//------------------------------// // Trapeze Trouble // Story: Pokémon: Equestrian Champions // by Banshee531 //------------------------------// With Professor Cadance now joining them in their adventure, the group continued their journey to the Crystal Empire before heading to Dragonia City. Currently, they were making their way down a road with a large open field on either side of them. All the while, they continued to talk, Flash now asking, "So you travelled with Shining during his adventure?" Cadance nodded back, "Celestia wanted me to go and explore the world, to learn from my experiences instead of just from books and off the internet." "Like with me," Twilight added. Cadance nodded again. "Shining and I travelled for a bit, then went our separate ways for a little while. He went to get his fifth badge and I had learned about some ancient ruins, so we had to split. But after he got his badge and I finished investigating the ruins, we joined up again." She turned to Flash, "That's probably when he met you and Springer." "Huh." Flash replied, now remembering that old memory. But as he did this, he noticed a bulletin board on the side of the road a few feet away. And though a rare sight, all trainers naturally fell into the routine of looking it over. Most of the time, they were used to warn of criminals in the area or certain species of dangerous Pokémon. However, this time it showed a poster for what appeared to be a circus. "Circular-Poké?" Twilight asked after reading the title, "Weird name." "Who cares what it's called," Spike added, "I wanna go see it. I've never gotten to see a circus before." "Me neither," Doc chimed in, "Never had one come to or near Trottingham, so I never had the chance." Twilight took out her journal and typed in the coordinates on the poster, "Hmmm...it's not to far from here. If we hurry, we might be able to get there before the show starts." The others nodded before running down the trail. Twenty minutes later, they spotted a structure off in the distance, now realizing it was a large tent that had been set up on the field. Behind the tent were a large assortment of trailers and caravans, a bunch of cars now parked on the field opposite the tent. And as they got closer, the normal circus music filled the air. They also started hearing the sounds of the vendors yelling out their products, Twilight needing to pull Spike away from the candyfloss vendor. When they walked into the tent, they were met with a loud cheer, now seeing many people sitting all around the edge of the tent. They then turned their attention to the center, now seeing a woman riding on a pair of Mudsdale. And by riding, she was more standing between them with a foot on each of their backs as they trotted around the ring. "Wow," Spike whispered as they moved over to some empty seats. They watched as the woman did several stunts on the Mudsdale, jumping from one to the other while pulling different poses. The crowd cheered at this until she returned backstage, the ring master now coming out and introducing the next act. They continued to watch as people and Pokémon performed incredible tricks, including Conkeldurr and a strongman, a trainer with multiple water Pokémon who used their Starmie's psychic abilities to create floating bubbles for those Pokémon to perform in, and a woman with a Liepard who leapt through smaller and smaller hoops. "Hasn't this been a great show?!" The ringmaster asked, the crowd all cheering in agreement. "Well before you go, we have one final act. Our circus's newest member, the girl with cotton candy hair that'll make you laugh out loud, Miss Pink-A-Pie-Ya!" With that, music began to play as the ringmaster stepped to the side. "Pink-A-Pie-Ya?" Twilight asked as a spotlight appeared on the curtain, highlighting a figure that appeared to be standing on a large circle. "HI-YA!" A familiar voice screamed as the figure shot through the curtain, the person standing on a large ball that they moved by walking on it. It was a girl in a clown outfit, their face covered in white paint with a blue star pattern over her left eye. Her hair was super fuzzy and pink, filled with bows and what looked like lollipops. Flash, Spike, Twilight and Doc all went wide-eyed at the sight, able to recognize her despite the clothes and makeup. "PINKIE!" They all exclaimed, only to now see a couple of Pokémon appear from behind the curtain: A Wigglytuff, Mallowmarsh and Alcreamie. The trio began to dance around the place, circling around the ball as Pinkie stood in place on it. "Alright, let's show everyone here a great time! Alcreamie, Decorate!" "Creamy," Alcreamie cheered as she spun around and unleashed streaks of energy from her body that flew through the tent. When it hit something, like a pole, the tent's material or an audience member, it transformed into a bow or other decoration. The younger children all cheered at this, amazed by the sight. Pinkie laughed at this and then turned to Wigglytuff, "Bounce." Wigglytuff nodded before happily jumping up, then landing on the ground after inflating its body. This caused it to bounce right back up as a stagehand activated a fan that unleashed a gentle breeze that kept it up in the air. "Mallowmarsh!" "Mallow!" The living marshmallow grabbed Pinkie's hand before swinging her around. And once they did a full circle, Mallowmarsh swung its arm up, letting Pinkie go. "Weeee!" She cheered as she flew up higher and higher, even flying above Wigglytuff. The audience gasped at this, nown seeing gravity take over. But before she could hit the ground, Wigglytuff flew under her and Pinkie landed on the balloon Pokémon. As if she was on a trampoline, Pinkie bounced back up as Wigglytuff remained where she was thanks to the fans. The crowd clapped as they watched Pinkie do several tricks between bounces, pulling different poses every time she reached the top of her bounce. And after a minute, the fan began to point lower so Wigglytuff descended to the ground. At the same time, Mallowmarsh and Alcreamie continued to dance. And then, Mallowmarsh grabbed Alcreamie by the hips and threw it into the air. The fans died down as Wigglytuff fell to the ground after Pinkie bounced off it. Mallowmarsh got under it and caught its feet, Pinkie falling next and landing on its head. She finally caught Alcreamie, the four making a totem ball and posing as the music stopped. Seconds later, the crowd exploded into cheers while Pinkie and her Pokémon jumped down. Her friends were cheering more then anyone, though still confused by why she was working at a circus. Later, after the audience had vacated the tent, Pinkie was now sitting at a table in front of one of the trailer with her Pokémon. She was washing the makeup off her face, Gummy standing on the table while holding a cloth in his mouth. She held out a hand once the last of the makeup was off, and Gummy opened his mouth. "Thanks," she took the cloth, drying her face as she turned to her other Pokémon, "Great work today guys!" The three all cheered as Pinkie put the cloth down. "Pinkie!" She looked up and gasped when she saw Flash and the others. "GUYS!" She leapt and ran over, somehow managing to wrap her arms around the four, Springer and Peewee before pulling them into a hug. "I can't believe you're here!" "And we can't believe you're working at a circus," Twilight replied before they all pulled away. "When did his happen?" "Two weeks ago," she responded, "And I'm not really working here. Just helping out." She then spotted Cadance, "Oh!" She bounced over to her, "Are you friends with Flash and the others?!" Cadance nodded back, "Yes. I'm Twilight's sister-in-law, Cadance." Pinkie smiled before hugging her back, Cadance slightly flinching at this before quickly patting her on the head with a smile. "So, what did you mean by helping out?" Twilight asked when Pinkie and Cadance pulled apart, "The circus seems to be doing really well, so why would they need your help?" "Well, they needed a new act to fill out the time." "Pinkie!" They all turned to the ringmaster, "Great work today! The offer's still open if you want to stay on with us." Pinkie shook her head, "No thanks. This is fun, but I wouldn't feel right about taking Acrobat's spot." The ringmaster sighed and shook his head at this, "Well, if he doesn't get his act together soon, I might not have any other choice than to find someone to permanently replace him." Pinkie frowned at this as the ringmaster walked off, the others turning to her, "Pinkie," She turned to them, "What's going on?" The pink girl let out a sigh, "Come with me." She lead them to a trailer that was the furthest away from the tent, which had been parked close to a tree. When they got there, Pinkie knocked on the door. "Acrobat? You in there?" She waited a few moments, only for the door to slowly open. Behind the door was a cream-skinned boy with purple hair. He was wearing a purple leotard with a white sash. "Oh, hey Pinkie." He then noticed the people behind her, "Who are they?" "Friends of mine. They wanna know why I'm filling in for you at the circus." She leaned up and whispered, "They have this habit of helping people they meet with problems. They might be able to help you." "I doubt it." He muttered before turning to them, "Hello there, I'm Acrobat Bliss. I'm a trapeze artist...or at least I used to be." "Used to be?" Flash asked, only for something to fly out of the trailer, leaping onto Flash's head. Four more then leapt out, all jumping around the place as everyone saw they were a bunch of purple monkey Pokémon with long tails that had yellow hands on them. "Aipom!" Acrobat cried at the Long Tail Pokémon as leapt off Flash before jumping onto Twilight and Spike, "Hey! Cut that out!" He yelled as he grabbed one, only for another to hop onto Doc, "Stop that!" And as he pulled another Aipom off, he turned to the group, "Sorry about this. These Aipom are my trapeze team." "I can see why you'd work with them," Cadance giggled as they hopped onto the trailer, now doing several spins in the air before reaching out to grab the tail hand of another Aipom. "They're very athletic." Acrobat nodded. "We were considered the best act in the circus, always closing the show and giving the audience something amazing to watch before going home. But recently, we haven't been able to do our act." "Why not?" Twilight asked, "Are the Aipom not listening to you? They are infamous for being so mischievous that they're hard to control." "Not exactly," he gestured for them to follow, the group walking up to a tree behind the trailer. It was here that they saw another Aipom sitting on a branch. This one had a frown on its face, its arms and tail wrapped around it. "Meet my star team member. That Aipom's always been the best at the trapeze and was well respected by the rest of the group. But now he's lost all motivation to do the act. And without him, the other Aipom refuse to go onstage." "So what happened to make it lose interest?" Twilight asked, "Did it get bored of the routine?" "Were you training it to harshly?" Flash added. "Or spoiling it because of its talent that it became lazy," Doc continued. "Maybe we should just let him explain," Cadance told them before Acrobat sighed. "It started about two weeks ago, a few days before Pinkie showed up." Acrobat closed his eyes, now remembering the day that was crystal clear in his mind. Two weeks ago... The circus show was about to come to an end, with only one act still to go. It was Acrobat's, he and his Aipom in the midst of their routine with multiple people watching. Acrobat was on top of one of the poles with a swing in hand, four Aipom now swinging back and forth, each swing had two Aipom on it, while his lead Aipom was on the pole opposite of him. Acrobat took a deep breath and leapt off the pole, using the trapeze to swing forward and swing back to build momentum. He then let go of the swing, the first two Aipom swinging up and grabbing the swing in their tail hands. They then jumped backwards and used their tails like a bungee to keep them connected to the swing, the pair swinging under the trapeze as it reached it full arc. It was here that Acrobat got into aerial place and held his hands out, the Aipom grabbing the hands in theirs and holding on tight. The three swung back, the other Aipoms swinging toward them. Acrobat let go of the first two as the second copied the others, the three catching and repeating the process. At this moment, the lead Aipom leapt off the pole and grabbed the trapeze in his tail. He looked forward and saw one final trapeze swing between him and Acrobat. And as they completed their arc, Acrobat let go and flew towards that trapeze. But that's when it happened. Acrobat gripped the trapeze and swung toward his lead Aipom. But before he could get there, the rope on the trapeze snapped. Acrobat gasped as he felt himself begin to fall, Aipom seeing this and gasping. It tried to grab hold of him, but Acrobat hadn't swung close enough to be in reach. "AIPOM!" It screamed as he fell. The Present... "The trapeze was faulty," Acrobat sighed, "They think some embers from a previous fire act hit the ropes and weakened it, so it couldn't take my weight. Luckily, Starmie had been watching and was able to catch me in its Psychic before I hit the ground. But..." "Seeing someone you care about falling like that must be hard," Doc added. Acrobat nodded at this. "And ever since, every time Aipom's up on the trapeze, it suddenly freezes. And without it, the other Aipom won't preform." Twilight pointed at the tree. "So unless you can get this Aipom to snap out of it, your trapeze career is over." Acrobat nodded again before turning to the Aipom in the tree. "Come on Aipom!" He called out, "I know it was scary, but I'm alright. And that's not gonna happen again. The ringmaster's already replaced all the rope with fireproof cords!" Aipom didn't replied, "Aipom..." Flash kneeled down and patted Springer on the head, "You mind going up and talking to it?" Springer nodded and walked over to the tree, soon climbing up to the same branch as Aipom. "Ri," he spoke up, "Rio ri. Ri ri." "Ay," Aipom replied, sighing, "Ay pa ma." "What are they saying?" Spike asked. "Impossible to say," Cadance responded before seeing Twilight smile. "Give it a minute," she told her sister-in-law. After a minute, Springer leapt down and went over to Flash. "So what's the problem?" Springer began to speak and mime, Flash nodding. "Huh huh...alright....I see...yikes." "Wait..." Cadance turned to the others, "Can he really understand what Springer's saying?" The others nodded with a smile, "How?!" They all shrugged in response, Doc responding, "Those two just get one another." "Alright," Flash stood up and turned to them. "If I was reading Springer right, then Aipom isn't scared so much as angry." The others raised an eyebrow as Acrobat looked up at his Pokémon, "He's angry at me?" Flash shook his head, "No, not at you. He's angry at himself." "What? Why?" "He thinks that it's his fault you fell. That he should have been able to catch you before you got out of reach." He turned to Springer, "Right?" Springer nodded back, Acrobat going wide-eyed at this. "I get it," Twilight added, "He's worried that if he goes on the trapeze again, he won't be able to catch Acrobat like before." "How are we supposed to help with that?" Spike asked next. "I don't think we can," Doc replied, "No matter what you do, the world is unpredictable. Even if what happened never occurs again, something else might happen." Acrobat frowned as Aipom held itself tighter, Flash letting out a sigh as he put his hands behind his head. "Talk about a bummer. Either Aipom's just gonna have to get over it, or Acrobat needs to find a way to do his routine without it." "But I can't!" Acrobat exclaimed, "Without that Aipom, I can't use the others." He let out another sigh, "My only option would be to find some new Pokémon to use. But I can't think of any that are as athletic as Aipom." Pinkie's hair went flat at this. "It's too bad Aipom doesn't have a longer tail. Or if it's tail could stretch of something. Then it would never have to worry about that kind of thing again!" Saying this caused both Twilight and Cadance to gasp, "Ambipom!" They cried in unison. "Ambipom?" Acrobat asked, only for Cadance to turn to the tree. "Aipom," the monkey glanced at her, "You can evolve into Ambipom!" The Long Tail Pokémon tilted his head at this, "Ambipom is almost as big as a human, and it has two tails that are twice as long as the one you have now. If you evolve into Ambipom, you'd be able to save Acrobat from falling no problem." Aipom went wide-eyed at this, "Ay-pa!" He yelled as he leapt off the branch, landing on Acrobat's head. "Wait...you wanna evolve?" Aipom nodded, Acrobat turning to the others. "And you really think it'll help it get over this problem?" The others nodded back as Flash took out his Pokedex and brought up Ambipom's Pokedex entry. The two saw the image on screen, now seeing what his new form would be. "Its perfect! So what do we do? How do we make Aipom evolve?" "That depends." Cadance replied, "What moves does this Aipom know?" "Err...Swift, Protect and...Mega Punch." "Perfect!" Cadance clapped, "Since it knows Mega Punch, it shouldn't be too hard to teach it Double Hit." "Double Hit?" Pinkie asked. "The move Aipom needs to know in order to evolve," Twilight responded. Cadance nodded. "We teach it to Aipom, and it'll evolved. Simple." She turned back to the two, "Willing to give it a try?" Acrobat and Aipom both nodded back. "Then let's get training." The next day... As soon as the sun was up, Acrobat and Aipom began their training to teach it Double Hit. At the same time, Flash, Spike, Pinkie and Doc were helping around the circus as thanks for letting them stay the night. "Alright," Cadance told them, "Now Double Hit is a move that deals multiple bouts of damage. Most of the time, it's using two body parts to hit different areas at the same time. This is why Ambipom is so well known for having it, because of its two tails. But to learn it, you have to do the same with only one tail." "So how do we do that?" Acrobat asked as Twilight held up a pair of soccer balls. "You already know Mega Punch, so that's a start. If you can hit both these balls with it fast enough so it looks like you hit them both at the same, you'll be on your way to learning Double Hit. Ready?" Acrobat and Aipom glanced at eacch other, both nodding as Aipom climbed onto his arm as it outstretched. "Then let's do it!" Cadance took a ball before she and Twilight threw them both in the air. "Alright," Acrobat threw Aipom up, "Double Hit!" "Ay..." Aipom clenched its fist and swung its tail around as it glowed white, "PA!" It slammed one of the balls and knocked it flying to the floor, but then missed the second one. "Not fast enough," Cadance told it as Aipom fell back into Acrobat's arms. "And your aim is off. You need to split your focus on two points." She and Twilight picked up the balls, "Ready to go again?" The two nodded as they both threw the balls into the air again. Meanwhile, Flash and Doc were helping brush the Mudsdale. Since they were Ground-types, they couldn't use water to clean them, meaning they could give their fur a good brushing. As for Spike, he was grumbling as he was dressed in overalls and boots, standing in a pit of mud as Peewee hovered above him. He was using a shovel to pick up large quantities of slop out of the mud, this being where the Mudsdale had been spending their time while not doing a show. "Ugh..." he moaned as he picked up another pill and dispersed it into a wheelbarrow that was at the side of the puddle. "This stinks. Literally." "Oh, come on Spike." Pinkie said as she walked by carrying food for the other Pokémon, "It's not that bad." "Then you give it a go," he quipped back as he shovelled up some more. "What even is this manure stuff anyway?" Pinkie leaned over and whispered something into his ear, Spike's eyes suddenly growing as his face became one of horror. Seconds later, the camp was filled with sounds of disgust. Over the next few hours, they continued to help with the circus chores. Some were fun, others not so great and a couple they were gonna need therapy to get over. All the while, Acrobat, Aipom, Cadance and Twilight continued to work on teaching it Double Hit. "Again!" Cadance and Twilight threw the balls into the air, Aipom leaping up after them. "Mega Punch!" Aipom swung around and managed to hit the first ball with its fist, then turned and actually hit the second. "YES!" Acrobat yelled as Aipom landed on his arm. "That was great bud!" Cadance nodded, the professor having her Crystardian out so it could use Psychic to retrieve the balls. "You're certainly getting better at your aim, but you still need to increase the speed of your hits. Your tails need to be moving so fast that it looks like you already have more than one." "It's just a matter of practice," Twilight added. "Hey!" they heard Flash say, "How's it going?" "Pretty good," Twilight turned to him, "It's not instant improvement, but-" She stopped when she actually saw Flash, her eyes going wide before starting to laugh. He was dressed in a red and blue stripped clown suit with a yellow star around his neck that had green balls on the ends and a red and blue hat. His face was painted white with a blue lightning bolt running down the middle of his face. "What are you wearing?" Cadance asked between her laughter, only to see Springer, Doc and Spike walk, all wearing similar clothing with Doc having a big green bow on his chest while Spike had a big orange ball on his nose. "Pretty cool, huh?" Flash asked as the four of them posed, "The ringmaster asked if we wanted to help out in the show." Twilight kept laughing as Doc took out some rubber balls and started juggling. "All we'll be doing is helping move things on and off the stage," Spike then pulled out another ball and threw it at him. "But we might be able to get a few chuckles out of the audience," he was able to grab the ball and add it to the others he was juggling. Twilight continued to laugh, especially when Springer tripped over his very long sleeves and fell into Flash, knocking him over, "Laugh it up," Flash grumbled, "But don't be surprised when the ringmaster asks us to join his circus permanently." As he said that, the ringmaster appeared with Pinkie by his side in the same clothes she wore yesterday. "Ah! There you are!" The boys got up and stood at attention. "You all look great. Now, before the show starts, I need you all to hand out these programs." It was only then that they noticed Pinkie was holding a large stack of paper. Each of them took an equal amount as the ringmaster turned to Acrobat, "I don't suppose you'll be joining us today?" "I'm sorry, but no. We're close though." He pointed to Aipom, "Once he's evolved into Ambipom, we'll be back on the trapeze and better than ever." "I hope you're right," he replied, "A circus without a trapeze show is no circus at all." He turned to the clowns and told them to follow, the six heading for the tent. As they did this, cars and those who had arrived on foot were beginning to approach. The clowns began to call out to people, asking if any of them wanted a program. Two thirds of the crowd accepted, the outside vendors now opening their stalls. There was candyfloss, hot dogs, popcorn and more along with novelty masks showing clowns and some of the goofier Pokémon species were also being sold. And once the last of the audience entered the tent, the clowns took the excess programs to where they had been told to store them as they heard the music beginning to play. They and Pinkie's Pokémon then rushed backstage, arriving just in time to help the water act move several tubs of water out from behind the curtain. They got a laugh from the audience when Spike tripped and accidently sploshed some of the water onto Flash, who didn't look happily and retaliated by using a spray bottle Pinkie had stored in her hair. He chased Spike all around the ring with it, getting much laughter from those watching until Doc and Pinkie gestured for them to get off stage. After this, the water act began, Flash and Spike drying off during the performance. And after a few more acts, Pinkie closed the show with a similar performance to the previous day's, the crowd cheering constantly. "Spectacular," the ringmaster told his helpers as they walked out of the tent. "You lot should really consider a permanent career in the circus." "Thanks," Flash replied, "But I don't think I'm cut out for this line of work. One or two shows I could probably do, but I'd probably run out of funny ideas after a week." The others nodded in agreement. "Ah, yes. Artist's block. Always a performer's worst enemy." It was here they noticed Twilight, Acrobat, Cadance and Aipom. "Alright," Cadance commented, "One more time." They threw the balls into the air as Acrobat yelled, "Double Hit!" Aipom was then thrown into the air, everyone watching as Aipom clutched his now glowing hand, but this time it was glowing purple instead of white. "Ay-pa," he swung around, "MA!" He threw the first forward and to everyone's surprise, the tail seemed to split apart and strike both balls at once. Everyone gasped as the balls flew through the air, Crystardian catching them in its Psychic while Aipom fell back to the floor. Acrobat cheered while catching Aipom, "You did it!" "No doubt, that was a perfect Double Hit!" Cadance added. "AY-PA!" The Long Tail Pokémon cheered as the others moved to gather around them. "So what now?" Pinkie asked, "Shouldn't Aipom evolve?" "That's...a good question." Cadance hummed, "Aipom should be evolving right this second." They stared at Aipom, who just stared back, but nothing was happening. "Strange." "Maybe Aipom needs to use it a few more time," Doc chimed in, "So that the move's properly planted into its head." The others hummed at his suggestion, only for Flash to speak up, "Or maybe it needs something to kick its evolution into action." They turned to him, "Double Hit's an attack. So maybe it needs to use it in an actual battle or something." "You know...that might not be such a bad idea." Twilight turned to Acrobat, "Maybe Aipom will evolve if you use the move in battle." "Huh," Acrobat looked down at Aipom, "We've never really battled before." "Well, what are we waiting for!" Pinkie exclaimed before taking out a Pokeball. "Let's b-b-b-battle!" Acrobat went wide-eyed as she suddenly threw the ball into the air. "Bloxx, it's battle time!" The ball opened up and the red energy flew out, which took the shape of the lego gorilla. "BLOXX!" It roared as it beat its chest, everyone but Doc backpedaling. "You ready?" Pinkie asked, Acrobat frowning at this. "I guess..." he looked down at Aipom. "You ready?" Aipom looked over at Bloxx for a moment, then back at him and nodded. "Ay-pa!" He leapt out of his arms and began to jump on the spot, getting into a boxer stance. At the same time, the other Aipom were watching from a distance. "Alright," Doc glanced between them. "This will be a one on one battle between Bloxx and Aipom. It'll continue until I decide the battle is over. Are both trainer's ready?" They nodded as the two primates prepared to throw down. "Then Battle...BEGIN!" "Block Buster!" Pinkie cheered as Bloxx's arms reformed to become cannons, pointing at Aipom before firing the brick shaped projectiles. "Dodge it!" Aipom leapt to the side, evading the bricks before landing on its tail. "Now, use Swift!" Aipom spun around and swung its tail, unleashing a bunch of energy stars. "Block it!" Bloxx held up its arms, forming a shield that the stars slammed into. "Now, use Knock Off!" As soon as the stars stopped, Bloxx lowered the shield and leapt, his right arm reshaping into a hammer that it swung into Aipom's chest. "AY!" It cried as it was knocked back. "Aipom!" Acrobat yelped, but his Aipom quickly pushed itself back up. "You okay?" It nodded. "That's good." He then saw Bloxx prepare to charge again as Pinkie ordered a Brick Break. "No time like the present," he stated before pointing forward. "Let's hope this works! Double Hit!" Everyone watched as Aipom leapt, its tail glowing purple. "That's it!" Flash cheered as it got closer. And when it reached Bloxx, the Long Tail Pokémon spun around and started thrusting its tail, hitting Bloxx several times. "AIPOM!" It roared as its attack struck, knocking Bloxx back. Everyone smiled at this, each expecting Aipom to evolve after using the move perfectly...only for nothing to happen. "What's going on?" Spike asked, "Why didn't it evolve?" "Who knows," Cadance replied, "It's possible it didn't do Double Hit correctly, though that certainly looked perfect." "Maybe it needs to use it more than once," Doc added, "Really get it ingrained into its reflexes." "Brick Break!" Pinkie yelled as Bloxx charged again, his fist glowing as he leapt at the monkey. "Bloxx!" He exclaimed as he fell down, thrusting his arm. "Protect!" Aipom crossed his arms and created a shield, Bloxx's fist slamming into it before bouncing off. "Now, Mega Punch!" Aipom clutched his glowing tail fist and swung it around, the fist hitting Bloxx's stomach. "Bloxx!" It cried, staggering back. "Block Buster!" Pinkie called out, Bloxx's arms reforming into cannons that began firing the blocks at Aipom. "Protect!" Aipom formed the force field around itself once again. The other Aipom cheered as they watched the blocks hit the shield, bouncing right off as Bloxx killed the attack. "Knock Off!" Bloxx charged again with the hammer arm, Acrobat glaring at the incoming attack. "Block it with Double Hit!" Aipom's tail fist glowed again as he spun around while Bloxx swung his hammer. The two attacks slammed into one another, but Aipom countered the move with its first strike before thrusting it again, hitting Bloxx in the head. "Bloxx!" He cried as he staggered back, everyone focusing on Aipom. But once again, the monkey didn't evolve. "What is going on?" Twilight asked, "That Double Hit attack was perfect." "Maybe Aipom needs to win the battle," Flash suggested, "Or maybe it just needs some more pressure." He then called out, "Pinkie, no holding back! Give it everything you've got!" "Got it!" Pinkie yelled before pointing at Bloxx, "Use Brick Break back to back!" "BLOXX!" The lego gorilla roared before charging, both its arms glowing as it got closer. "Protect!" Acrobat ordered as Aipom crossed its arms again, forcing the shield. Bloxx slammed it with its glowing fist, making it shake. But no sooner had Bloxx hit the shield, it pulled its fist back before slamming into it again. The group watched as Bloxx unleashed a barrage of punches, Aipom trying to defend as the shield begins to crack. "Aipom!" "Ay!" The Long Tail Pokémon cried before Bloxx struck the shield again, causing it shatter. It then thrust another Brick Break, knocking Aipom flying back, "AY-PA!" It screamed, Acrobat gasping as it hit the ground. "You okay?" Aipom didn't reply this time, the monkey just laying there. Pinkie frowned at this, but knew she couldn't hold back. "If this doesn't push Aipom to dig deep and evolve, nothing will! Bloxx," she pointed at Aipom, "Giga Impact!" The others gasped at this, knowing Pinkie doesn't usually do something like this. "BLOXX!" The gorilla roared as it beat its chest, its body beginning to glow. He then charged, picking up speed as the energy around him turned into a slipstream. "Aipom!" Acrobat cried, his Pokémon picking itself up as the Giga Impact drew closer. He knew Protect wouldn't work, so they only had once choice. "Double Hit!" Aipom pushed himself back to his feet and charged, his fist clenched and glowing purple. "Ay..." Aipom leapt and swung its fist forward, "POM!" The fist struck the Giga Impact, about to push it back...only for Bloxx's attack to rush right through him, knocking the monkey back. "AY-PA!" He screamed as he was sent flying back. Acrobat gasped at the sight and leapt to where Aipom was flying, only to grunt as he was knocked back by Aipom slamming into him, knocking the wind out of him. Both slid along the ground for several seconds until they both came to a stop, everyone gasping as they ran up to him. "Acrobat?" Flash asked as they gathered around him, all now seeing swirls in Aipom's eyes. They let out a bunch of sighs. "Well...looks like this battle's over." "What happened?" Acrobat asked as he stood up, "Why didn't Aipom evolve?" Everyone scratched their heads, Cadance being the one to reply, "I'm honestly...not sure. Aipom was able to use Double Hit, and that battle was pretty intense. There's no reason it shouldn't have evolved." "Not unless Acrobat was pressing B," Pinkie chimed in. The others turned to Pinkie, Twilight raising an eyebrow, "What?" Pinkie looked away, twiddling her thumbs, "But uh...you wouldn't do that." Raising an eyebrow at this, they turned back to Acrobat as Aipom seemed to be coming around, its eyes slowly opening, "Ay-pa?" "Hey bud," Acrobat whispered as he put him down on the ground. "Don't worry," he said after patting him on the head. "We'll keep working on it, and I'm sure you'll evolve eventually." He turned away as a frown appeared on his face, Aipom not seeing it as he began to walk off. "Where are you going?" Spike asked as he headed for the tent. "I can't keep letting the ringmaster down with our problems," he replied, "I'm going to have to come up with a routine I can do all on my own." With that, he marched for the tent while Aipom and the other Long Tail Pokémon stared at him. The next day was a lot like the last, though this time Twilight and Cadance helped out with the chores. Something that wasn't different was Aipom attempting to evolve, the purple monkey Pokémon spending the entire day practicing its Double Hit attack on a tree and even the rest of its crew. But no matter how many times it did it, or how perfect the move was, Aipom couldn't evolve. Meanwhile, Acrobat was still in the tent. He had asked to not be disturbed as he worked on a new routine that he could do all on his own. And as the show began, cars and travelers started to arrive, much like the previous day with Flash and the others handing out programs. They weren't dressed up this time, but were still willing to help out if the need arose. And as the last member of the audience entered the tent, Flash, Pinkie, Twilight, Cadance, Doc and Spike walked inside and searched for some seats. "I hope Acrobat was able to come up with a routine he can do," Twilight commented. "Maybe," Flash added, "But even he did, it probably won't be as impressive as anything he and the Aipom could do. Seeing humans and Pokémon work together to do something is always better than seeing just humans or just Pokémon doing something on their own." The others nodded as they took their seats, seconds before the lights went down and the music began to play. Seconds later, the ringmaster ran out from behind the curtain. "Ladies, gentlemen, and Pokémon of all species, welcome to our brilliant show! For those of you in the audience that are new, you won't regret coming. And for those who have come and seen us before, don't worry. We here at Circular-Poké are always coming up with new and exciting things to dazzle our audience! Now, let's get this show on the road!" He went on to announce the first act, the audience watching in anticipation. As this happened, up in the rafters of the tent, Aipom sat watching the show. He wanted to see what Acrobat came up with to do on his own. If it was something good, which he hoped it was, then maybe Aipom wouldn't need to find a way to evolve. "Ay-pa," he prayed that this would be good. The circus performances went well, though the acts were different from the ones they had seen previously. The water Pokémon did different tricks, and the strongman and Pokémon lifted different heavy objects. The Mudsdale rider even did several flips between his jumps from one horse to the next. All the while, back stage Acrobat waited and continued to go through the routine in his head. He felt a thick stream of nerves shiver down his spine, know he had to do this on his own, but knew he didn't have a choice. Eventually, the Mudsdale rider came to the end of his routine, returning backstage as the ringmaster stepped out into the center of the circus. "Wasn't that a spectacular show?!" He asked as the audience cheered in agreement, "I'm glad you enjoyed it. And now, to finish our show, please welcome Equestria's greatest trapeze artist, Acrobat Bliss!" He pointed upward, everyone looking up to see a spotlight illuminate one of the poles to reveal Acrobat. The teen waved at the crowd, and as he did, he leaned over the edge and seemed to lose his balance before falling. The crowd gasped, but before they could try and do something, they noticed a long piece of blue fabric around his ankle that yanked him back up right before he hit the ground. Acrobat bounced straight up and grabbed a swing that was hanging in the middle of air, soon reaching the top of his arc, he reached down and undid the bungee. The chord gasped again as Acrobat began to fall again, only for the swing to tort and use the momentum of his fall to swing forward. He then swung back, pulling himself back up before wrapping his legs around the swing and then pulling the rest of his body up. Like a kid on a playground, he sat on the trapeze as it swung back and forth. And after the fourth swing, he let go and his body fell back. He was only saved from falling by this legs, which held the bar of the trapeze in the hinge of his knees. Everyone watched with wide eyes as he continued to do a series of tricks on the trapeze, Aipom all the while shaking at the sight. It looked around, but couldn't see Starmie anywhere. If something went wrong, there was no way to save him. "Ay-pa..." After several more tricks, Acrobat was standing on the swing as it flew back and forth. Then, when it was on the full arc of a backwards stroke, Acrobat leapt off the trapeze. Everyone gasped as they watched him fly, doing several forward rolls as he did this. They were so focused on him that they didn't notice the swing moving around and reaching the top of its arc as he flew by. Acrobat caught the swing and was pulled back along with it, the crowd cheering at the sight of the trick. "That had me worried," Twilight gasped. "Don't worry about it," Pinkie added, "Acrobat knows what he's doing." And as she said this, Acrobat swung on the trapeze a few more times before leaping off it, his target being the fabric he had used earlier. But when he caught it, the added weight stretching the fabric more than it could handle. The sickening sound of tearing fabric filled the tent as the ribbon ripped and broke off the main stream, causing Acrobat to gasp as he felt himself begin to fall. The crowd gasped at the sight, Aipom's eyes going wide, but Acrobat managed to reach out with his other hand and grab the fabric that didn't rip. "Augh!" He cried as he felt his hands weakly grab it, dropping the other piece as it fell to the ground, using his free hand to get a better grip. But as he did this, more tearing filled the air. He looked up and saw the piece of fabric further up was now beginning to tear. If it broke, there was no way of him saving himself. "HELP!" He screamed, the crowd now knowing for sure this wasn't part of the act. "Where's Starmie!" The ringmaster yelled, but the Starmie and their owner was nowhere in sight. Aipom watched in horror as his best friend wiggled in a desperate attempt to pull himself up...but the fabric ripped, splitting straight down. "We've gotta do something!" He then heard Flash yell as he picked himself up and took out a Pokeball, "Skyler!" He threw the ball, releasing the Tornavian, "Grab Acrobat!" "Tore!" Skyler exclaimed as he flew up, but as he got close, the beats of his wings caused a wind that made the fabric move, making it rip even more. Twilight gasped, "Flash! Return Skyler, hurry!" Flash growled as he returned the Tornavian before it could do any damage, but Acrobat was still in trouble. "We need a plan Twilight! Now!" "Um..." "I got this!" Pinkie yelled as she reached for her Pokeball. "I'll use Wigglytuff as a crash mat." But just as she was about to throw the ball, something caught her eye. "Pinkie!?" Twilight yelped, "What are you-" "Look!" Pinkie pointed up at the pole of the trapeze, everyone following her finger and gasping at what they saw. Aipom had ran down from where it was sitting and was now on the pole, the Long Tail Pokémon looking scared as it inched closer to the edge, Acrobat seeing this and gasping, "Aipom!" "Ay," Aipom replied before looking at how far the two of them were from the ground. If either fell, they would be in for some serious trouble. "Ay-pa," a look of terror filled his face as he looked back at Acrobat. "Aipom!" Acrobat yelled back, his eyes narrowing as he stared at the Pokémon. "I trust you!" As he said that, the ribbon ripped some more. "Ay!" Aipom cried as he moved back, but Acrobat's words filled his heart. The fear on his face quickly vanished, replaced by a determined glare. "AY-PA..." He ran up and leapt off the post, "MAAA!" Everyone watching gasped as Aipom flew through the air, using his tail hand to grab the trapeze swing and held on tight. He then swung back and forth, trying to reach Acrobat. But alas, Aipom's arms just weren't long enough to reach him. "That's it!" Acrobat yelled as he let go and held out his hand, "Just a little more!" But no matter how hard he swung, the Aipom's little arms just couldn't reach him. "Ay..." Aipom whimpered as he tried, wishing his tail was a little bigger. But as Aipom tried one final time to swing over, the fabric finally snapped and Acrobat began to fall. Everyone gasped and Aipom's eyes grew wide in horror as something within him snapped. "AY-PA!" He screamed before letting go of the swing, the Long Tail Pokémon falling toward his trainer as he tried to grab hold of him. But as he did this, something happened. Aipom's body exploded with light, shocking everyone as his form grew larger. His tail extended and then split in two, the hair on his head growing and split into a pair. Before the light even faded, one of the tails shot out and grabbed Acrobat's arm while the other swung back and grabbed onto the trapeze before it swung out of reach. The jerking of their stopped fall seemed to cause the light to explode off of him, revealing Aipom's new form. "Am...BEE!" The Long Tail Pokémon exclaimed before swinging the two, throwing them into the air. "Ambipom!" It let go of the trapeze and flew through the air before it landing on the pole, using its two larger tail hands to grab its trainer. The audience gasped at this, Ambipom now putting Acrobat down. They then turned to the crowed and gave a bow, causing them all to cheer. As soon as the show was over, Acrobat and Ambipom was met by the ringmaster and his new friends outside the tent. The Aipom had also appeared and were amazed by their leader's new appearance. Ambipom was showing off its new jumping skills to them while Acrobat and the others talked, "I'm glad to see you're alright," the ringmaster told him. "But its clear that we need to do some serious safety checks from now on. And no more using weak fabric like that. From now on, super strong bungees." "You'll get no arguments from me," Acrobat chuckled, "But I guess this whole situation wasn't all bad," he glanced over at Ambipom as it leapt over and landed next to him. "It got Aipom to face its fears, and allowed it to evolve." "Ambipom!" The Long Tail Pokémon cheered as it linked its twin tails and did several back-flips, making the others laugh at its enthusiasm. "My guess is its fear is what kept it from evolving," Cadance added, "Aipom might have been worried that it couldn't save you, even if it was an Ambipom. But it wasn't until the situation actually came about that it was able to push past its uncertainties and evolve into the Pokémon that could save it." Acrobat nodded and patted him on the head. "Well whatever the reason, I know I'll always be safe now that I have Ambipom looking out for me." Ambipom smiled back, "Now our acrobat team is back and better than ever. Nothing's gonna stop us," he turned to the rest of his crew. "Right gang?" "AY-PA!" They all exclaimed back in agreement, the others now happy things were back to normal. Acrobat then turned back to them. "Come on, I wanna give you all a treat for helping us. It's about time you guys got to see what made me and my crew so beloved." Everyone nodded back at this, excitement on every face. Minutes later, they were all sitting back in the tent looking up at the trapeze. Up on the post, Acrobat was ready to perform. His Aipom were higher up, ready to jump down when it was their time to swing. Meanwhile, on the opposite pole, Ambipom as there with a serious look on its face. "Ready?" He asked as he got into a pre-running pose. "Am-Bee!" It cried back before getting in the same pose. Acrobat smiled back before the two ran up and leapt into the air, both doing an aerial back-flip before diving bombing toward the ground. But before they began to plummet, the two grabbed a swing and swung back up. Those watching were amazed, now knowing they would enjoy the rest of this show. Their trip to the circus hadn't been what they expected, but they certainly enjoyed it and were happy they could help someone overcome their issues. Now, with the Crystal Empire still on the horizon, one can only wonder what adventures our heroes will get up to next. As the journey continues.