//------------------------------// // Love, Pokémon Style // Story: Pokémon: Equestrian Champions // by Banshee531 //------------------------------// "Dragon Rage!" Flash yelled as Astro unleashed a blast of blue fire, hitting its opponent across the field. "Hip!" The Hypno cried, staggering back from the blow. Astro smirked as he heard his friends yelling out cries of encouragement off at the side. Continuing their journey to the Crystal Empire, the group had left Splash-Splash-Splash Town and are now back on the road. They had been travelling for two days and were now in a forest, where they had run into a trainer they challenged Flash to a battle. "Get up Hypno!" the trainer yelled as the Hypnosis Pokémon picked itself up. "Now, use Brick Break!" Hypno charged at this, using its empty hand to karate chop Astro. "Dodge it!" Flash ordered, the Starvern leaping to the side, "Now, Shadow Ball!" "Star!" Astro fired the orb of dark energy, hitting the Hypno in the face. It cried out as it staggered back, about to fall over now. At the same time, on the main road that ran through the forest, a limo was rolling along. Riding inside was a rather short man with red skin whose body was almost completely round, wearing fancy robes and a Georgian wig on his head. The man was polishing a Luxury-Ball when suddenly, a shockwave flew out from the trees and hit the limo. "WHOA!" He yelped as the car swerved, dropping the Luxury-Ball. He quickly recovered and looked out the window, seeing smoke coming up from behind the trees. "Driver, stop!" The limo screeched to a halt, the man leaping out and moving rather quickly for a man his size. He zipped through the trees, stopping at the field the battle was happening a few seconds later. "Headbutt!" Hypno charged, Astro leaping straight up before landing on the Psychic-type's head, everyone watching knowing what was about to happen. "Use Bite!" Astro bit down on the Hypno, making it cry out as it tried to remove the Starvern. But as this happened, Astro just bit down harder, Hypno screaming at this. "Hip!" It cried before falling over, spirals appearing in its eyes as Astro hopped down, Doc now making the call. "Hypno is unable to battle. Astro is the winner!" Flash cheered at this as Astro ran up to him, hopping into his arms. As he did this, the other trainer returned Hypno. He and Flash then shook hands before the trainer left to get his Pokémon healed. "Way to go Flash," Twilight commented. "Thanks," Flash replied, "But it was Astro who did all the work." He put Astro down and patting his head, "Great work!" "Star!" Astro cheered before leaping up and biting Flash on the head, the teen crying out while the others laughed, now that it was Astro's way of showing affection. "Marvelous!" The group froze at the sound of the new voice, turning to see the round man, "Truly a marvelous battle." "Err...thanks," Flash replied as he pulled Astro off his head. "Not to be rude, but who are you?" "Yes, yes, introductions. I am the benevolent Baron Von Babbelon. Owner of the Babbelon Estate that's not to far from here. Might I ask your names?" "Flash," the teen responded before gesturing to his Pokémon. "And these as Springer and Astro." "Ri/Star!" "I'm Twilight. And this is my little brother." "Spike. And this is Peewee." "Terra!" "You can call me Doc." "And I'm Professor Cadance." "Charmed to meet you all," the Baron added before returning his focus on Flash. "You appear to be quite the skilled trainer, my boy." "I uh...I do okay," Flash replied, scratching the back of his head. "Might I ask, are you on a journey to enter the Equestria League?" "Yup. And I'm actually one badge away from it." "You are a strong trainer. And can you tell me...how old are you?" "Err..." Flash closed his eyes to think for a second. "I'll be seventeen in about two weeks." The group went wide-eyed at this, all not knowing his birthday was coming up. "Seventeen? That's brilliant! You're just the trainer I was looking for." "For what?" Spike asked, the baron turning to him. "A special tournament that I'm holding on my estate for powerful young trainers. And your friend would be the perfect entry." He crossed his arms at this, letting out a grumble, "Although, this will make the number an uneven fifteen. I'll need to find someone to make it sixteen." He turned to Doc, "Are you interested in entering? And are you any good?" "I'm a Gym Leader," Doc replied, "I'd say that counts as good." "What about Twilight?" Cadance pointed to her sister, "Maybe she could enter." "I'm afraid not," the baron replied, shaking his head, "This tournament is for male trainers only." This made the group exchange glances, only for Flash to shrug, "Well, I'm always down for a tournament. Where do I sign up?" "Just follow me. I'll give us all a lift back to my estate." He headed back to the trees, the others following. Moments later, they were all riding in a limo down the road, which thankfully was going in the direction they were heading. They spent twenty minutes enjoy tea and crumpets until they turned off the main road and reached a large gate that was connected to a twenty foot high wall that went off in both directions, soon passing through it, only to find they were still in a wooded area. "Hey mister," Spike spoke up. "How much further is this place?" "Oh, we've almost reached the end of the driveway." "Huh." Twilight put her tea down, "Seems like we passed by the main gate about half an hour ago." As she said this, Flash looked out the window. "WOW!" He gasped, getting their attention. They looked out the window, all being greeted by the sight of a giant building at the end of the driveway. "Look at that!" "It's huge!" Spike yelped as Doc nodded in agreement. "I've seen shopping malls that were smaller than this place." Cadance added, the woman turning away to see a garden that surrounded it. There she saw a yellow skinned teen with green hair, wearing glasses and overalls along with a hat. He glanced over at the car as it passed, his eyes following it. As the car got closer to the mansion, they saw a bunch male trainers standing in front of the building. The limo came to a stop before the baron stepped out first, Flash and the others following as he tunred to them. "Please, wait with the other competitors while I head inside for a moment." They nodded and joined the group as Babbelon moved through the crowd and walked up the steps until he reached the front door, a butler bowing as he opened the door. When Babbelon was gone, the other trainers turned to them, "So the old man found another trainer to add to my competition," one of them grumbled. "You don't even look old enough for the prize," another pointed to Spike. "I'm not competing!" Spike told him, "He is!" He pointed to Flash, the others now giving him death glares. "Whatever," another trainer growled, "Just stay out my way. That prize is mine! She and I belong together!" "She?" Cadance asked with a raised eyebrow. "No way you're winning!" another trainer yelled, "This tournament is mine! Living in a big mansion like this is the kinda life I deserve." The group looked at each other at this, Flash about to ask what they were talking about before the doors opened and the baron walked out. With him was a taller woman of around eighteen years old. She had pale skin and beautiful red hair while wearing a long dress and gloves that went up to her elbows. "Gentlemen," the baron announced, "My I present my beautiful daughter, Lady Purity Babbelon." The woman grabbed her dress and did a small bow, "A pleasure to meet you all." The men all called out, trying to get her attention until the baron raised his hand. "If you all wish to all know my daughter better, then you'd better win my tournament. The rules are simple. You will all select one Pokémon and do battle. Whoever is the last trainer standing will earn the prize." Flash then raised his hand, "You still haven't told me what the prize for winning this is." The baron laughed while the other trainers went wide-eyed at this, "Why, what else? The winner of this tournament will win the hand of my daughter." "WHAT?!" Twilight almost screamed while Doc and Cadance's eyes shrank at this. Flash and Spike just blinked at this, Spike asking, "Why would he want some other person's hand? It's not like she can just take it off." "She's talking about her hand in marriage," Cadance replied, "As in, Flash will need to marry his daughter if he wins." "Oh..." the boys both said in unison, nodding at the same time. That is, till a bunch of cobwebs inside the gears in Flash's brain were ripped apart as the cogs began to move, "Wait..." Flash slowly said before yelling, "WHAT?! Marriage?!" The baron laughed at this, "Along with becoming her husband, you will also become my heir to the Babbelon estate. Quite the accomplishment, wouldn't you agre?" "I think there's been a misunderstanding," Flash instantly responded, "I'm really not looking for a wife." "Nonsense!" the baron chuckled, "You'll make an excellent husband if you win! The same goes for all of you. And you won't have to give up your dream of entering the Equestria League. In fact, I encourage it!" He then waved at the whole group, "If you all wish to leave, go ahead. But for those hoping to enter and win, be in the back garden's battlefield in half-an-hour." With that, the baron and his daughter turned to enter the mansion once again. But before she disappeared inside, Purity glanced over at the treeline. Cadance saw this and followed her gaze, seeing the man she had seen earlier standing beside a tree. After a few seconds, Purity went inside, the man now returning his focus to the trees. "So...." Flash slowly commented, "This didn't work out. Should we get going? We'll probably be able to make it back to the front gate by tomorrow night." The others nodded, all turning away as the other trainers smirked as they watched them go. Twilight shook her head at this, sighing, "I mean, honestly. Whoever heard of using a tournament to decide who your daughter marries?!" "Actually," Cadance turned to her, "That style of marriage isn't uncommon. Though it hasn't been a well known thing for over three centuries." "Exactly," Twilight deadpanned, "This is the modern day. What kind of idiot decides his daughter's fate with a tournament? What does beating someone in a battle have to do with proving they'd make her happy?!" "He doesn't care about any of that." The four turned to the voice, Cadance seeing it was the man she had spotted earlier. He was pushing a wheelbarrow full of branches, coming to a stop by them, "All he wants is someone who's a great trainer and battler." "Why?" Spike asked. "The baron's always been obsessed with battling, and even tried to enter the Equestria League when he was younger. But he couldn't even earn one badge. It made him obsessed with finding a way to immortalize himself. That's where Purity came in." "I think I get where this is going," Doc chimed in, "He tried to make her into a powerful trainer, right?" The man nodded. "Ever since she could pick up a Pokeball, he's tried to make her into a battling master. But Purity just never had the skill." He let out a hum at this, "Though actually...she does have the skill. But she hates battling. She hates seeing Pokémon get hurt." "You seem to know a lot about this family for a gardener?" Twilight replied with a eyebrow. "That's because I grew up here," he responded, "My name is Tender Care and my father was the groundskeeper before me." Hearing this made everything fall into place for Cadance, a smile appearing on her lips. "So that's it! You and Purity grew up together." She crossed her arms, "That explains the look you gave her." Tender went wide-eyed at this, making Cadance giggle as she continued, "Let me guess. You used to play together and over time, you grew to love her. Oh, the number of times I've heard that old story. Always lovely to hear." "I-I-I don't know what you're talking about!" Tender yelped, glancing away as his face began to turn red. "Don't give me that. You like Purity, don't you?" Tender said nothing, making Cadance lean in with a huge smirk, "So sweet. I always love seeing two people in love." Tender looked away at this, "Even if that's true, it doesn't matter. Purity's gonna end up marrying one of those trainers in the tournament. All so her father can have a son-in-law or a grandchild that can be a champion Pokémon Trainer..." "Doesn't Purity have a say in any of this?" Twilight asked, "It's her future her father's deciding. Shouldn't she get a say in it?" Tender sighed and shook his head. "Purity's always been like that. She's to...meek to go against her father." He stared down at the wheelbarrow as he began to walk away, "Now I'll have to spend the rest of my life watching her with another man, having his children while all I can do is watch and make sure the kids have a beautiful garden to play in." "You could just admit that you like her," Spike chimed in. Tender let out a low chuckle, "All that would do is get me fired. The baron would never let me be in a relationship with his daughter. He wants a powerful trainer to be his son-in-law." Everyone shared a glance at this, frowning before Flash spoke up, "What if you prove it to him?" They all turned to the teen. "The baron said he was gonna try and get someone to make it an even sixteen. You could be that sixteenth trainer. And if you win, you'll get the chance to be with Purity. The baron's not gonna say no to you if you win against all the trainers he scouted." "But...I don't know the first thing about battling," Tender replied. "Do you have any Pokémon?" Twilight asked. "I have one, but it was my father's. I've never used it in a battle before." "It's better than not trying at all," Spike told him. Doc nodded at this, "Even if you lose, at least you'll be able to say you tried. And that might get Purity's attention." Tender flinched at this, Cadance now crossing her arms at this as she walked up between Tender and the others, "I say you should just tell Purity how you feel and let her decide for herself. She isn't a prize to be won, you know." "But even if I did that, the baron would never let me near her again." "And you shouldn't let that stop you." Twilight added, pointing at him now. "You love her, so go compete and get her!" "I...I..." Tender glanced away at this, "I mean....I know you're right, but..." He rubbed his arm as he let out a sigh, "Would the baron even let me join the contest?" "Oh, don't worry about that." Flash chimed in, "I have a plan." The others turned to him, most gulping as they saw the smile on his face. A few minutes later... The tournament was about to begin. In the back garden of the mansion, a battlefield was laid out with the baron and his daughter watching from a platform to the side of the field that connected to a staircase leading up to the house and two other staircases leading to either side of the battlefield. On that battlefield, the trainers all gathered. Only Flash was missing from the group. "I see Mr. Sentry chose to refuse my invitation," the baron sighed, "Oh well. At least it keeps things simpler. Let's-" "Wait!" They all turned to see Flash, Springer and Astro running around the side of the house. "Sorry I'm late. But I'd like to take part in the contest." The baron let out a boisterous laugh, "Of course you would! Who wouldn't want to compete for such an amazing prize?" Flash held up a hand. "Before we start, there's someone else here that would like to compete. He's a friend of mine I managed to contact in time." Everyone blinked at this before Flash pointed behind himself. "Introducing the amazing masked trainer!" Everyone now saw a man in overalls, wearing a zorro mask and black cape. The sight made Purity silently gasp, Tender blushing behind the mask. "The masked trainer?" The baron raised an eyebrow, Tender expecting to get laughed at any second. But then, "It's nice to meet you." Tender anime fell, quickly recovering as the baron turned to Flash, "My I ask why you summoned him?" "Well, I remembered you wanted strong trainers, and old masky here's the strongest I know." He moved over and put an arm on Tender's shoulder. "We've battled tons of times and I've only managed to beat him in about a third of our matches." Tender did a quick nod, the baron chuckling, "Excellent. If Mr. Sentry think's you're strong, I'm sure you are." He then tilted his head, "But do you have to wear that mask?" Twilight walked up at this, "He'd prefer to keep his identity a secret unless he manages to win the contest. That way, if he loses, he doesn't have to show anyone who he is." The baron stared at Tender at this, only to shrug, "Very well." They all inwardly sighed in relief as the baron turned to his butler, "Add their names to the hat." The butler nodded and took out two pieces of paper, writing on them before dropping them in a hat another servant was holding. "Alright. We'll start by selecting who will be facing off against who. Each match will be randomly selected, so you don't have time to prepare." The servant held the hat up to Purity, "My daughter will be the one to select the trainers competing." Purity nodded and reached into the hat, taking out to slips of paper. She called out the names, two trainers stepping up while the others moved over to a seating area. The two sent out their Pokémon, one having a Volemming and the other having a Cauldrula. And after the Cauldrula trainer won, Purity took out two more slips of paper, a second battle happening before going to the third as she commented, "Shady Ghoul," Purity read as a goth-looking guy stood up. She then reached into the hat and pulled out another name, "And the masked trainer." Tender's eyes shrank at this, only to feel Doc place a hand on his shoulder. "You can do this. Just do you best." Tender nodded and got up, the others watching him head over to the battlefield with Shady. "What do you guys think?" "This could go either way," Twilight whispered. "It kinda depends on what Pokémon they use," Flash added, only to frown, "Wait...did he actually tell us what Pokémon he has?" They all shook their heads. "We didn't think this through, did we?" "You didn't." Cadance deadpanned, making Flash grumble at her. "Trainers," the baron called out, "Bring out your Pokémon." "Ghouwail!" Shady through his Pokeball, "Go!" The ball flew through the air, a gray ghostly Pokémon with black hair that wore a black cloak soon appearing. "Wail," it said as it floated in place. "A Ghost-type," Cadance whispered, "That could be tricky." "Here's hoping he's not using a Normal or Fighting-type," Spike added as they turned to Tender. The masked man stared at the Pokeball in his hand and took a deep breath, then glanced over at Purity. "For her," he whispered before pulling the ball back. "Venomega!" He threw it, "I choose you!" The ball shot through the air before opening up, revealing the Pokémon inside. It was a giant lizard that was over twelve feet in height. It looked like a giant version of a Frillace, only now its body was partly black. Its head, chest, arms, legs, back and the top part of its tail were black while its neck, stomach and the bottom part of its tail were purple. The area around its mouth was also purple along with its frills, all of them huge and had three of them. The two were on the sides of its head along with one on the back. Because of this, when it opened them, it looked like a complete circle with a slice cut out on the bottom. The frills had an outline that was black and the bottom edges of the side frills had a black extension sticking out that made the black outline take on the shape of the omega symbol. The back of its arms each had a jagged blade on them, which pointed down its arm. Finally, on the tip of its tail was a black claw-like appendage that was almost shaped like the omega symbol and had a pair of injector needles on the ends. The Pokémon looked around before letting out a hiss and extending its tongue, which was incredibly long. Tender's new friends all gasped at the sight, Twilight whispering, "No way...he has that thing?" In response, Flash took out his Pokedex. Name: Venomega Category: Venom Pokémon Type: Poison/Dark Info: The evolved form of Frillace. Its entire body can secrete toxins, which it uses for both offence and defense. Its tongue can stretch over fifteen feet in length. "I thought he said he never battled before?" Spike asked in a quiet tone. "He said it originally belonged to his father," Doc added, "Perhaps he was a trainer." "Are both trainers ready?" Baron asked, the two nodding. "Then battle begin!" "Shadow Punch!" Shady yelled, Ghouwail charging with a glowing fist. "Um..." Tender stuttered out, Venomega glancing back at him, "Maybe..." Before he could say anything, Ghouwail threw its fist, the energy flying off to form a fist as it hit Venomega. The Pokémon growled at this, Tender now remembering one of its moves. "Night Daze!" Venomega recovered as its arms became surrounded by a crimson aura. "Ven!" It raised its arms before slamming them into the ground, "OMEGA!" The aura exploded off him and formed a dome around its body, which quickly expanded and struck Ghouwail. "Brilliant!" the baron clapped, "He knew Shadow Punch couldn't be dodged, so he let it hit so he could fire Night Daze off at close range! Good show!" Tender nodded as the opponent gave his next command. "Charge Beam!" The Ghouwail's body began to spark with energy, making Tender gasp as he remembered another move. "Err...dodge it, then use Poison Jab!" Ghouwail unleashed the lightning blast, but Venomega side-stepped as it swung its tail around. The claws on the end of it latched onto the Ghost-type and dug in hard as they glowed purple, making Ghouwail cry out in pain. "Ghostly Wail!" Ghouwail opened its mouth to summon a mighty scream, making everyone cover their ears. Venomega was also hit, but being Dark-type wasn't effected too badly. "Ahh!" Tender yelped, "This hurts a real bunch!" Venomega miss-heard this, now thinking he heard Crunch. "Ven!" It pulled the Ghouwail closer and released it from its tail, only to open its mouth and bite down on the Ghost-type. "WAIL!" It cried, stopping the Ghostly Wail. After biting into it a few more seconds, Venomega threw it out of its mouth. "Come on!" Shady yelled as Ghouwail fell to the floor while Tender rubbed his ears. "Use Hex!" Ghouwail picked itself up and its eyes began to glow. But in that moment, Tender remembered Venomega's final attack. "Cross Poison!" Venomega charged as Ghouwail formed an orb of dark blue energy, its arm blades glowing now purple. Ghouwail fired the Hex, but Venomega spun around to deflect it with its tail, then crossed its arms as it spun back to face it. "Ven!" It swung its arms, slashing at Ghouwail in an X formation. The blow knocked it flying, eyes now turning to spirals as it hit the dirt. "Ghouwail is unable to battle!" the baron announced. "Venomega and the masked trainer are the winners!" His friends cheered as Tender just stared at Venomega, "I...I actually did it." He looked up at the Pokémon, both now smiling at each other, "Thanks. I knew dad trained you well, but I didn't know it was this well." Venomega gave him a thumbs up, but Tender returned him, then looked over at Purity. She smiled back at him, making Tender smile back. But as soon as he turned away, Purity's face went to a frown, Cadance now staring up at her. Her eyes watched Purity now go up and say something to her father before walking away as the trainer Tender defeated returned his Ghouwail and began to make his way around the house. Cadance followed Purity, now seeing the woman change directions and follow the trainer around the side of the building before a minute later, she returned. After Tender's match, there were two more battles before Flash got called up. Despite not wanting to win the contest, Flash refused to simply give up and make a fool of himself. As such, he and Astro had every intention of winning this match. Their opponent was a trainer with an Eelektross, who they managed to beat after a few minutes. "Phew," Flash rubbed his head. "I might not wanna win, but this is some good training for Astro." The battles continued, with Flash and Tender both doing surprisingly well. They both moved onto the second round, and found their opponents were Pokémon they had little trouble defeating. "Dragon Rage!" Flash yelled as Astro shot the blue fire at his opponent's Nidorino. The Poison Pin Pokémon cried out as it was knocked back, soon falling over with spirals in its eyes. "Nidorino is unable to battle!" the baron exclaimed, "Starvern wins!" "Psybeam!" Tender's opponent ordered as his Starmie fired a blast of psychic energy from its gem, completely forgetting Venomega was part Dark-type. The poisonous lizard opened its thrills and used them to block the attack as Tender gave his final command. "Night Daze!" He commanded, Venomega creating the dome around it and unleashing a blast into the starfish. The blow made it go flying back, but managed to catch itself mid-air with its psychic abilities. "Rapid Spin!" Starmie began to gyrate and fly toward Venomega like a shuriken. "Block it, then use Poison Jab!" All of Tender's previous nerves appeared to have vanished as Venomega crossed its arms and blocked Starmie before reaching out with its tail and grabbing the starfish. It then thrust the Mysterious Pokémon into the ground, stabbing it with its tail claws, making it cry in pain. Its normally glowing gem started flashing before going completely dead, signalling its defeat. "Starmie is unable to battle," the baron announced. "Venomega is the winner!" The trainer returned Starmie and walked off, Cadance keeping an eye on Purity. She quickly pulled out two more names before excusing herself again, Cadance seeing a repeat of her appearing to head toward the house but then changing direction and chasing after the defeated opponent before returning a minute or so later. As this happened, the final battle of the second round began as Flash and Tender talked on the sidelines. They agreed that if the two faced off in the next or final round, Flash and Astro would pretend to try and beat them, but Flash would then give Astro a signal to take a dive. However, the pair did not face off in the semi-final round. Tender was paired up against an opponent that used an Exploud. "Hyper Voice!" The Loud Noise Pokémon roared, firing a powerful soundwave that struck Venomega, knocking it back "Oh no," Tender yelped, his eyes shaking as he watched Venomega stagger. That is, till his eyes shifted to Purity, "Purity..." he glanced back at Venomega, "Right...I...I can't lose." He did a big gulp before whispering, "I have to win for her." Exploud charged next, ready to use a Fire Punch. "Dodge it, then use Poison Jab!" Venomega managed to side-step the Fire Punch and jumped around the Exploud, raising its tail and stabbing it into the creature. "EX!" It screamed in pain, staggering back. But before it or its trainer could counter, purple lightning sparked around the beast, making it cry out, "P-LOUD!" "Ouch!" the baron chuckled, "Now it's been poisoned. The trainer has a time limit." He turned to Purity, "Isn't this exciting?" "Yes father," she nodded with a smile that anyone other than the baron could see was forced. "Use Crunch!" Exploud's trainer yelled, Exploud now trying to bite Venomega. The Venom Pokémon quickly backpedaled, evading the bites with ease. "You use Crunch!" Tender countered, Venomega running behind Exploud and biting into its tail. Exploud roared in pain while Venomega threw it around, sending the large hulk flying. Exploud crashed at this, seconds before the poison kicked in. "Come on!" Exploud's trainer exclaimed, "Get up and use Screech!" Exploud closed its mouth and suddenly unleashed a loud noise out of the holes in its head, the high-pitched noise making everyone covering their ears. This included Venomega, who covered its ears as Exploud charged at him, "Fire Punch!" "Venomega!" Tender yelled, but the poison lizard didn't hear him. "EX!" It threw an ignited punch at Venomega's stomach, making it stagger back. "Again!" The trainer screamed. "Night Daze!" Tender countered, hoping this would work. Venomega slammed its fist into the ground, forming the dome that acted as a shield as Exploud threw its burning punch. The attacks collided, Exploud being knocked back by the shock before getting zapped by the poison. "Now, Cross Poison!" Venomega then took this opportunity to get in close and cross its arms, now swinging them around to slash at Exploud. "EXPLOUD!" It roared in pain, staggering back. Cadance could tell that had been a critical hit, causing the Loud Noise Pokémon to stumble before falling over with spirals in her eyes. "Exploud is unable to battle!" the baron announced. "The winner is Venomega! The masked trainer will be heading to the finals." Tender smiled at this, giving out a long sigh before glancing over to nod at Flash. Cadance focused on Purity as she watched the trainer return Exploud and walk off, turning to her father and saying something to him. He looked at her, almost worried as he spoke. Cadance tried to read his lips, but could only guess he was asking if she felt alright. Purity nodded and walked off, Cadance watching her head toward the house before standing up, "Bathroom," she announced before turning to Flash. "Good luck." Flash saluted as she walked off, keeping her eyes on Purity. The young woman once again turned to rush around the side of the house, Cadance following after her. Walking around the side of the building, Cadance saw Purity standing several feet away. There, she was talking to the trainer Tender had just defeated. She handed the man a Pecha and Sitrus Berry, the man taking the berries and gave her a curtsy thank you before heading off, Purity sighing as he vanished into the trees and heading for the main road. "That's a very nice thing you did," Purity turned to see Cadance walking up, "Does your father know you're giving his produce away?" Purity shook her head. "No...I suggested it, but he said that giving losers something like that will only keep them weak." She sighed, "So much violence in the world..." "Pokémon Battles aren't for everyone," Cadance added, "But your father enjoys them, so I guess that's what matters." She hoped Purity wouldn't say anything, only for her to reply, "Yes. That is all that matters." Cadance let out a sigh, "I noticed you only disappear after the masked trainer's battles. Are his opponents the only ones that matter?" Purity grimaced at this, trying to look away, "I...I don't know. It just...doesn't feel right to have Tender battling." "So you know it's Tender?" "You'd have to be an idiot to not know its him." They both chuckled at this. "Why is he doing this? He's never been a fighter. His skills have always been about creation, not destruction." She looked out at the vast estate, filled with plants and trees that Tender had made and nurtured. "You know why he's doing this." Purity slowly turned to her, "What other reason would he enter this tournament...but for you." Purity looked down at this, making her bit her lips as Cadance continued, "You know about his feelings, don't you?" Purity did a small nod. "Yes. I realized he loved me years ago. It wasn't too hard to figure out." "And you?" Cadance asked, "What are your feeling towards him." The lady kept looking away, her face now slowly turning red. Cadance's eyes narrowed at this, "If that's the case, why let your father find you a husband when you clearly know who you want to be with?" "Because...Tender never tried to show me he loved me," Purity replied in a slow mutter, "I've...I've been waiting for the time when he could confess to me, but he never did." This made Cadance let out a sigh, shaking her head, "Who said it has to be the men who do all the confessing?" She crossed her arms, "I'm the one who asked my husband out. Besides, Tender doesn't think he has a chance with you." Purity turned to her. "Since you don't seem able to say no to your father, he believes confessing would be pointless unless he could get your father to acknowledge him as a worthy man. That's why he's entered this contest." Purity remained silent at this, still showing a blush...but also showed a long frown. "Skorupi is unable to battle!" The two heard the baron announce, making them walk around the corner and see Astro standing over the downed Scorpion Pokémon. "With that, Flash Sentry moves onto the final battle against the masked trainer!" Cadance turned to Purity. "Well, now that it's only him and Flash, I guess your relationship is assured since Flash'll be taking a dive. Tender will be victorious and your father will happily let you two marry one another." She then pointed at Purity. "But ask yourself this: Do you really want your relationship to be built on a lie? And do you really want your future to be something forced upon you instead of something you pick?" Purity backpedaled at this, squirming at this. Her mouth didn't move as Cadance sighed again before turning away, "I know standing up to your parents is hard...but it's your life, and you should have a say in it." With that, she walked back to the battleground, Purity now staring at the woman before glancing at Tender. It wasn't long till the final battle started. Flash and Tender stood on either side of the battlefield, Flash kneeling down to talk to Astro. "Okay bud. This is as far as we go. We don't wanna win this match, but we gotta make it look like we tried so Tender looks good for beating us. Think you can do that?" "Star," Astro nodded before walking onto the battlefield and glaring at the opponent. Meanwhile, Tender was staring at his Pokeball before glancing at the baron. Purity chose this moment to return, now seeing the frown on her face, no long even able to force a smile at what was happening. He knew she didn't like any of this, but could only look away and sigh, "Venomega!" He threw the ball, "Let's do this!" The ball opened up, revealing the Venom Pokémon. "OMEGA!" It roared, making the ground shake as it prepared for battle. "Ooh!" the baron rubbed his hands together, "I can just tell this is gonna be a good one. Are both trainers ready?" Flash and Tender nodded. "Well then, battle...BEGIN!" "Dragon Rage!" Flash called out first, causing Astro to open his mouth and unleash a blast of blue fire. "Block it, then use Night Daze!" Venomega crossed its arms as the flames struck it, grunting as the aura began to form around its arms. "Ven!" It swung its arms, making the Dragon Rage explode off it before slamming its fists into the ground, "OMEGA!" The dome formed and exploded outward, hitting Astro. "Star!" He cried as he fell back, Venomega now retracting its arms before charging. "Cross Poison!" "Dodge it!" Flash yelled, Astro jumping back to his feet as Venomega crossed its arms. With a roar, he leapt to the side as Venomega unleashed the X-shaped poison blast, dodging it before hopping back again, evading another Cross Poison. "Shadow Ball!" "Star!" Astor fired the energy orb, but Venomega simple swung its arms and slashed the ball away with its arm blade. "Vern?" "Ha! That's the way!" Tender laughed before pointing at him, "Slash him, and then use Poison Jab!" Venomega swung its arm around, trying to slice at Astro, but the Starvern leapt back with ease. This was what Tender wanted though, as Venomega's tail shot around and grabbed him in its claw. "Star!" He yelped as he was lifted into the air, the claws then glowing as they stabbed into him. "STARVERN!" "Astro!" Flash yelled while Purity flinched away from looking. "Dragon Rage!" Astro fought through the pain and pointed his mouth at Venomega's tail before unleashing a burst of blue fire, hitting the tail. "VEN!" It cried, dropping Astro in pain. "Now, use Bite!" Astro bit down hard on the area that his Dragon Rage has struck, making Venomega scream. "Omega!" The Venom Pokémon roared as it swung its tail around, eventually throwing Astro off and straight up into the air. "Cross Poison!" As Astro began to fall, Venomega crossed its arms, firing a X-shaped venom blast. "STAR!" He yelped as the attack landed and exploded, causing Astro to fly across the battlefield, soon hitting the ground before skidding across the dirt. "YES!" Tender cheered, unable to believe he was actually winning. 'Maybe after Purity and I get married, I should try and enter the Equestria League. I'm clearly a natural.' "Oh boy," Cadance whispered with a grimace, "I know that look. It's going to his head." The others nodded as Twilight spoke up, "Astro might be strong, but he's still a long way off from being Flash's strongest Pokémon. If he used Springer, Riptide or any of his other Pokémon, this battle wouldn't be so easy." Tender watched as Astro began to pick himself up, now pointing at the dragon, "Night Daze!" Venomega's arms became surrounded by the aura again, the lizard raising them up before slamming them into the ground. Astro watched and energy dome formed as he stood tall. "Dragon Rage!" Astro took a deep breath and as soon as the dome exploded, he fired the blue flames right at the energy. They soon collided, pushing against each other as the Night Daze slowly pushed back against the Dragon Rage. But before it could reach Astro, the attack dissipated. "Grr..." Tender growled, "Use Poison Jab!" Venomega tried to raise its tail, but then flinched as it fell to the ground. "Come on Venomega! Poison Jab!" Venomega tried again, but it's tail just wouldn't move. "It's no good!" Flash chimed in, "We made sure to put its tail out of commission with that earlier Dragon Rage and Bite combo!" He pointed at Venomega, "Shadow Ball!" Astro fired the orb at Venomega, hitting the lizard right in the face. "Again!" Astro shot another ball, hitting the now staggering Poison-Type. "One more time!" As Astro charged another, Tender countered. "Cross Poison!" Venomega slashed the air and fired the X as Astro fired the Shadow Ball. The two attacks collided, exploding between the two with Venomega running into the now forming dust cloud. "Now, use Poison Jab and actually do it this time!" Purity's heart clenched at hearing him yell at his Pokémon, fully flinching and looking away. "Astro," Flash told his Starvern, "Be-" He couldn't finish as a flash of two eyes filled the smoke cloud, which faded to reveal Venomega standing right in front of Astro. "Dodge it!" Astro tried to run, but Venomega fought the pain in its tail and lifted it up before grabbing Astro. "STAR!" He cried as he was lifted, then stabbed by the poison claws. "Starvern!" "Astro!" Flash yelled. "Slam it into the ground!" Venomega did just that, throwing its tail around before letting Astro go. He crashed into the dirt, the sight making both Flash flinch. Venomega then leapt back as Astro laid out on the ground, the group waiting to see if that was it. Flash had decided it was when Astro opened his eyes and tried to stand up, Flash would gave the signal. As Astro pushed himself to his feet, he heard a gentle noise and saw Flash was tapping his foot. That was the signal to tell him to take a dive, which Astro understood. "Star!" He pretended to feel immense pain before falling over, making it look like he was down for the count. "Astro!" Flash yelled, "Are you alright?! Get up!" Flash's friends stood up at this, Twilight choosing to play along. "I think that's it," she told him. "Astro can't go on." The baron stared at the Starvern, only for his eyes to narrow, "Starvern can still battle." Everyone went wide-eyed at this, "It's still conscious, so it can still battle. Continue the match." "Father-" Purity tried to say, but he raised his hand at her. "Showing mercy to an opponent will only lead to one's own defeat. I will not have a son-in-law that stumbles at the final hurdle." He turned to Tender, "Finish it or forfeit the match." Tender stared up at the baron, only to glance back at Astro. The Starvern remained down, despite its possible impending attack. He then looked up at Flash, seeing him grimace at him. And finally, he turned to Purity, but his gaze was caught by the baron. The look that the man was giving him told him that he wasn't kidding. He had to attack, or lose his chance with the woman he loved. "Venomega!" The lizard turned to him, "Attack!" Venomega blinked at him at this, but Tender's gaze made it look back at Astro. The pair locked eyes, Venomega hissing an apology before charging. "ASTRO!" Twilight and the others screamed. "Stop!" Flash hollered, fumbling for his Pokeball to return Astro. But he wouldn't make it as Venomega got closer to Astro and raised its arm blade. Astro could only brace himself for the inevitable, while Tender just stared at the situation as time seemed to slow down. He looked up at the people that had tried to help him, fear on their faces now. No doubt they would hate him for this, but his mind told him he had to do it. But then, his gaze shifted over to Purity, now seeing tears forming in her eyes. They locked gazes at this, the girl now turning away. And the sight made his mind come to a stop. 'Wait. This isn't right. I'm trying to save Purity from being forced into a marriage with someone she can't stand. But if I do this, I'll be no different from those people.' "What am I doing?" He asked himself as Venomega began to thrust its blade down, "STOP!" Venomega managed to pull itself to a stop just before it could stab the dragon. The Starvern continued to flinch for a second or two, then cracked his eye open and saw the blade inches from his face. "Star..." he sighed in relief as he almost fainted. Everyone turned to Tender as he fell to his knees, reaching up and ripping the mask off his face. "Tender?!" The baron yelped, "You were the masked trainer?!" The gardener did a slow nod. "You...you tricked me!" Those watching rolled their eyes, thinking it was his own fault for not seeing through such an obvious disguise. That is, till the baron growled, "And what's worse, you did it for no reason. You could have won, but instead you threw your victory away." "I know...but I couldn't do it." He looked up at him, "I won't change who I am just to prove myself to you. Your obsession with having a super-strong son-in-law almost turned me into something I'm not!" He turned to Venomega as it moved over to him, the gardener reaching up and patting him on the snout. "I'm sorry I pushed you. I hope I didn't do any permanent damage to your tail." "Ven," Venomega replied before licking his face to show its affection. Tender laughed before turning to the others, seeing Flash pick up Astro. "I'm sorry I went so far." "Don't worry about it," Flash chuckled, "No harm done." Astro let out a roar of agreement while the others nodded. "But it's too bad you had to forfeit the match." "Which makes you the winner," the baron chimed in, the group turning to see him and Purity walking up. "Which means you will marry my daughter when you come of age. Until then, keep training hard and I'm sure you'll win the Equestria League." Twilight went pale at this, Cadance trying to hide a giggle as she saw the panic on the girl's face as Flash spoke up. "No thank you," he waved the man off. "I'm not gonna get engaged to someone I don't know," he turned to Purity. "No offense, but I don't think you're my type." "It's alright," Purity replied with a calm nod. The baron's jaw dropped at this, "You're passing up the chance to be married to such a beautiful girl?! And becoming the heir of this whole estate?! Are you insane?!" Flash just shrugged, making the baron groan. "Great! That means I'll need to set up a whole new tournament! I hope the trainers that lost will be willing to come back..." "There is no need for that father," Purity added, making the baron turn to her, "I have already chosen the man I wish to marry." This made everyone but Cadance go wide-eyed, the girl then walking up to Tender. And then she gave the biggest smile Tender had ever seen from her. "Me?!" He asked as he pointed to himself, "But I'm-" "The only man whose has ever cared about me for me, and not my looks, wealth or connections." She held out her hands, "I always hoped you would one day confess to loving me. And entering this contest was as good as one. So...will you do me the honor of being my husband?" Tender's eyes began to form, only to reach out and take her hands. "Yes. I'd want nothing more." Everyone smiled at this...except the baron as he stuttered out, "But...he...you can't..." "Father," Purity turned to him, "I've decided. Tender is the only man I'll ever marry, and if you can't accept that, then tough." She then glared at him with a glare that the baron hadn't seen in a while. And he knew he wouldn't be talking her out of this as she continued, "This is my life, and I'll decide who I want as my husband. And even if you refuse to give us your blessing, I don't care." She pointed at him, "We'll leave this estate if that's what it takes to be together." Tender nodded at this. The baron stared at them, only to let out a long sigh, "Very well. If that's what you wish, then so be it." He turned away, grumbling before looking back at them, "Tender, you had best take excellent care of my daughter. You've shown you can be a strong battler, but even if you chose not to battle, you must still protect her no matter what." "I will sir." With that, the baron headed inside while the others sighed in relief. Once he was gone, they all turned to Tender and Purity as they looked at one another. He was about to say something, but before he could, she grabbed his cheeks and pulled him toward her. Flash and the others all cheered and applauded. Everything after that was a blur, the group congratulating the pair while Purity offered them the chance to stay at the mansion. And while it was a tempting offer, they decided against it, knowing they would need a lot of time to just leave the baron's land. Thankfully, Purity offered them a lift to the front gate, with the new couple joining them until they finally arrived at the entrance. "Well, this was fun." Flash commented as they got out of the car. "Thank you," Tender said as he placed a hand around Purity's waist. "For everything you've done." "Don't mention it," Twilight replied, "We're just happy everything worked out for you two." They nodded back and promised Flash they would cheer for him in the Equestria League. With that final goodbye, the group headed away from the Babbelon Estate. "Man..." Flash sighed, "That was an insane experience." The others nodded in agreement as Doc added, "Especially since you almost got yourself engaged." Spike chuckled at this while Twilight rolled her eyes, only for her brother to ask, "You said Purity wasn't your type." Flash turned to him. "So what is your type?" This made everyone turn to him, Flash blinking at the teen before replying, "Hmmm..." Flash then did a shrug. "Not sure. Guess I'll know what kind of girl I like when I actually meet her." "Oh brother..." Springer sighed, facepawing while no one understood his words, not even Flash. The group meeting with the Baron von Babbelon had been an interesting one to say the least. And with the Crystal Empire drawing ever closer, one can only wonder what adventures await them. As the journey continues.