thank you," he replied, "I look forward to seeing the teamwork between Pokémon and their trainers. A short man in a blue suit and red tie walked up after this, "Next up, the head of the Pokémon fan club: Mr. Sukizo!" The man did a small bow, "Manehatten city. If I was to describe it in one word, that word would be remarkable." The final judge strided in next, this one everyone recognized, "And finally, Manehatten City's own nurse Redheart." "Hello everyone. When it comes to seeing all the splendid Pokémon, I can't wait." The crowd cheered as Marian continued her introduction, "I think we can all relate to that." The judges headed over to the table, Marian now bowing, "And of course, there's me. I'm Marian and I'm thrilled to be your master of ceremonies. So now, why don't we get this Contest underway." The crowd cheered again as she continued, "In this first round, Pokémon and their Coordinators take to the stage to show off their appeal. The purpose of this round is to see how our Coordinators make their Pokémon shine." She side-stepped as the curtain opened up again. "Now, let's welcome our first contestant onto the stage!" Backstage, everyone watched as the first contestant leapt on stage and used a Vulpix. They appeared to be doing well until the Coordinator attempted to dance inside her Pokémon's Fire Spin, causing her dress to catch on fire. After that, a Coordinator with a Teddiursa came on stage, using its cuteness for a much better performance. Several more Coordinators and their Pokémon followed this, each showing a different level of skill, all going between good, great and just plain terrible. "Twilight Sparkle," a stagehand called out, "You're up next." "Alright," Twilight took a deep breath before turning to her friends. "Wish me luck." "Good luck darling." "Knock 'em dead," Flash added as she left. They turned to the TV and watched as the current contestant and their Tangela tried doing some awesome jump-rope tricks using Vine Whip, but the Tangela tripped and fell face first into the stage. "Yikes!" Marian grimaced as the contestant and his Tangela began to walk off stage a minute later, "Well, I'm sure they'll get it right next time. Now, let's welcome our next Coordinator to the stage. From Canterlot City, it's Twilight Sparkle!" The curtain opened to reveal the girl, waving to everyone as she walked up, "Alright Twilight!" Spike cheered, "Go get 'em sis!" "We believe in you!" Doc added. "Go for it!" Applejack hollered. "Shine," Twilight threw the ball, "Let's go!" The Pokeball flew through the air, opening to unleash a dazzling ray of stars along with the light. The stars and light hit the ground, the stars spiralling around and taking shape to reveal her Pokémon. "Nee!" Shine neighed before doing a galloping dance and leaping onto the closest star. She then bounced off it and onto another, then another and another. "Gorgeous," Marian exclaimed, "Such refined poise and grace. This kind of spectacle is something you wouldn't usually see outside of a dream." As she said that, Shine leapt off a star and landed on the ground with all the stars directly above her. "Psybeam!" Shine's horn unleashed a burst of light, striking the stars, making them explode like fireworks. The audience began to gasp, now cheering as Shine continued to dance around the stage. "Mystical Fire!" Shine's horn ignited as she drew a circle of fire, only to leap through it like a circus Pokémon before turning back to unleash a burst of fire through it. "Again!" Shine created two rings of fire and leapt through them before launching the flame attack again, "One more time!" Three rings were formed, the pony leaping through before firing the flames once more. The trio of fireballs all flew through the air and were about to fade, only for Twilight to yell, "Fairy Wind!" "NEE!" Shine swung around, firing a burst of glittery wind from her tail that hit the fire. The two attacks merged into a wave of glittery fire that flew over the audience's heads before fading away, the fans now seeing Shine balance on her back legs while Twilight posed behind her. "Outstanding!" Marian called out as the crowd cheered, the judges then speaking up. "The elegance and grace shown off by Twilight and her Ponyta were truly something to see," Mr. Contesta added. "Indeed," Mr. Sukizo nodded, "Remarkable as well." Redheart giggled at this, "It's clear how much love and care Twilight put into rising her Ponyta. I can't wait to see what else she has to show us." Twilight and Shine then waved to the crowd as they headed backstage, the next contestant walking past her. "Darling!" She heard Rarity exclaim, "That was truly magnificent!" "Thanks," Twilight replied, "Where's Flash?" "He's up next. Honestly, I don't see him getting through to the next round. Nothing against him, but a contest like this isn't really for a battler like him." Twilight chuckled at this, "I don't know about that. Flash can be full of surprises." "Now onto our next contestant." They turned to see Marian step aside as the curtain opened. Flash walked up with a smirk, the crowd cheering for him while Spike and the others yelled out wishes of good luck for him. "Alright," he held up his Pokeball. "Astro, I choose you!" The ball flew through the air, soon opening up to unleash a burst of blue fire that struck the ground and spiralled into a tornado. Flames then exploded out to reveal Astro, a series of sparkles also appearing beside him. "Amazing!" Marian exclaimed, "Such an interesting entrance from an interesting Pokémon. What will the two try next?" "Shadow Ball, multiple blasts!" Astro created a purple sphere before firing it into the air, soon making more as they flew upward. And as the balls flew up, gravity began to pull them back down as Flash yelled, "Now Bite!" "Star!" Astro leapt straight up and starting biting into the spheres, surprisingly not causing them to explode into smoke. Instead, each one popped like a balloon, unleashing several sparks of blue energy that flew around Astro's body. "Wondrous!" Marian gasped, "The energy from the attacks is sparkling around Starvern! It truly looks really good with his blue skin." "Shadow Ball, once more!" As soon as the last Shadow Ball was destroyed, Astro created another and threw it as high as it could go. "Now, Dragon Rage!" "Star...VERN!" Astro unleashed the blue fire at the Shadow Ball, causing it to explode. Blue sparks and blue embers began to rain down on the stage, Flash and Astro taking a power pose with Flash's arm thrust into the air. "YEAH!" Meanwhile, in another city... As this happened, a certain trainer named Lightning Blitz walked into a Pokémon Center. As he did this, he heard a voice he hated, making him turn to see Flash on screen with a Pokémon he didn't recognize. "What the-what is that loser doing now?!" With the performance over, the crowd cheered as the judges spoke up. "A brilliant display of power and showmanship," Mr. Contesta announced. "A remarkable display indeed," Mr. Sukizo added. "The trust and care between those two is truly a sight to behind," Redheart continued, "How wonderful." Flash and Starvern waved to the audience as they ran off stage, rushing back to the waiting room so they didn't miss Rarity's performance. And as he walked in, he saw Twilight, but no Rarity. "Did I miss her?" Twilight shook her head, "No. She's up after that guy." She pointed to the TV as it showed someone and their Sensu-Style Oricorio doing a dance together. "That was quite a display." "Same with you," Flash replied, "We're gonna get through to the next round for sure." Twilight nodded as the contestant and their Oricorio stopped dancing. "I just hope Rarity's performance goes as well as ours." Rarity stood in the hallway behind the curtain, waiting as the judges told the Coordinator what they thought. She was a shivering pile of nerves at the moment, her Pokeball shaking in her hands. "You can do this...you can do this." She took a deep breath, "No. Don't be scared." The shaking stopped as she held up her Pokeball, "I can do this." "It's time for the final contestant of the appeals round," she heard Marian call out, "Everyone please give a warm round of applause for this lovely young lady. From Applewood City, it's Rarity!" The curtains opened up, Rarity slowly walking up as she blinded momentarily by the lights and almost deafened by the cheers. "YEAH!" She heard Spike scream, "RARITY! YOU'RE NUMBER ONE!" Doc and Applejack then grabbed and pulled him back down to his seat. "Come on Rarity!" Applejack called out. "You can do this," Doc added. Rarity took one last deep breath before holding up her Pokeball. "Beautifly," she threw it, "Come on out my darling!" The capsule covered ball flew through the air, then opening to unleash a burst of white light. Pink hearts appeared out of the light, hovering around as the light took shape to reveal Rarity's Pokémon. "Beautifly," it called out while dancing around the hearts. "Marvellous!" Marian called out, "Beautifly is dancing amongst the hearts! Truly a sight to behold!" "Now," Rarity called out with a twirl, "Use Silver Wind!" Beautifly let out a cry as it flew under the hearts before flapping its wings, unleashing the pollen filled wind that struck the hearts and pushed them straight up. They flew upward until suddenly exploding, causing sparkles to rain down upon the stage as Beautifly continued to dance around by twirling and doing loop the loops. "Breath taking!" Marian cried out, the crowd just as awestruck. "The light from the exploding hearts mixed with Beautifly elegant moves looks like something out of a fairy tale." "Continue dancing while using String Shot!" Rarity added, Beautifly unleashing strings from its mouth that it twirled around like a rhythmic gymnast. Everyone watched as the string began sticking to areas of the stage, creating a web-like construct that blocked the audience from seeing most of the stage. "Now, finish it with Morning Sun!" "BEAUTIFLY!" It exclaimed before flying straight up until the sun was right behind it, the insect's wings exploding with light. That light shined down upon the stage, striking the String Shot before refracting to show a rainbow of different colors that radiated across the audience. Marian tried to speak, but was completely gobsmacked by its beauty while the audience kept gasping. The light then caused the String Shot to vanish, clearing the stage as Beautifly flew down and landed on Rarity's head while she struck a pose. And as soon as she was done, the audience exploded with applause. "What a spectacular performance!" Marian cried before turning to the judges, all looking awestruck. Mr. Contesta was the first to recover. "A dazzling display like that isn't something you see every day. Miss Rarity truly knew how to show off the beauty of her Beautifly." "Remarkable," Mr. Sukizo added, "Nothing more to say. Remarkable." Redheart nodded a this, "It's clear just how hard Rarity worked to come up with this performance and both her grace and timing were spot on." Rarity gave the crowd a few kisses before she returned to the waiting area, Marian now telling the audience that the judges would now pick eight Coordinators to move onto the battle round. And as Rarity arrived in the waiting area, Flash and Twilight walked up to her, "Rarity, that was amazing." "No kidding." Flash chimed in, "You did great. I'd even say, remarkable." They all laughed at this while Rarity let out a sigh and fell to her knees. "My heart was beating like a Rillaboom's drum." Flash and Twilight helped her back up as she continued, "But I gave it my best, and I have nothing to be ashamed of." The two smiled at her before hearing Marian speak up again, "And now it's time for the judges results." They looked up at the screen as Marian said, "In no particular order, these are the eight lucky contestants that'll be moving onto the second round." With that, the screen changed to a blank image before pictures of the coordinators appeared on it. The first two were trainers the three didn't know, but the third face to appear was Twilight's. "Alright!" She cheered as the next picture appeared, then the fifth one. "Yes!" Flash yelled, seeing it was him. Rarity grimaced as she saw the sixth image show a girl that wasn't her, while the seventh was the boy with the Teddiursa. Only one spot remained as she felt her heart beat, the next second trying to stretch out for an eternity. But then, the image appeared. "Ah!" Rarity gasped when she saw it was her, "I did it!" She felt herself tearing up, then started waving her hands to keep from running her makeup. "I can't believe I made it through..." "We can," Flash responded, "You deserve it." Twilight nodded in agreement, "And now we're all going through to the second round." As she said this, Marian spoke up again, "It's time to decide which of these competitors will face off." With that, the images flipped around before shuffling and rearranging themselves into four sets of turn. They flipped around again, now showing the pairings, "Here it is. The match ups for the second round." The audience stared up at the screen, now seeing who was facing who. Spike let out a sigh of relief as he saw Flash, Rarity and Twilight were all facing someone else. "That's good. They don't have to face one another." "Maybe, but look closer." Doc pointed at the screen, gesturing to Rarity as she was on the same side as Flash. "If those two win the first battle, they'll have to face off against one another in the second one." Applejack grimaced at this, "And if that happens, they might end up facing Twilight in the finals." This made Spike frown, knowing he wouldn't know who to cheer for. "This is it!" Marian yelled, "The moment you've all been waiting for...get ready for the second round battles!" The crowd cheered as she continued, "In this round, the contestants have five minutes to show off their contest battle skills and strip away their opponent's points. If a competitor's Pokémon is knocked out, loses all their points or has less points at the end of the timer, they're out! Now, let's welcome our first group of competitors!" The first battle was between two trainers Doc and the others didn't know, who were using a Rhyhorn and a Butterfree. In the end, the Butterfree trainer proves stronger. After that, Twilight and Shine battled a boy and his Wooloo. The following battle was surprising tense, the Wooloo evolving during the battle. Despite this, Twilight got ahead with just a slither more points. Flash and Springer were next, their opponent being a girl and her Liepard. At first, it looked like Flash was going to lose. When the timer hit thirty seconds, Flash only had a quarter of his points while his opponent had almost all of theirs. But then, Springer managed to land an Aura Sphere that knocked Liepard out, winning him the match. "Use Power Gem!" Rarity yelled as Aquapphire unleashed a red beam of light from her forehead, hitting the opponent's Oricorio head on. The dancing Pokémon was thrown back, hitting the battlefield wall while losing more points. "Yeah!" Applejack cheered, "Go Rarity!" "That Aquapphire's certainly grown a lot since we last saw it," Doc added, remembering how shy and meek the Pokémon was when they had first met it. "Just goes to show how awesome Rarity is," Spike chuckled. "Scald!" Rarity ordered as Aquapphire dodged Oricorio's Revelation Dance. She then took a deep breath and unleashed a stream of boiling water, striking Oricorio and pushing her back. The opponent's points dropped as a beeper sounded out. "That's it!" Marian exclaimed, "Time's up! And the one moving onto the second round is..." they all looked up and saw the points. "Rarity!" The crowd cheered as Rarity waved at them, then listened as the judges spoke up. "Rarity's combinations were both inspired and exhilarating to watch. Truly a feast for the eyes." "Not to mention, remarkable as well." Redheart nodded again, "A perfect combination of grace and power. That Aquapphire's very well trained." Rarity smiled before returning Aquapphire and heading backstage. And as she returned to the waiting room, Marian began announcing the second round just as she saw Flash and Springer walk up, "Hey there. Great work out there, but it looks like we're facing off next round." "Seems so," Rarity hummed before turning to the screen, now seeing Twilight and Shine battle against the Butterfree user. They watched as Twilight struggle against the opponent, who had far more skill then she did when it came to contest. Coupled with the type disadvantage, it seemed Twilight would lose. However, a well aimed Mystical Fire knocked the Butterfree out and with a minute on the clock, Twilight earned a place in the finals. Mr. Contesta shined a big grin at the result, "Though this contest is normally about skill and grace, a bit of power every once in a while is something fun to see." "A remarkable show of force." "I'm sure Twilight will take what she learned in this battle and put it to good use in the finals," Redheart finished. "Awesome!" Spike cheered, "Way to go Twi!" "Now it's Flash and Rarity's turn," Doc added, "Normally, I'd put my money on Flash to win. But in a contest like this..." "It's anyone's guess," Applejack continued as Marian spoke up. "And now it's time for the second semi-final battle! In one corner, we have Flash! And in the other, the lovely Miss Rarity!" The two trainers walked out from behind the curtains, moving to the field before giving the other a handshake. "Good luck Rarity." "You too darling. Let's give everyone an fabulous show." Flash nodded before the two parted and moved over to their podiums. Their faces then appeared on the megascreen, a circle of points appearing below them and a timer of five minute between them. Both contestants smirked as they placed their balls inside the capsules and applied the seal. Marian: "We have five minutes on the clock. Battle...BEGIN!" "Springer," Flash threw his Pokeball, "I choose you!" The ball flew through the air before opening up, unleashing bolts of lightning that Springer appeared within while spinning. "RIOLU!" He roared as he landed. "Aquapphire," Rarity threw her Pokeball, "Come on out, my darling!" The ball opened up, unleashing a stream of bubbles that spiralled around a light that took shape to reveal the Aqua Sapphire Pokémon. "Phire!" she called out as she spun like a ballerina, making the bubbles pop and surround her with sparkles. She then landed and stared Springer down, the audience splitting their attention between them and the timer. 4:50 "Aura Sphere!" Flash yelled as Springer formed the sphere, spinning around before firing it at the opponent. "Dodge it!" Aquapphire remained still as the orb drew closer, only to twirl on her tip toes, dodging the Aura Sphere like a ballerina. Marian: "What an amazing dodge! That's got to cost Flash some points." Flash gasped at this, now seeing his a fifth of his counter suddenly vanish. Rarity shined a big grin at this, "Aqua Ring!" Aquapphire let out a melodious cry as water droplets surrounded her, slowly forming a trio of rings that wrapped around her. Once again, Flash's point score went down. "Oh, no you don't!" Flash yelled, "Springer, use Extreme Speed!" His Riolu charged as blue lightning sparked around him, zipping around the arena as Rarity's points began to go down. "Alright darling, let's use Water Gun!" Aquapphire created a gun shape with her fingers and pointed it at Springer before shooting off blasts of water. But as she did this, Springer began to do slow-mo matrix like dodges, making the crowd applaud. "Drain Punch!" Springer then reached Aquapphire and threw a punch that was accelerated by his Extreme Speed. The blow struck the Aquapphire, sending her flying as both Springer's acrobatics and strike made Rarity's points plummet. 3:58 Marian: "Both sides are giving it their all. With Rarity focusing on making her moves look as amazing as they can be, while Flash seems more focused on just winning the battle." "That's just how I roll," Flash chuckled, "Springer, Double Team!" Springer leapt back, all the while Aquapphire's Aqua Ring restored her health and removed Flash's points, then multiplied into several Riolu. "Let's show 'em something over the top! Aura Sphere...BARRAGE!" "RIOLU!" They all roared, forming a small orb in their paws. "That's the way!" Spike cheered. "This should create quite a spectacle if it hits," Doc added. "Don't count Rarity out yet," Applejack finished. "Power Gem!" Rarity called out, Aquapphire unleashing a red beam from its head gem that cut across the field, wiping out the Springers while also creating a smoke screen that blocked him from view. A large chunk of Flash's points went down the drain at this, knowing his Pokémon now not being seen would be a problem for showing off. "Come on, Springer!" Flash yelled, a blur then flying out of the smoke. "Ri!" Springer added as he held a normal sized Aura Sphere, about to hit Aquapphire. The crowd gasped at the sight, Rarity going wide-eyed, only for her brain to go in overdrive, "Scald!" "Aqua!" Aquapphire took a deep breath before firing a blast of boiling hot water, hitting Springer right as he was about to strike her. "RIOLU!" He cried as he felt his fur burn, his Aura Sphere vanishing as Flash lost even more points. Marian: "Incredible! Rarity first took out the Double Team and then countered Flash's counter. Talk about quick thinking." 3:10 Flash grimaced as Springer hit the ground, Aquapphire being healed again due to the Aqua Ring. He growled at this before turning to see his score was now half of what Rarity had. "Use Water Gun!" He heard Rarity order, now seeing Aquapphire point her finger at Springer, firing the jet of water. "Dodge it!" Flash yelled, Springer hearing this, but not moving. Flash feared he was out cold, only to see Springer dodge it at the last second. Two more Water Guns came next, Springer breakdancing to evade both. Rarity's points went down at this, the girl growling as Flash saw Springer was still spinning. "Aura Sphere, multiple blasts!" "Riolu!" Springer cheered as he fired a volley of Aura Spheres while spinning, the orbs flying around Aquapphire. Marian: "Amazing! Even as he continues to spiral around, Riolu unleashes his attacks with incredible precision." "Dodge it and use Aqua Ring!" Aquapphire began twirling around again, avoiding some of the Aura Spheres while using the water rings surrounding it to deflect the others. This did major damage to Flash's points, which was growing dangerously close to almost being depleted. 2:45 Marian: "We're growing closer to the halfway mark, and it looks like we won't be hitting zero before one of these trainers becomes pointless." "Power Gem!" Rarity ordered, Aquapphire unleashing a laser blast from her forehead. "Double Team!" Flash yelled, Springer quickly creating a circle of copies that surrounded Aquapphire. The Power Gem attack struck the one in front of it, making it vanish. "Extreme Speed!" All but one of the Riolu suddenly disappeared, that one being right behind Aquapphire as lightning sparked around him. "Ri!" He slammed Aquapphire in the back, making her scream as she was flung across the arena. "Now, Aura Sphere!" Springer created the orb and kicked it just as Aquapphire rolled onto her back. "Water Gun!" She fired a blast of water from her fingers, the two attacks colliding. An explosion came next, Springer falling as Rarity added, "Use Power Gem!" "Aq!" Aquapphire leapt to her feet and before Flash and Springer could stop her, firing a blast of red energy that hit the landing Springer. "RIO!" Springer cried as he was thrown back, causing Flash's points to drop. And then they dropped to zero, the timer also stopping at two minutes. Marian: "That's it! Flash is out of points and thereby, eliminated." The crowd cheered as Flash let out a sigh. "Ri..." He looked down at Springer, seeing the Riolu walk over. A big frown was on his face, Flash kneeling down and patting his head. "Thanks bud. You did great." Springer nodded back as Rarity walked over, Flash looking up at her, "Great work out there. You should be proud." "Thank you darling. You did great as well." Marian: "Let's hear it for Flash, who gave us a spectacular display here today!" The crowd cheered as the judges gave their thoughts. "Flash is clearly a highly skilled battler and I'm sure will go far. Hopefully the tricks he's learned here today will help him in all his future endeavors." "A remarkable battle to be sure." Redheart nodded. "Despite losing, Flash has shown remarkable skill and ability." Flash moved off stage as Rarity checked on Aquapphire, giving her a Super Potion for the next match. Once that was done, she returned her as Twilight walked onto the field. "Alright!" Spike cheered, "Go for it!" Applejack chuckled at this, "Can't wait to see how this goes." Doc nodded in agreement, "I'm sure it'll be an interesting battle." "You know it will," they turned to see Flash and Springer walking up to them, the teen still in his suit. "Hey Flash," Spike responded, "Sorry you lost." "Eh, its no big deal. Its my fault really," Flash sat down and leaned back in his seat, "I was so focused on the battle, I forgot I needed my moves to look good." As he said that, Marian spoke up. Marian: "It's time for the final match of the Manehatten City Pokémon Contest. In one corner, we have Twilight. And in the other corner, is Rarity!" Twilight and Rarity nodded at one another as they placed their Pokeballs in the ball capsule. "Good luck darling," Rarity told her. "You too," Twilight replied. Marian: "The winner of this battle will be crowned champion and earn the prestigious Manehatten Ribbon! Are both trainers ready?" The two girls nodded. Marian: "Then let's put five minutes on the clock and get this final contest underway. Battle...BEGIN!" The timer started as Rarity held her Pokeball up. "Aquapphire!" She threw the ball, "Come on out, my darling!" The ball flew up and opened to reveal the light and bubbles again, Aquapphire flying through with an elegant twirl. "Phire!" "Shine!" Twilight threw the Pokeball, "Come on out!" The ball opened up, unleashing a barrage of lights and stars, all flying down to reveal a certain Ponyta. "Nee!" Everyone glanced between the two before looking up at the timer. 4:54 "Aqua Ring!" Like before, Rarity started with her healing move, Aquapphire summoning water droplets that began to form rings around her. "Psybeam!" Twilight called out as Shine unleashed a steam of psychic energy from her horn. The Water Rock-type then shifted her position, causing attack to hit the Aqua Ring. She was pushed back, but the impact of psychic energy on water caused a sparkling effect that caused her to glow once the attack ended. Both Twilight and Rarity's points dropped by the same amount, Rarity calling out her next attack, "Power Gem!" Aquapphire unleashed the red beam from her head, hitting Shine in the chest as Twilight's points went down. Marian: "Both trainers starting off strong, but Rarity seems to pulling ahead." 4:25 Shine stumbled back before stomping her hooves, glaring at her opponent to see another Aqua Ring activate, making Aquapphire glow as Twilight's points dropped again. "Don't let her get ahead! Fairy Wind!" "Nee," Shine spun around and waved her tail, "TAA!" The glitter filled wind shot at Aquapphire and hit her, the Rock-type too heavy to be thrown back, but it did make her loose balance and stagger back. "Now, Tackle!" Shine galloped ahead, slamming into Aquapphire, throwing the off balance gem girl off her feet, Rarity losing enough points that it became even with Twilight's. "Great work Shine!" Twilight cheered, only to see Aqua Ring restore more of Aquapphire's health. "We can't give her time to recuperate! Mystical Fire!" "Why's Twilight going for that move?" Spike asked as Shine launched the fireball at Rarity's Pokémon, "Aquapphire's a Rock and Water-type." "She's not trying to hurt Aquapphire," Doc replied as the attack struck the Aqua Sapphire Pokémon. It also struck the Aqua Rings, creating steam that filled the air around her, causing Rarity to lose points. "In this match, it's all about making the opponent look less appealing." "And Twilight's doing a good job," Flash added before looking up at the timer. 3:51 "Mystical Fire again!" Twilight ordered as Aquapphire went to her knees, Shine firing the fire rocket again. "Water Gun!" Rarity called out, Aquapphire bringing her hands together before firing a burst of water out. The two attacks collided, creating a cloud of steam. The sight made Rarity smirk, Aquapphire leaping and dancing into the steam as Rarity yelled, "Use Power Gem!" "Aqua!" They heard Aquapphire roar as a beam of light shot out of the mist and began moving in a circle, causing the mist to fade while creating a sparkling effect that rained down on Aquapphire as she spun on her heel. A large chunk of Twilight's points vanished as the attack came to a stop. Marian: "Incredible! Rarity used what should have been a bad event into something true beauty! This has given her an impressive lead!" 3:22 "Psybeam!" Twilight ordered as Shine unleashed a psychic blast. It struck the Aqua Ring first, but Shine quickly shifted around, managing to get between them and hitting Aquapphire instead. "That's the way! Keep firing and stay on the move!" Shine began to gallop around Aquapphire, circling her while continuing to fire Psybeam. Aquapphire flinched as she was struck from several angles, making her stagger as Rarity began to lose points. Her trainer grimaced at the sight, only to yell, "Jump straight up!" Aquapphire did so, causing the Psybeam to miss. Twilight's points began to drop as Shine tried to aim upward, only for Rarity to say, "Scald, straight down!" "Aqua...FIRE!" She unleashed a burst of steaming water straight down, hitting the ground and flowing out in all directions, covering the battlefield. Shine hissed as some of the water got onto her hooves, soaking the fur around them as she cried out, feeling her hair burn. "Nee!" She began jumping about ungracefully, trying to cool off as Twilight kept losing points. Marian: "Impressive! Rarity has taken control of the battlefield and caused her opponent to lose their composure!" 2:48 Aquapphire landed, the hot water on the ground not affecting her. "Power Gem!" Aquapphire unleashed the red beam, ready to hit the pony. But despite the pain she felt from her soaked leg hair, the Galarian Ponyta jumped out of the way of the blast, stealing away some of Rarity's points. "Mystical Fire at the ground!" Twilight cried out, Shine launching the fireball at the wet ground. This created a burst of heat that caused the already hot water to grow beyond boiling point, causing it to steam up and vanish. "Again!" Shine continued firing, getting rid of the water while causing the air to fill with steam. "Water Gun!" Aquapphire launched a burst of water through the steam. "Spiraling Fairy Wind!" Shine spun around and swung her tail in all directions, unleashing a burst of pink wind all over. It defected the water, pushing the steam away while also clearing the air and creating a pretty tornado that quickly faded while raining sparkles down on Shine. Marian: "Beautiful! Such a dazzling display! That's sure to put the audience and the judges in Twilight's favor." Just as she said this, Twilight's last attack had taken some points from Rarity, causing everyone watching to stare in amazement as Rarity and Twilight tried to come up with their next move. 2:03 "Water Gun!" Rarity yelled as Aquapphire shot a burst of water, Shine dodging it with ease. "Don't let up! Use Power Gem!" Aquapphire fired a beam of red energy, this one about to hit Shine head-on. "Psybeam!" The Ponyta pointed her horn at the beam, firing the psychic attack as they struck. The two attacks locked, both beginning to push at each other as hard as they could. Marian: "Looks like we've got a stand off on our hands. Who will prove the stronger Pokémon?" "This isn't about whose the stronger Pokémon," Doc responded, "The two are both even in strength, but Power Gem is the stronger move." To prove his point, Aquapphire's attack began to overpower Shine's, pushing her back. However, the points remained, the judges waiting to see how this turned out. And to everyone's surprise, Shine suddenly cut the attack and leapt straight up into the air. "NEE!" She roared while curling up, spinning like a wheel as the Power Gem hit the ground and exploded, the force pushing her straight up. 1:36 "Scald!" Rarity cried out, Aquapphire unleashing the strongest burst of water she could in Shine's direction. "Fairy Wind!" Shine unfurled and swung around, unleashing the wind that hit the water. This caused the stream to break, pushing the water back down. Aquapphire then found herself getting hit by her own attack as well as Shine's. "Aqua!" She screamed, flinching and covering herself. This cost Rarity a huge amount of points, causing Twilight to pull ahead as Shine landed in front of her. 1:11 "Mystical Fire!" Shine fired the blast at Aquapphire, but Rarity ordered the Aqua Sapphire to dodge it, the Pokémon spinning ballerina style. The flames flew past her, only for her Aqua Ring to appear and restore some of her health, making Twilight's score to go down as the time ticked away. 0:59 Marian: "Only one minute remains. How will our contestants use the remaining time?" "Fairy Wind!" Shine swung around, firing the pink glittery breeze. "Power Gem!" Aquapphire unleashed the red beam, this one splitting the wind down the middle, causing Twilight's points to drop so they were even with Rarity's. "Water Gun!" She fired the water shot from her hand, but Shine did a quickly spin, twirling around the attack, taking away more of Rarity's points. "Psybeam!" Shine shot a blast of psychic energy in Aquapphire's direction. "Scald!" Rarity ordered as Aquapphire fired out the hot water, hitting the Psybeam. Both collided, creating a dazzling burst of rainbow light filled water droplets that Aquapphire leapt into, taking away a lot of Twilight's remaining points. 0:30 "Fairy Wind!" Twilight yelled, Shine firing the wind at Aquapphire. It struck the Water Rock-type, making her stagger back, taking away Rarity's points. "Spin!" Aquapphire did as she was told and started spinning on the spot, causing the wind that was buffeting her to spiral around, making her glitter alongside her Aqua Ring, making Twilight's points shrink. 0:10 Marian: "Only ten seconds left!" "Psybeam/Power Gem!" The girls exclaimed as their Pokémon unleashed their beam attacks, both colliding again. The attacks began to push against each other, the time ticking away. Each second, one beam seemed to overpower the other, making points go down more and more. And as this happened, the points shrunk down to almost nothing as the clock rang out. 0:00 The buzzer rang out, Marian yelling as the Pokémon cancelled their attacks, both falling to their knees or flank. "That's it! Time's up! And the winner of the Manehatten Pokémon Contest is..." Everyone looked up at the board and saw the point totals of the two girls, with one section of the circle being the tiniest bit bigger than the other. "WOW! It's Rarity!" The crowd exploded with applause, Rarity's jaw dropping at the sight. "I...I did it." She turned over to Twilight, seeing her pick up Shine while smiling at her. Another smile appeared on Rarity's lips, "I DID IT!" She screamed before running over to Aquapphire, the two hugging one another. "Aqua!" her Pokémon cried, tears of joy coming out both of their eyes as they kept embracing each other. Everything was a blur after that. Rarity soon found herself on a podium, being presented the Manehatten Ribbon as Mr. Contesta congratulated her. The crowd cheered and she held up the ribbon, proud that she managed to win something like this. "What a day," Flash sighed as the six trainers and their Pokémon returned to the Center. Rarity couldn't stop staring at her ribbon, still unable to believe she had won. "Yah deserve it, Rare," Applejack told her, patting her shoulder while the others nodded in agreement. "Thank you darling," Rarity replied, "I just...I'm still having trouble believing it really happened." "Well, it did," Twilight responded, "And you should be proud." The others nodded again, Rarity holding the ribbon to her heart. And as she did this, Nurse Redheart walked up to them. "Flash Sentry," he turned to her. "I just got a message from the Gym. It appears the leader has finally returned." "Really?" Flash asked, getting a nod from the nurse. "Alright!" He turned to Springer, "Then it's time we got our seventh Gym Badge!" Springer let out a howl of agreement, the two cheering as they knew their battle with Tidal for the badge was about to happen. But what kind of challenge awaited them? You'll have to wait and find out, as the journey continues.