"Alright! Electivire! Thunder Punch, Go!" Paul commanded.
Las Pegasus. 13:30
Lively and enchanting Las Pegasus.
Rarity, Spike, Sweetie Belle and Coco Pommel have just arrived here after going on the train. Although, Pheromosa suggested grabbing them all and running at high speeds to Las Pegasus. But Coco was nervous so they took the train instead.
"Here we are." Rarity said as she gently walked off the train.
"Las Pegasus!" Sweetie Belle hopped off the train.
"What's up with this sunlight?" Spike covered his eyes from the beaming rays of the sun.
"Alright then." Rarity looked around. "Where to begin?"
"Oh-Oh!" Sweetie Belle jumped up. "There's a Pokemon Contest here, remember? Let's go there! I could win my next contest ribbon!"
"Alright, alright." Rarity nodded. "Spike. Coco. Would you like to come along with us?"
"Oh, well, I was thinking of umm..." Coco scrunched her face. "I kind of...want to take part in Pokemon Contests too."
"You do?" The three of them said.
"Mhm. Well actually, I've already started. Just 3 weeks ago, I won my first contest ribbon. Glaceon and I worked really hard for it and it paid off."
"Glaceon!"
"That's wonderful, Coco!" Rarity slid over. "You know, all this buzz about Pokemon Contests is almost tempting me to get involved as well."
"Wait. Does this mean we're competitors against each other?" Sweetie Belle tilted her head.
"Looks like it. We might have to go up against each other at some point." Coco went up to the little unicorn. "That doesn't bother you at all, does it?"
"Not at all! It's great going up against friends sometimes!" Sweetie Belle grinned. "We can get started right away!"
"Well, I'm kinda looking for something else, ya know." Spike navigated his head around Las Pegasus. The attractions here were interesting but not something that could really strike his fancy.
Then, Spike noticed something that could really pull him in. Just North from here, right next to the Contest Hall, straight from Castelia City, it was the Pokemon Battle Plaza.
It had just recently come to Equestria and is considered the perfect place for Pokemon Trainers to test their skills and go against each other. Mainly for those entering the Equestria League.
"That's what I'm talking about! A Pokemon Battle Plaza!" Spike pointed at the Pokemon Battle Plaza. "That's the stuff for me! You don't mind if I head there, do you?"
"Of course not, Spike." Rarity replied. "Go on and enjoy yourself. We'll be there eventually and hopefully, we'll have the chance to see you battle."
"Sweet!" And just like that Spike took off like a rocket, leaving his friends to get on with their entire contest business.
"Right then. Let's hope we're not too late. Come along then you two." Rarity went ahead with Coco and Sweetie Belle following her to the Contest Hall.
Pokemon Battle Plaza.
Inside, a battle was already occurring. Spike entered to see which Pokemon were going up against each other as the battle looked like it was reaching its end.
It was a battle between an Electivire and a Manectric with many humans, ponies and even dragons watching this entire battle go down. But this Electivire belonged to someone familiar. And it wasn't Spitfire who actually owns her own Electivire.
Instead, it was Paul's Electivire.
"Electivire! Use Brick Break!" Paul commanded.
"Electivire!" Electivire rushed over to its opponent with one hand pulled back.
"Manectric! Use Psychic Fangs!" A stallion commanded.
"Etric!" The Discharge Pokemon opened its mouth, lunging forward as psychic energy surrounded its teeth. Both Electric-Types ended up getting in front of each other, but only one of them pulled off their attack successfully.
Electivire juked Manectric out by sidestepping to the right, causing Manectric to bite nothing but the air. Manectric gasped as he just realized that he had been tricked.
"Vire!" Electivire found an opening as he smashed his hands onto the Discharge Pokemon's back, slamming its fellow Electric-Type to the floor.
"Mane!" Manectric gasped as it was forced into the floor with a devastating impact. That one Brick Break was enough to finish the Discharge Pokemon off but that didn't come as surprise considering how powerful Paul's Electivire is. Manectric had fainted. "Manectric..."
"Manectric is unable to battle! Electivire wins! Thus, the victor is Paul!" The referee, who was a random Don George made the call.
"That's that. Good job, Electivire. Return." Paul returned his Electivire. "Nice battle, you."
"Uh, thanks." The stallion helped his Manectric up. "Bit too strong for me though. You okay, Manectric?"
"Mane. Manectric."
With that battle over, the next battle could begin. The way this Battle Plaza worked is that trainers had to register to battle. They, unfortunately, couldn't just jump in and start battling each other. Since this plaza is on a smaller scale compared to Castelia's larger plaza which was currently being rebuilt, the battlefield could only hold two competitors. So turns had to be taken.
"Next! Can Lucky Latch and Skyplay come on to the battlefield?!" Don George called for the next trainers to step up.
"Oh. Do I have to sign up or something?" Spike asked a nearby trainer.
"Sure do. But uh...I think you came in a bit too late, pal. Registrations are closed."
"Aw! Already?!" Spike jerked back as he groaned. "Come on...That train ride wasn't even that long. What's with this day being so slow?"
Spike had just missed out on his opportunity to have a battle here. Which was a shame since he was really looking forward to it alongside his Salamence.
"Sorry, pal." Spike looked at his Poke Ball. He then noticed Paul walking by him since he had just finished up his battle. Spike figured that if he couldn't battle here in the Plaza, he could always just battle somewhere else with someone random. And what better than the previous competitor who had just finished his own battle. "Oh, hey, wait!"
"Hm?" Paul turned around to face Spike. "Yeah?"
"I know you just got done battling but uh...you wouldn't mind battling me would you?"
"A battle right now? Are you registered?"
"Oh, uh...no. I kinda came in late so it's full. But I'm talking an outdoor battle that's just between you and me."
"You're asking a lot from someone you just met, kid," Paul responded.
"Yeah uh...my bad." Spike winced as he rubbed the back of his head.
"But...I'm not one to turn down a battle. At least not frequently. If you wanna battle then sure. The only reason I came to this festival anyway."
"Alright!" Spike jumped up. "Where can we battle uh..."
"My name's Paul." He introduced himself. "And there's a small little lake just near this entire city. That's where we'll battle."
"Paul, huh? My name's Spike. "And I'll be there for sure! Salamence and I are just itching for a battle, ya know."
"Spike, huh?" Paul froze for a moment as he took a moment to observe Spike and how he was a dragon. Paul has been visiting this world frequently for the sake of catching new Pokemon to get stronger.
But during his ventures in Equestria, he has heard from many ponies across the land about a certain someone, who Paul is very familiar with. That of course, being Ash.
But more importantly, he also heard about the Darkest Day and how Ash and a bunch of his friends helped save Equestria from Eternatus during the Darkest Day. One of those friends being a baby dragon by the name of Spike alongside his Salamence.
The Darkest Day has become a sort of a popular event in Equestria. So popular that it can be considered a pivotal point in Equestria history. It's hard to not know about it since it almost brought about the destruction of Equestria in just one night.
And Paul could tell that this was indeed that same Spike who helped stop Eternatus.
"So you're another one of Ash's friends. Guess I can't stop bumping into them in this world..." Paul sighed.
"Sure am." Spike nodded aggressively. "Wait, how'd you know who I was?"
"Ponies here kept talking about some Darkest Day and how you were beside Ash and some others. I'm not too surprised he's popular here, honestly."
"You know him?"
"Sure do. All the way from my adventures with Sinnoh. Ever since these two worlds crossed over, I didn't think I'd hear his name so often recently."
"Oh, wait! You're that Paul guy Ash mentioned before!" Spike realized. "That means I'm gonna battle against one of Ash's rivals today...? Awesome!"
"Just as energetic as him too..." Paul mumbled. "Alright, let's quickly get this over with. I wanna continue battling in this Battle Plaza soon."
"Right! But uh, let me just get myself ready. You're Ash's rival so that must mean you're super strong. Salamence and I gotta prepare ourselves."
"I can wait. I also wanna prepare myself too." Paul replied as he and Spike both walked out of the Battle Plaza to prepare themselves for their upcoming battle which will happen in just a few minutes.
Although, Paul is a heavy strategist so his planning can last a while and take up a lot of time. But either way, he'll still find time to battle.
They would battle near a lake that was just on the outskirts of Las Pegasus and right near the train station as well. Originally, this area did not exist. But of course, thanks to the Pokemon changing Equestria day by day, this was a brand new area exclusive to Grass, Water, Flying and even Psychic-Types.
It was a bit unfortunate that they couldn't battle in the Pokemon Battle Plaza at all due to Spike being late.
But the same can be said for the Contest Hall.
"Out of slots?!" Rarity screeched.
"Deepest apologies." The lady bowed her head as an apology. "But the registration slots closed off 2 hours ago. Seems you were a bit too late. Sorry."
"Ugh! What is wrong with this fourth day? Feels like somepony is slowing down time on purpose..." Rarity growled.
"So...I can't enter the contest?" Sweetie Belle pouted.
"Sorry. All slots are full."
"Aw..." Sweetie Belle whimpered.
"Don't worry, Sweetie Belle." Coco patted Sweetie Belle on the head. "We still have tomorrow to look forward to. Are there slots open then?"
"There will be." The lady nodded. "So you still have a chance."
"Yes!" Sweetie Belle jumped for joy. "Phew! I was really worried there for a sec! But...now what do we do? Wait until tomorrow."
"Of course not. We're in Las Pegasus after all. The possibilities here are endless." Rarity replied.
"Well...We could use all this time to practice." Coco suggested. "I've been wanting to make sure my contest moves are sharpened up enough. If that's okay with you."
"Sure. It's okay with me." Sweetie Belle nodded. "This day's pretty slow anyway, so we can have a lot to do."
"Right then." Rarity walked in-between them. "I believe I know of a place where we can practice. There's a small little lake near the train station we can use. Come along, you two."
And so it was. Now there were two groups headed for that one secluded lake. Due to an unfortunate turn of events, late arrivals and occupied slots, they had to capitalize on the outdoors instead of the indoors.
It was a 6-minute walk to that secluded lake area. A small group of Meditite's who were practising with a Medicham noticed the arrival of the two groups from different sides. East and West.
They weren't the only ones who noticed an arrival. The moment the two groups arrived at the lake, their paths had crossed as they spotted each other immediately.
"Oh! Spike, darling. You're here too?" Rarity said to him. "Aren't you supposed to be at that Battle Plaza?"
"Yeah, but I was late for registration. I thought you were supposed to be at Pokemon Contest Hall with Sweetie Belle and Coco."
"We were...but the slots were full." Sweetie Belle pouted. "We came out here to this lake to practise contest moves together."
"Mhm." Coco nodded. "What about you, Spike? Why are you here?"
"I'm here to have a battle with this guy right here." Spike pointed at Paul. "This here's Paul. That guy that Ash mentioned once. Remember?"
"Paul...?" Rarity lowered her eyes, digging through her memory as she remembered Ash bringing up Paul's name once. "Oh! This is that Paul?!"
"Why's it such a big deal?" Paul raised an eyebrow.
"Sorry." Rarity laughed. "I suppose it's somewhat of a huge deal to meet one of Ash's rivals. So. You and Spike will be having a battle here."
"We sure are!" Spike chimed in, sliding over to Rarity. "Oh. Wait, that's not gonna be a problem for your contest practice is it?"
"Well, that depends. I think we're all aware of how destructive Pokemon battles can get. So battling and practising contest moves might throw us all off focus." Rarity said. "How about we each have our own turns?"
"Turns?" Spike looked up in the sky. "Uh...I guess we can take turns. But who's going first?"
"Oh! Let us go first!" Sweetie Belle raised her hoof, jumping repeatedly.
"Is that alright with you two?" Rarity asked.
"Go ahead. I can wait." Paul turned around, accepting their request. "I've got some planning to do anyway."
"Thanks!" Sweetie Belle bellowed. "Alright, Coco! Let's do this!" She took out her Poke Balls as she and Coco were ready to practise against each other for tomorrow whilst Paul and Spike took their time.
"Out you come." Coco had another Pokemon other than Glaceon that she doesn't exactly send out that often for reasons that were about to be revealed. From out of her Poke Ball, a Mawile came out.
"Mawile."
"Oooh...Who's that?" Sweetie Belle was obviously intrigued by this Pokemon that was new to her eyes as she immediately took out her Pokedex.
"Mawile. The Deceiver Pokemon. Mawile’s huge jaws are actually steel horns that have been transformed. Don’t be taken in by this Pokémon’s cute face—it’s very dangerous. Mawile fools the foe into letting down its guard, then chomps down with its massive jaws. It has two mouths. The big jaws on the back of its head can’t taste anything, so that’s the mouth it uses to eat foods it doesn’t like. It can chew through iron beams."
"Aw...it's so cute!" Sweetie Belle gushed as she got a bit too close to the Steel-Fairy-Type.
"Wile?" Mawile noticed Sweetie Belle getting close as she instinctively forced her jaws to snap at Sweetie Belle, forcing the little unicorn back.
"Eep!" Sweetie Belle squeaked as she hid behind Rarity.
"Sorry about that. Mawile's a bit cautious of others." Coco went up to her partner. "But she's really sweet when she gets to know somepony new."
"Maw."
"No need to worry. We'll get along well. Come out all of you. Sweetie Belle sent out all of her Pokemon for practice and to greet Mawile of course. But Mawile was still cautious and mostly defensive of Coco.
While they prepare to plan out their contest moves and how they can dazzle the judges tomorrow, if they get the chance to register, Paul and Spike were biding their time, waiting for their turn to arrive.
Paul observed Spike's Salamence. He saw how Salamence was the only Pokemon on Spike's team, meaning that he had many options to deal with this Dragon Pokemon. Meanwhile, Spike only knew about Paul's Electivire after seeing his battle. It only used Brick Break so Spike had no idea what to expect.
While they were with their Pokemon and Sweetie Belle and Coco were training together, Spike was curious about Paul's rivalry with Ash. Maybe learning from one of Ash's rivals could help him improve as a trainer.
"Hey, Paul," Spike said to him.
"Yeah?" Paul responded.
"I'm kinda curious. What's it like being a rival to Ash? I really wanna know. It must've been intense!"
"You do, huh?" Paul tapped his foot on the ground, looking up in the sky. "Guess I can say something about us."
"Oh yeah! If you're Ash's rival, you must be a real big deal! Ash is super strong after all."
"You're right on that. He's one formidable opponent. That's for sure." Paul let out a small smile as he closed his eyes. "Can't even imagine what it would've been like if we never crossed paths. Would I still be a great trainer?"
"Hm? You mean you wouldn't be the same if you never met Ash?" Spike tilted his head.
"Probably." Paul looked over at a Slowpoke resting near the lake on its belly. "I would've gone a different path if that happened. Guess it all came down to our final battle that really changed everything."
"Final battle?!" Spike hopped on Salamence's head. "What was that like?"
"Sala?"
"Hmph. Timeless to me. I can still remember how it all went down. Every last bit of it." Paul started reminiscing about his final battle with Ash during the Lily of the Valley Conference. AKA the Sinnoh League.
It was his greatest battle to this day and really put his rivalry with Ash to the test. Especially when it came to the battle between Infernape who used to belong to Paul when he was just a Chimchar.
11 years ago. The Lily of the Valley Conference.
The battle between Ash and Paul was one to remember. All of their Pokemon gave everything they had on that day. It was hard to tell who would come out on top since they were so even in skill. They were practically the same person but with different ideals.
And no battle represented that more than Infernape vs Electivire. The final Pokemon they each had during the Sinnoh League since all of their other Pokemon had fainted.
Dawn, Brock and Barry were there to watch the battle alongside Team Rocket who were in disguise, the Champion Cynthia and Paul's Brother Reggie who was watching from home. This was the climax. Where Infernape would give it his all.
"Alright! Electivire! Thunder Punch, Go!" Paul commanded.
"Electi...!" Electivire charged forward with his fist surrounded by yellow electricity while being accompanied by yellow sparks.
"Infernape! Mach Punch!"
"Infer...!" Infernape did the same with his fist glowing light blue.
Both Pokemon put all of their strength into these two punches as their fists met with each other. Upon contact, white sparks of energy flowed out as a bright light formed in the middle of their punch. Sounds of electricity could be heard flowing out of the light as the two Pokemon stared each other down for a bit.
Afterwards, a dynamic explosion forced them both back as their attacks cancelled each other out.
"In! Infernape!" Infernape recovered by backflipped whilst Electivire just slid on the ground.
"Vire!"
"Flamethrower, Go!"
"In...fernape!" Infernape breathed in as his chest stuck out. Afterwards, he let out a stream of flames from his gaping mouth.
"Protect," Paul ordered.
"Elec!" The Thunderbolt Pokemon put his arms out as a green barrier of protective energy formed around him. Flamethrower made contact with Protect as the flames split into different directions upon contact. The flames then died out as they had been blocked.
"Gh!" Ash grit his teeth.
"Thunder!"
"Elec...tivire!" Electivire put down his protective barrier as he smashed his two fists together. His body was outlined by volts of electricity as he then released a bolt of electricity up in the sky. That bolt then split into multiple thunderbolts as they were all approaching the Flame Pokemon at a rapid pace.
"Infernape, Dig!"
"Infer!" Inferape quickly jumped up, smashing his fists on the ground as he created a hole to dig through. He managed to evade Thunder in time due to Dig as he was now moving through the battlefield. However, Electivire kept Thunder up as the multiple bolts were surrounding the battlefield like a cage, making sure that Infernape would get hit by at least one Thunder. This was a mimic of Ash's Counter Shield from how it was acting.
"And both Pokemon use powerful moves!" The announcer said.
"Infer!" Infernape then emerged from the ground, giving Electivire a sudden uppercut to the face. Supereffective damage was dealt as Electivire was sent flying from the uppercut.
"Vire!" Electivire definitely felt that impact as he tumbled on the ground, creating a dust cloud from his body impact alone.
"A great example of a perfect dig!"
"In!" Infernape jumped back as his body twitched, taking some damage since Toxic Spikes had affected him earlier during the battle. "Fer!"
"Did it work?!" Ash wondered.
But as the smoke cleared, it was revealed that Electivire got right back up as if it was nothing. It showed that even super-effective moves weren't enough to keep Paul's Electivire down.
"Amazing! Electivire's still standing!"
"Good," Paul smirked.
"Hm." So did Ash as he knew this battle was far from over.
But Dawn, who was watching this entire battle play out was getting a bit nervous as her pupils were shaking uncontrollably all of a sudden.
"I know I've seen battles between Ash and Paul before. But for some reason, there's something completely different about this one." A worried Dawn said.
"Use Flamethrower!"
"Fer!" In a flash, Infernape let out a quick Flamethrower from his mouth.
"Brick Break! Go!"
"El..ectivire!" Electivire quickly raised his hand as he cut Flamethrower in half.
"It may be because they're finally facing off against each other in the same state of mind," Brock replied to Dawn's words.
"What do you mean?" Dawn asked.
"Reggie once called them two sides of the same coin. Mirrors of each other. They may have the same goals, but they've always taken different paths to reach them. Now they're really battling face to face. Head-on. And I think they both realize that." Brock explained.
And it was really showing. Infernape and Electivire were going back and forth at high speeds. They were moving so fast that they were becoming speed lines and nothing else. They punched each other back and forth, moving across the battlefield as both of them were even.
Infernape and Electivire exchange a fury of Mach and Thunder Punches, respectively. They each land an attack before yet another Flamethrower by Infernape is blocked by Electivire's Protect.
In a way, Infernape and Electivire were perfect representations of Ash and Paul themselves.
"Just thinking about it is making me all pumped. Guess a bit of Ash got into me," said Paul.
"Oh, sweet...!" Spike's eyes became starry. "I wish the worlds crossed earlier so I could've been there to see it! Then what happened?!"
"Well, it was an intense battle from start to finish, that's all. But I guess one moment that really stuck out is when I lost. It wasn't just me losing that was so important though. It was seeing Infernape and how truly strong he was." Paul continued to reminisce about the battle.
Infernape was down on the ground, not yet knocked out. He was really beaten up however as he was trying to get up from the ground.
"Infer..."
"Electi. Electivire!" Electivire taunted Infernape, telling him to get back up since he knows the Flame Pokemon can still go on.
"So I guess that's the best you can do then, huh?" Paul said. "You're pathetic just like always."
"Infer...nape!" Infernape's eyes flashed as he gained the strength to get back up.
"Afraid not!" Ash smirked.
"Huh?" Paul turned to see Infernape's sudden ascension as he and everyone else gasped since they thought Infernape was done for.
"Alright! Infernape! Time to show Paul just how strong you are!"
"In...fer...NAPE!" Infernape's ability Blaze had awoken. A ferocious and gallant burst of fire emerged from behind Infernape as the flame of his head grew to a gigantic size. He let out a powerful yell as his flames engulfed the entire battlefield whole.
"Yes!" Ash was waiting for this.
"And Infernape is back with a vengeance, showing the stadium incredible will and fighting spirit!"
"It's Blaze!" Barry exclaimed.
"Reaching the absolute limits of Infernape's endurance has actually brought out its greatest strength," said Brock.
"But with all of the damage Infernape's taken, he'd better finish this up quickly!" Dawn followed.
"Piplup! Piplup!"
"Infernape's up! So are we!" Team Rocket began cheering. "A happier team you'll never see! Help that twerp! Make the bad guy drool and slurp!"
"So this is what Ash was going for all along!" Reggie smiled.
"Time for the real battle! Alright, Infernape! Flamethrower!"
"Infernape!" Infernape's Flamethrower was much more powerful than it had ever been. In fact, it no longer looked like a stream of fire but instead, a devasting blast that matched that an infra-red beam.
"Infernape's more powerful than ever so head's up! Thunder!"
"Electi...vire!" Electivire tries to hold it back with Thunder, but it can't stand up to the sheer power as Thunder was obliterated by Flamethrower with Electivire being engulfed.
"Mach Punch, go!"
"Fernape!" Infernape jumped out of the smoke as he then used Mach Punch, which hits and sends Electivire flying back. Knowing their Pokémon are now at their limits, they get ready to finish it.
"Let's finish this!" Ash and Paul both said.
"Use Thunder Punch!"
"Electivire!" Electivire rushed in for one last Thunder Punch.
"Flare Blitz, go!" Infernape ascended into the air with a large aura of fire surrounding him. That red-orange aura then transformed into blue fire, signifying just how powerful Infernape has truly become.
He then bolted himself forward as Flare Blitz and Thunder Punch both connected. The two Pokémon, battling like they've never battled before, landing their attacks on each other, creating a maelstrom of fire and electricity that was streaming into the sky, illuminating the stadium.
This struggle lasted a while with a devastating wind blowing through the stadium. They both growled with each of them trying to gain the upper hand. But only one of them was coming out of this the winner.
"In...Infernape!" Infernape pushed himself further as he dashed past Electivire with sudden instant speeds, ending the exchange. Infernape felt the recoil as a delayed reaction caused Electivire to feel the explosive force of Infernape's Flare Blitz, throwing up a thick blanket of smoke.
"Electi...Electivire!" The smoke clears and reveals Electivire still standing with his eyes flashing red through the smoke as the two Pokémon and their Trainers stare each other down. The two Pokémon remain perfectly still with anticipation at an all-time high.
"Infernape!"
"Vire..." Electivire finally fell, fainting to the ground.
"Electivire is unable to battle! Infernape wins! Which means the victory goes to Ash of Pallet Town!" The referee declared.
"Alright!" Ash let out a cry of victory.
"And that's all she wrote! Fantastically fierce full 6 on 6 battle, the winner of today's attack-fest is Ash!"
"Alright, Ash won!" Dawn raised her arms with joy as she and the others screamed out in elation for Ash's victorious win over Paul while Brock is overwhelmingly pleased.
"Piplup! Pip-Piplup!"
"I'm so stoked I can't stand it!" Barry scratched his hair aggressively. "Those two are awesome! They're the coolest!"
"You finally beat him...wow," Brock muttered.
"What a battle that was." Paul smiled. "If I hadn't neglected Infernape when it was still a Chimchar, things could've been different back then. But...Thanks to that battle, I'll recognize all of my Pokemon's strength."
"So cool...! Kinda makes me a bit nervous to go up against you but still!"
"Just don't go too overboard. This is a small area after all."
"Oh, right! I think those two are nearly done." Spike looked over to see Coco and Sweetie Belle's training.
"Mawile. Use Fairy Wind."
"Wile." The Deceiver Pokemon began spinning rapidly, creating strong gusts of sparkling wind that flowed into the air.
"Okay, Espurr. Use Disarming Voice on Fairy Wind." Sweetie Belle commanded.
"Espurr..." The Restraint Pokemon opened her mouth, sending a pink soundwave towards the gusts of sparkling wind. The two Fairy moves had collided, creating a spiral of pink energy that matched the shape of a drill. But unfortunately, it quickly died out.
"Aw..." Sweetie Belle sighed.
"Guess they're a bit unbalanced. But that's fine." Coco said. "Let's try something else. Mawile. Use Shadow Ball."
"Mawile." Mawile hurled a shadowy blob of darkness from the large jaws she had, sending it forward.
"Let's try Light Screen this time! And jump into Shadow Ball!"
"Purr!" Espurr put a protective aura of light around her as she rushed over towards the ball of shadows. It was risky but she was willing to take the risk.
Espurr jumped into Shadow Ball, closing her eyes as she braced for impact. But Mawile made sure that the attack wouldn't harm Espurr in the process. Once the Restraint Pokemon entered Shadow Ball, the aura of Light Screen was giving the ball of shadows some shine.
It looked like a disco ball going off from how the lights were flying around the area as the lake was being illuminated by a mixture of bright and dark colours.
"Ooh! That's the one!" Sweetie Belle grinned.
"I'll say." Rarity nodded. "But you two should also focus on creating new contest moves by yourself. After all, it's hard to tell if you'll be facing each other tomorrow."
"Oh! Right!" Sweetie Belle gasped. "Guess we forgot."
"That's fine. I've gotten some new ideas from training with you anyway, Sweetie Belle." Coco replied.
"I suppose now is the best time to take a break. Spike! Paul! You two can battle it out now!" Rarity exclaimed.
"Finally! It's our time to shine!" Spike smirked.
"Then let's get this over with." Paul immediately walked to one side of the lake while Spike did the same. Rarity and the others decided to sit back and watch the battle from afar.
They had both made their pick. Paul held out his Poke Ball which wasn't actually Electivire's Poke Ball since it couldn't properly deal with Salamence due to the Dragon-Typing resisting Electric.
Spike was obviously going for his only Pokemon, Salamence. At least the one he currently owns now while his Goomy is out there training with Dragon Trainer Avaun.
"You ready, Salamence?" Spike asked him.
"Salamence!" He nodded.
"Alright. Aggron! Stand by for battle!" Paul sent his Aggron out to deal with Salamence.
"Aggron!"
"Oh. Who's this guy?" Spike took out his Pokedex.
"Aggron. The Iron Armor Pokemon. Aggron claims an entire mountain as its own territory. It mercilessly beats up anything that violates its environment. This Pokémon vigilantly patrols its territory at all times. The more wounds it has, the more it has battled, so don’t take it lightly. Aggron has a horn sharp enough to perforate thick iron sheets. It brings down its opponents by ramming into them, horn-first. Long ago, there was a king who wore a helmet meant to resemble the head of an Aggron. He was trying to channel the Pokémon’s strength."
"Steel and Rock huh? That Rock-Types gonna make Flamethrower look weak. Spike was a bit bummed out that Aggron wasn't a pure Steel-Type. That way, Flamethrower would've worked splendidly. "Hey, Paul! Mind if I go first?"
"Sure." Paul agreed to let Spike go first.
"Alright! Salamence! Use Flamethrower!"
"Sala..." Salamence ascended to the sky, holding his breath as he then let out a stream of fire.
"Hmph," Paul smirked. "Metal Claw on the ground!"
"Aggron!" The Iron Armor Pokemon suddenly smashed its claws onto the ground, causing a wall of stone and grass to emerge as it blocked the Flamethrower. Paul was already starting strong.
"Mence?"
"Now, Metal Sound!"
"Aggrooooon!" The two horns on Aggron's head started to glow white as they move back and forth quickly, causing a loud ringing sound to be released. The horns then released light blue sound waves from them that filled the entire lake.
"S-Sala!" Salamence could hear the horrible ringing sound of Metal Sound as he winced, descending to the ground as it was lowering his Special Defence. Any nearby Pokémon that hears the sound gets a loud ringing sound that echoes in their ears as well.
That includes the Pokemon belonging to Sweetie Belle and Coco.
"E-Espurr!" Espurr covered her ears as she and the other Pokemon writhed on the ground, trying to ignore this sound.
"Are you all okay?!" Sweetie Belle gasped.
"Oh, dear! That sound is reaching all the Pokemon here!" Coco noticed that the Pokemon from the lake were also being affected by Metal Sound.
"Now, use Double Edge!"
"Ggron!" Aggron rushed at the Dragon Pokemon, leaving behind a silver trail, with its body turning gold. As it charges, its body returns to normal colour and it becomes surrounded by a white aura.
"That's gonna do a lot of recoil! Salamence! Block it with Dragon Tail!"
"Salamence!" Even though all of Salamence's moves weren't really that effective against Aggron, he still had to do something.
He flew forward with his tail being surrounded in draconic energy. He and Spike were betting on the recoil damage to really put the hurt on Aggron since it'll hurt itself upon impact.
Salamence's tail clashed with Aggron's head as a white field of energy formed in-between the two, knocking them back with an explosion.
"Sala!" Salamence was sent back by the explosion as his tail was twitching upon making contact with the Iron Armor Pokemon. But Salamence and Spike believed that Aggron was the one who took the most damage thanks to the recoil of Double Edge.
However, as the smoke from the explosion cleared, it was revealed that Aggron did not take any recoil damage from Double-Edge at all as it was still standing.
"Aggron."
"What the?!" Spike and Salamence both gasped. "But I thought-"
"Rock Head." Paul smiled. "It's Aggron's ability. Any move that has recoil is instantly prevented at all times."
"Oh no." Spike's pupils shrunk.
"Now, Aggron! Flash Cannon!"
"Aggron!" Aggron opened its mouth as a silver ball appears in front of Aggron's mouth. Aggron then fired a silver beam from the ball at the Dragon-Flying-Type.
"Quick! Flamethrower!"
"Salamence!" Salamence quickly released a red-orange stream of fire from its mouth as Flamethrower and Flash Cannon ended up colliding.
Flamethrower burned through Flash Cannon, surprising Aggron and Paul. The Iron Armor Pokemon then saw how Flamethrower was approaching it as the emission of fire engulfed it. "Aggron!"
"Yes!" Spike was glad that he finally got a hit in. "Now use Hyper Beam! Full power!"
"Sala..." Salamence formed a ball of orange energy in his mouth, charging it up at full power.
"Here comes Hyper Beam! Use Flash Cannon one more time!"
"Aggron!" Aggron yet again used Flash Cannon to counteract the incoming beam of hyper energy. Both Pokemon, at the same time, released their attacks as two beams travelled forward.
The beams ended up colliding but they didn't enter a struggle nor did one of them overpower the other. Instead, they just cancelled each other out.
The water of the lake rippled aggressively as some of the trees were starting to topple over from this very impactful and heavy battle.
"Sala...Salamence...!" Salamence needed to take a breather after using Hyper Beam. It was looking a bit rough for him. None of his attacks were great against Aggron, unfortunately.
"Salamence's worn out..." Spike thought to himself. "If I can just hold out for a bit longer..."
"Metal Claw."
"Ggron!" Aggron charged through the smoke as his claws were lit up with silver energy.
"Sala?!" Salamence gasped as he knew he had to take the hit because of Hyper Beam tiring him out and needing to recharge himself.
"Aggron!" Aggron smashed its claws onto the Dragon Pokemon's head once, causing a shockwave to form as the trees around the lake were starting to crumble.
"Mence!" Salamence felt Metal Claw hit his head but it didn't stop there. Aggron let out one final Metal Claw by uppercutting Salamence, sending the Dragon Pokemon flying back as the ground beneath them shattered. "S-Salamence!"
"Oh, no! Salamence!" Spike gasped as he witnessed his partner fall back, tumbling on the ground. That one single Metal Claw was just powerful enough to seal the deal as Salamence couldn't continue battling any further.
"Salamence..."
"And that's that. Thanks, Aggron. Return." Paul returned his Aggron.
"How short..." Rarity sighed. "I suppose going up against a rival of Ash will lead to such an outcome."
"Sorry, Salamence. We didn't really have anything to really damage them." Spike went up to his partner.
"Sala..."Salamence got up with his tail twitching.
"You did good, kid." Paul walked over to Spike. "Even though you didn't have any moves to handle my Aggron, I could tell you were still trying your best."
"Thanks. Guess I'm lacking in the moves department huh."
"Don't let it get to you. There's still a ton of room for your Salamence to grow, anyway."
"Guess so. I'll have Salamence learn new moves that'll deal with any Pokemon."
"Salamence."
"I'd better head back to the Battle Plaza. Thanks for the battle, Spike." Paul turned around as he was taking his leave. "Say hi to Ash for me. You as well, Rarity."
"We'll certainly tell him about our encounter with you." Rarity stood up. "Perhaps we'll have another chance to meet up again. Possibly somewhere else during this festival."
"Maybe. See ya." Paul waved goodbye to the ponies as he was off.
"He's so cool...!" Sweetie Belle gushed. "I can see why he's Ash's rival."
"Mhm." Coco nodded. "So. Do you want to keep practising? If that's okay with you."
"Sure! Let's practice till the moon rises!" Sweetie Belle bellowed.
"I don't know about that, darling." Rarity patted her little sister on the head as they all let out small laughs. Currently, only 45 minutes have actually passed.
Rarity's assumption about someone making this day slow on purpose might not be an exaggeration. But eventually, the fourth day will come to an end and there might be a chance that the upcoming days might be fast or just as slow as this one as the journey continues.
Chapter 320 End.