//------------------------------//
// One Last Trick Up My Sleeve 
// Story: Pokémon: Equestrian Champions 
// by Banshee531 
//------------------------------//

Canterlot City was still in a frenzy of excitement as the preliminary round of the Equestria League came to an end. Every TV around was showing a rerun of the race through the mountain and the sixteen competitors that had made it. One of those competitors was currently enjoying a celebratory milkshake with his friends at a café. On the table in front of him, he had five Pokeballs and one Premier-Ball sitting there, "My first opponent is Trixie," Flash reminded himself. "And the first round is three on three. So the question is, which three am I going to use?"

"Well, we know what Trixie uses," Doc told him as he finished his shake. "Psychic-types." He sat back, "So Dark, Bug and Ghost-type Pokémon will give you a good advantage."

"Right," Flash nodded before picking up a Pokeball, "So Astro's my best bet."

"Ri ri," Springer chimed in after finishing his donut.

"Maybe," Twilight sipped on her shake, "But it's not smart to think she only uses Psychic-types. Remember, she has a Hattrem, and that's party Fairy-type. That'll mean Astro will have a disadvantage against it."

Flash crossed his arms at this, only for Spike to speak up, "Plus she knows your team," He then stuffed a donut in his mouth, Peewee putting in two in his, "She must have six Pokémon, but I can only remember four that she's used."

"So she could pull out something I've never seen before," Flash grimaced before putting the Pokeball down, "I need to figure the best plan against of Trixie...hmm..."

Twilight smiled at him, glad her teaching him after all this time had truly paid off. He was thinking strategy, thinking back to his battles he had seen Trixie do. Most of the time, she liked using tricks and surprise attacks that threw their opponents off guard. And as those thoughts flowed through his head, he noticed somebody walk into the café with his own milkshake. "Lightning..." he slowly said as the teen appeared, "Figured you'd be off training."

Lightning took another slurp of his shake, "Can't train on an empty stomach." He then turned to Flash, "Cut it a little close, huh? Figures a loser like you would get lost."

Flash shrugged, "I took a wrong turn and ended up in a dead end. Could have happened to anyone. Even you." Flash prepared for Lightning to respond...only he didn't, making him continue, "So...you already pick your Pokémon for tomorrow?"

"Of course," Lightning replied, "I'll have no trouble beating that loser."

"If you say so," Flash responded, "Honestly, I'm hoping Trixie gives me a tough match." Lightning glared at him that said he thought he was crazy. "What? What's the point of any of this if you're not having fun."

The statement made Lightning hiss before crushing the shake in his hand. "This isn't something that's supposed to be fun. It's a serious competition, for serious trainers."

"I am serious," Flash smirked, "But what's the point of doing anything if you can't have fun doing it."

"You're pathetic." Lightning growled before spinning around, "If you think like that, then you deserve to lose."

He then walked away, throwing the shake into a can with a swift flick of the hand. And as he disappeared, Twilight commented, "Wow. You actually got under his skin."

"I've been getting under his skin since the day I met him," Flash slurped up the last of his milkshake. "Right now, I'm just gonna focus on which Pokémon to use against Trixie." He turned to Twilight, "Help me out, would ya?"

She nodded back before they glanced back at the Pokeballs.





At the same time, Trixie was at the Pokémon Center. She was sitting at one of the television phones, sighing as she talked to her father. "So you managed to get into the top sixteen," he spat on the other line. "I guess congratulations are in order."

"Thanks," Trixie groaned, "But it's gonna get a lot harder from here. Especially since my first opponent is Flash Sentry."

"The boy that fought against Sombra and inspired the whole of Equestria to rally against him. Yes, I guess battling him is a lost cause." Trixie narrowed her eyes at him, "I saw him battle and his skills are top notch. Especially since he made it into the top two in both the Hoof Cup and Battle Tournament. Maybe it would be best to forfeit and save yourself the embarrassment."

"I can still win," Trixie hissed back, "And I intend to. You might not have any faith in me, but I have faith in myself." Her father raised an eyebrow. "You didn't think I'd make it as a trainer, but here I am in the Equestria League. So excuse me if I think nothing you say has any meaning."

"Is that so?" He raised an eyebrow, "Very well. If you truly think you can beat him, then so be it. Don't come crying to me if you lose."

"I won't be crying," she replied, "If I win, I'll be happy. And if I lose, I won't put myself down. Because I know I did great." And before her father could say anything else, she hung up. Once the screen went dead, she sighed and sat back, only to turn and see a certain woman walk up, "Luna?"

The professor smiled at the girl, "Sorry to eavesdrop on you."

Trixie shook her head, "No, it's fine. But...I'm guessing you heard that?"

Luna nodded, "And I'm very proud to see how much you've grown. I'm sure you'll give us an incredible battle tomorrow."

"Thanks," Trixie responded before glancing away, "But it's pretty obvious Flash will be the winner."

"You never know that. You might be surprised by what you can do, especially when you give it your all. You're a smart girl, and as long as you believe you can win, it's possible." Trixie looked back at her with wide eyes, "And even if you don't win, you'll still have done something very few trainers manage to do: Make it to the Equestria League. And that's something to be proud of."

"Yeah..." Trixie nodded, "Yeah, you're right." She stood up, "I'm gonna give Flash a battle he'll never forget. I just need to think of a plan." She put a finger to her chin, only to smirk, "Yeah...that's sure to take him by surprise."

"Oh? Gotta scheme cooking up?" Trixie nodded and looked like she was about to tell her, only for Luna to hold up a hand, "Hold on. I'd much rather see it in effect tomorrow. Don't ruin the surprise for me." Trixie giggled and thanked Luna before heading off, the woman smiling as she headed up to her room in order to talk to the Pokémon she would be using. "She'll go far, that one."





The next day...

Screams filled the air as the people sitting in the seats of the stadium cheered for the start of the first round.

Twilight and her friends were sitting together while the professors and Gym Leaders were where they were the previous day. In a moment, the screen switched on to reveal Present Mic, "WAS-UPPPPP!" He exclaimed to the audience, "Welcome Poke-fans! Today's a big day, as the first round of the Equestria League is about to begin!" The screen changed to show the trainers that would be battling that day. "These sixteen trainers have worked hard to make it here today! And now, we'll be cutting their numbers down to a respectable eight! But who will those eight be?!"





Inside the stadium, Flash, Lightning and all the other trainers were sitting in their own private rooms. The rooms had a single couch, table and TV to watch the battles on. Some sat their patiently, others stuffing their faces with the snacks they found on the table.

Flash and Springer watched the TV closely, since their match would be the final one of the day. "This is it," he told Springer. "The big day is here."

"Ri," Springer nodded.





"Now it's time for the first match!" Mic yelled as the first two trainers came out, Rainbow and Bulk Biceps. The crowd cheered as they walked onto the outstretched metal planks that hung over the side of an empty pit.

A minute later, gears could be heard as the battlefield rose up to reveal it was covered in rocks and a stream. A Rotom Drone flew down to explain the rules of it being a three on three, Rainbow and Bulk nodding. Everyone watched as Bulk was chosen to let out his first Pokémon, a Throh.

"YAY!" Pinkie cheered, "Good luck Throh!" The others turned to her, raising an eyebrow since she had been cheering for Rainbow a minute ago, "What? I helped hatch him!"

In that moment, Rainbow let out her Pokémon: A Talonflame.

The Rotom Drone uploaded the two Pokémon into its system and allowed the battle to start, Mic giving them the countdown before the two Pokémon charged.

It was a tough battle, Rainbow appearing in trouble a few times. Talonflame managed to defeat Throh and do serious damage to his next Pokémon, a Machamp, but was eventually taken down. Rainbow then sent out Wondor and managed to knock it out, Bulk replacing it with a Conkeldurr. But it wasn't enough and Rainbow claimed victory.

The crowd cheered as they returned their Pokémon and gave one another a fist pump, thanking each other for the great battle. And over the next few hours, six more battles raged as seriously epic moments rang out. A Yanmega fighting against a Grimsnarl, a Slaking getting struck by a Toxtricity's electric rhythm attacks. There was an Androrg wiping out a Grizzor with a single attack while a Volthor used its hammer to hit a home run with an Electrob. A Flapple then had an aerial battle against a Noivern along with a Magmortar blasting a Torterra with a super strong fire attack.

The battles were all hard fought, the winning trainers all leaving with their heads held high while the losers remained as dignified as possible.

Mic: "What a bunch of amazing battles so far. Wouldn't you agree Professors?"

Celestia: "Indeed. The trainers should all be proud at how well they trained their Pokémon."

Luna: "That last battle was certainly an interesting one."

Cadance: "And hopefully the rest of the battles in the tournament will be just as great."

Up in the stands, Twilight and the others were all wide-eyed at the battles. "I knew this was gonna be awesome!" Rainbow cheered, she and Applejack having joined the others once their matches were over.

"We gotta watch 'em carefully," Applejack chimed in, "We'll probably be battling one of these trainers eventually." Rainbow nodded as they looked back at the battlefield and the tunnels the trainers were going to come through.





Inside her waiting room, Trixie sat on the couch, shaking like a leaf. She knew her match was next, and despite how prepared she was, she knew she was incredibly nervous.

"I can do this," she told herself. "I can do this." She took out a Pokeball, "I'm not the same showoff I once was. I'm a real trainer and I'm gonna go out there and give everyone a show they'll never forget." In that moment, there was a knock at the door and a worker told her it was time.





"Ready bud?" Flash asked when he got the same message, getting a nod from Springer. "Alright," he stood up, "Let's do this thing." He walked out of the room and down the hallway, toward his first battle of the Equestria League. "Get ready Trixie. I'm bringing my A-game."





"And now, let's meet the final contestants of the day! In the blue corner, she's the magician trainer that's never without a trick to turn the tables: Trixie...LULAMOON!" The crowd cheered as Trixie walked onto the platform, waving as she reached the end of the platform. "And in the red corner, he's the flashy young hero of Equestria that's hoping to claim victory here today. It's Flash...SENTRY!"

The crowd cheered again, this one three times as hard as Flash walked out onto the red platform with Springer. He waved at the crowd, smiling when he spotted his friends. He then reached the end of the plank and stared at his opponent, he and Trixie locking eyes and nodding.

"TrixieT" he called out, "Let's give these people a show they'll never forget!"

Trixie giggled back, "Of course. Putting on a show is what I excel at." As she said that, a Rotom Drone flew down and stopped right above the pit. It looked at the pair before projecting a holographic screen with Flash and Trixie on it, along with three squares that had Pokeballs inside them.

"The battle between Trixie Lulamoon and Flash Sentry is about to begin," it said, "The battle will be a three on three battle and only when all three of one trainer's Pokémon are unable to battle will it be over." When it finished that, the sound of gears and mechanisms filled the air. Everybody looked down as the battlefield and raised up from under the ground.

"Time to see what field our trainers will need to conquer in order to advance the next round of the tournament." The battlefield appeared and showed a collection of different trees, including oak, elm, birch, rowan and juniper. The trees were so thick that it covered the entire top, people now having to use the stadium tablets and megascreen to see the field. It was just like they expected, a bunch of trees covering almost ever square inch of it. The only open piece of flooring was a pathway leading from Flash's podium to Trixie's. "It's the Forest Field!"

"An interesting one to say the least," Celestia commented, "The question is how will they handle maneuvering around the trees if they are forced into them."

Luna nodded in agreement, "It's possible they'll use small Pokémon, or ones with high agility. If they have any."

"It all depends on what Pokémon the first trainer will use," Cadance added, "That choice will decide how this battle turns out in the long run."

"My thoughts exactly!" Mic finished, "So without further ado, let's decide who'll be choosing their Pokémon first!" On the megascreen, a wheel divided into four red and four blue sections appeared, "Now, let's spin...that...WHEEL!" With that, the sections of the wheel began to light up and spin around in an anti-clockwise fashion. "Ladies..." The three professors all pressed the button and the light slowed down before coming to a stop on the blue section. "Looks like it's Ms. Lulamoon who'll be choosing first! What Pokémon will she chose?!"

Trixie smirked as she took out a Pokeball. "This is it! The Great and Powerful Pokémon of the Great and Powerful Trixie! Slowking, it's show time!" The Pokeball flew through the air and opened up, unleashing the red energy that soon revealed the Royal Pokémon.

"Slowking!" the Water Psychic-type yelled as its arms were held behind its back.

"It's Slowking!" Mic exclaimed, "A strong opponent to be sure. How will Flash respond?"

"Slowking?" Flash hummed before smirking, "Alright." He took out his Pokeball, "I'm counting on you." He pulled back. "Astro, I choose you!" In a flash of light, the Galvern appeared in the air with a flurry of sparkles.

"GALVERN!" He roared as he flew up as high as he could before hitting the roof of trees. He saw Slowking and grinned while the people gasped at the sight of the shiny Pokémon.

"Galvern!" Mic cheered, "An equally powerful Pokémon! What are your thoughts, professors?"

"Galvern has the type advantage," Luna pointed out, "But as shown yesterday, Trixie knows how to work around that."

Celestia nodded. "I'm interested in seeing how these two choose to enact their strategies with these Pokémon."

Trixie smiled at this, "I knew he'd pick Galvern. Though I thought he'd wait to use him until last."

Flash slammed his fist into his palm, "Only trusting in Astro's typing would be stupid. I'm also trusting Astro's guts." The Galvern roared again while the stadium cheered in excitement. "Let's do this bud!"

"Alright!" Mic called out, "Then let's get this battle started! Rotom..." The drone flew above the battlefield and projected another screen. "In three...two...ONE! BATTLE BEGIN!"

"Astro!" Flash pointed at Slowking, "Dragon Pulse!" Astro took a deep breath, then unleashed a blast of dragon-shaped energy right at the Slowking.

"Psychic!" Trixie replied, Slowking's eyes beginning to glow.

"Slowking." The Dragon Pulse reached it, only to suddenly curve upward before turning back to Astro.

"What?" Flash yelped as the attack struck Astro, knocking him back.

"What happened?" Spike asked.

"Slowking used Psychic to change Dragon Pulse's trajectory," Twilight gasped, "Incredible." She turned to Trixie, now seeing the confidence appear on her face. "Oh no...be careful Flash."

The teen smirked as Astro picked himself up, "She's not messing around." Astro growled at this, "Well neither are we. Astro, Shadow Ball!" Astro opened his mouth and fired the sphere of dark energy.

"Power Gem!" Slowking placed its hands on its head as the gem on its crown began to glow before firing a beam of red light that struck the Shadow Ball, making it explode. But as this happened, Astro quickly flew into the cloud, suddenly appearing in front of Slowking in just a split-second.

"Crunch!" Flash yelled, Astro opening his large mouth and flying sideways.

"GAL!" He latched his mouth around Slowking's body and bit down, Slowking moaning in pain before Galvern leapt up, flying until they reached the roof of the canopy.

"Ice Beam!" Trixie countered, Slowking opening its mouth and unleashing a blast of icy blue lightning that struck Astro on the back.

"Gal!" Astro let Slowking go, the Pokémon showing no expression as it fell.

"Use Psychic on one of the branches!" Slowking's eyes glowed again and the closest thick branch snapped off a tree and flew over to it, Slowking spinning around until its feet were plastered on it. Flash watched as Slowking flew around on the branch like it was surfing through the air.

Mic: "Wow! Hang ten dudes!"

Luna: "Ha! Looks like you don't need wings to fly after all."

They watched as Slowking surfed through the air and flew up to Astro, "Power Gem, rapid fire!" Slowking leapt off the branch and began firing beams of light from its head, which Astro began to barrel-roll around.

"Shadow Ball Barrage!" Flash called out, Astro spitting out one Shadow Ball after the other to stop the Power Gem. The attacks collided and exploded, the force making the trees shake and sending leaves scattering everywhere. As they did this, Astro flew into the smoke cloud. "Now, Dragon Claw!"

Slowking was now falling to the ground, trying to sense where Astro was coming from. But before it could locate him, Astro shot out of the fog, "GALVERN!" He roared as energy appeared around his claws.

"SLOW!" Slowking cried as it was slashed down the front and thrown to the ground, slamming into the leaf covered battlefield as Astro flew up again.

"Nice! Now use Dragon Pulse!" As Slowking began to pick himself up, Astro took a deep breath and unleashed a blast of energy in the Royal Pokémon's direction. The laser shot down as reached Slowking, Trixie knowing there wasn't time for a Psychic.

"Power Gem!" Slowking fired the red beam from its crown jewel, striking the Dragon Pulse. However, the beam merely slowed it down, the attack still striking Slowking. The Water Psychic-type was thrown back, only to hear its trainer yell, "Ice Beam!" He fired the blue lightning upward, smacking Astro right in the head.

"GAL!" He screamed in pain as the icy force made every nerve in his body scream. Slowking then hit the ground, cutting his attack as Astro slammed into the floor as well.

"Astro!" Flash cried, Springer crying out as well. This made Astro open his eyes before scrambling to his feet and glaring at the Slowking. "Shadow Ball...Barrage!"

"VERN!" Astro launched a volley of dark energy spheres.

"Use Psychic and protect yourself with the trees!" Trixie exclaimed, Slowking mentally pulling branches off the trees and forming a shield of wood between it and the Shadow Balls. They struck the branches, causing them to shatter upon impact while Astro flew in close.

"Careful Astro!" Flash told him as the last of the wood was blasted to splinters.

"Ice Beam!" Slowking fired the blue lightning, but Flash's warning made the Dragon-type fly straight up, dodging the attack as the Ice Beam trailed behind him and froze the trees solid.

"Shadow Ball!" Astro fired the sphere at the Pokémon, Slowking stopping the Ice Beam to try to defend itself, only to still get hit.

It cried out as it was knocked back again, Astro then swooping back down. "Power Gem!" Slowking rolled onto its back and fired a beam of light, but Astro raised the star-shaped gauntlets covering his claws and used them to shield himself as he got closer.

"Dragon Pulse!" Astro swung his arms down to deflect the last Power Gem, then fired the dragon laser from his mouth. He was only a couple feet from Slowking, the Water Psychic-type unable to protect itself as the attack exploded into its chest.

"SLOW!" It screamed as it was sent flying back, crashing into a tree.

"NO!" Trixie gasped as saw her Pokémon just twitching in a branch filled mess.

"Finish this with Dragon Claw!" Astro charged at this, his claws surrounded by energy as Slowking tried to move.

"No other choice. Slowking, TRICK ROOM!" This statement caused many who heard it to gasp as Slowking's eyes glowed.

"SLOW!" He roared, the light shooting off his body and flying up through the canopy. A moment later, Astro shot past Slowking and slashed him. In a flash, he was behind the Water Psychic-type with his claws pointed forward. "Slow..." Slowking moaned before falling back with spirals in his eyes.

"Slowking is unable to battle!" the Rotom Drone announced, "Galvern is the winner!"

The crowd erupted into cheers, claps all around due to the incredible battle they had just seen.

Mic: "An impressive first fight. But what was that move Trixie used before Slowking went down?"

Celestia: "It was Trick Room. And it can be dangerous if she plays it right."

"What's Trick Room?" Spike asked as Trixie returned Slowking. As she did, the entire battlefield was suddenly surrounded by a large dome of light. "What was that?"

"Trick Room," Twilight gulped, "It's a move that can warp space and time, making it so that really slow Pokémon are super fast and vice versa."

"Astro's pretty fast," Rainbow replied, "So does that mean he's slow now?" Twilight nodded back.

"But why would Trixie play that move when Slowking was about to be beaten?" Rarity asked, the others shrugging as they glanced back at the battlefield.

"You were great Slowking," Trixie smiled at her Pokeball before replacing it. "Now I can take down Flash's best weapon without worry."

Flash glanced around as the Trick Room appeared again, then at Astro who was now panting. "Gotta be careful. Trixie's not gonna take this loss lying down."

"Hatterene!" Trixie threw the Pokeball, "It's show time!" In a flash of red, a Pokémon with hair so long it covered everything but her face appeared. The Pokémon opened her eyes and levitated itself off the ground, moving gracefully through the field.

"Hatterene?" Flash pulled out his Pokedex, quickly scanning it. "Its a Fairy-Type. Gotta be careful." He looked back up at the field, "Shadow Ball Astro!"

"Gal!" Astro fired the orb, Flash noticing it took a little longer than usual. The sphere went for Hatterene, and the Pokémon remained where it was as it got closer. But as it was about to make contact, Hatterene vanished.

"What?!" Flash yelped as the Shadow Ball exploded against the ground, "Did it teleport?"

"Magical Leaf!" Trixie called out as Hatterene suddenly appeared behind Astro.

"Behind you!" Flash yelled as Astro turned around just in time to see Hatterene pick the leaves up off the ground with her psychic powers. Those leaves glowed and shot forward, slamming into the dragon. "Astro!"

"What happened?!" Pinkie asked, "How did Hatterene disappear like that?"

"Hatterene's one of the slowest Pokémon known," Doc grimaced, "But put it in a Trick Room..."

"And it suddenly becomes the fastest," Twilight whispered while looking at Flash's shocked face. "So that's why Trixie used it when Slowking was about to fall. If she had done it sooner, Flash would have caught on and it's the element of surprise that she was going for."

Mic: "Trixie's giving us a surprising show for sure. Using her previous loss to her advantage."

Cadance: "But Flash is far from beaten. He can still turn this around."

And as Astro picked himself up, Hatterene used her powers to lift the leaves off the ground and flew around him at incredible speed. "Shadow Ball!" Astro spotted Hatterene and fired, but the Psychic Fairy-type vanished before it could land and he only knocked down a tree. "Again!" Astro fired again, only to hit down another tree. "Rapid blast!"

"GAL!" Astro roared, firing in every direction. Slowly, the forest was getting levelled by his attacks, but it did little to stop Hatterene. That was until one random blast exploded right behind where Hatterene had floated too. The explosion struck the Pokémon, knocking it forward into Astro.

"Yes! Use Crunch!" Astro lunged and sunk his teeth into Hatterene's waist.

"HAT!" Hatterene screamed, only to glare down at the dragon and swatted it with her hair.

"Gal!" He growled, but kept holding on.

"Throw it into the air!" Flash yelled, Astro hearing this and flaring his wings. He then started spinning around as he flew upward, trying to get Hatterene dizzy before letting go. "Now use Shadow Ball!" The orb formed in his mouth and fired at Hatterene, who continued to spin around in the air.

"Psycho Cut!" Hatterene suddenly stopped itself in the air before swinging its hair lock, a light shooting off it and forming a crescent blade. The blade sliced into the Shadow Ball, making it explode and fill the air with smoke.

Astro was about to fly into the cloud, but it suddenly dispersed when something shot down. He barely had time to react as Hatterene appeared before she vanished, the Dragon-type then feeling something wrap around his body. "Gal?" He glanced back and found he had been tied up by strands of hair. Hatterene now stood behind him, its locks having split and were now holding him in place.

"Astro!" Flash gasped as he tried to get free, "Shadow Ball!" Astro opened his mouth to try and fire the sphere behind him, but then the strands shot up and wrapped around his mouth to clamp it shut. "Not good."

"Finish this! Draining Kiss!" Hatterene turned Astro around before planting a kiss on Astro's head.

The Dragon-type groaned through his closed mouth as his body began to glow red. Everyone watched as a yellow orb of energy suddenly flew off him and into Hatterene, Astro's body going limp at this.

"ASTRO!" Flash screamed as Hatterene gently placed him on the ground and unwrapped its hair. Astro just lay there, his eyes now spirals as the Rotom Drone flew down.

"Galvern is unable to battle. Hatterene wins." The crowd cheered again as Flash returned Astro to his Pokeball.

Mic: "Trixie's little stunt certainly took Flash by surprise. Now he's lost his best weapon against her."

Cadance: "Maybe, but that doesn't mean he's out of options yet. They're both even now, so this battle could go either way."

Luna: "True, plus the little damage Galvern did to Hatterene was likely undone by the Draining Kiss."

Celestia: "So basically, this is now a two on two with both Pokémon starting off fresh."

"Thanks for the great work bud," Flash told the Pokeball before returning it to his belt and taking out a new one. "Your Trick Room was a shock, but I don't fall for the same trick twice." He held the Pokeball out, "This battle's far from over. Viper!" He pulled it back before throwing it, "I choose you!"

The Pokeball opened up and in a flash of red, the Vipeacon appeared. "Vi!" He hissed, blowing steam from his nostrils.

Mic: "Vipeacon. Interesting choice."

Celestia: "Clearly going for its Poison-type advantage over Fairy."

"Flamethrower!" Flash called out instantly, Viper twisting his body around and unleashing a torrent of flames that filled the air. Everyone gasped at this as Hatterene flew around to avoid the ribbon of fire. But despite not hitting the Pokémon, the flames did hit something else. The trees were all set ablaze, even the ones that were previously frozen, the branches and leaves all burning brightly. This shocked everyone in the stadium as embers flew around the place.

Mic: "Don't worry folks. We have measures in place to make sure this fire doesn't spread past the battlefield. You'll all be safe."

"What are you doing?!" Trixie yelped.

"Turning the field to my advantage," he replied, Trixie now seeing Hatterene needing to slow down to avoid any falling piece of burning trees. Viper just smiled at this, the flaming parts simply bouncing off him. "Now, use Crunch!" Viper slithered up and leapt at the Pokémon as Hatterene tried to get away from a falling burning branch.

"HAT!" it screamed as Viper wrapped itself around her and squeezed tightly. The Silent Pokémon winced, the only free part of it being the long ponytail coming off its hat-like head.

"Hatterene, use Psychic!" Hatterene's eyes widened before they glowed, Viper glowing along with them. The next thing the Fire Poison-type knew, he was being pulled off Hatterene and thrown away.

"VI!" He yelped, Hatterene breathing a sigh of relief as the squeezing pressure vanished.

"Flamethrower!" Flash yelled, Viper opening his mouth that pointing at Hatterene before unleashing a blast of fire. She vanished at this thanks to Trick Room, only to singe herself on a nearby burning tree.

"Psycho Cut!" She fought through the heat and swung her hair, firing a blast of psychic energy.

"Flamethrower!" Viper unleashed another flame stream and hit the Psycho Cut, the attack slowing it down, but couldn't stop it all the way.

"VI!" He cried as the attack slammed into him, sending him flying into a bunch of fallen ash.

"Draining Kiss!" Trixie ordered, Hatterene flying down ready to plant her lips on Viper. But as she got into range, Viper's eyes shot open and he slithered away.

"Pyro Coil!" Flash commanded with Viper flicking his tail around and quickly constricting Hatterene, holding his body tightly to hers. Trixie tried to give a Psychic command, but Viper bit onto the end of his tail and breathed fire into it. Within seconds, his entire body burst into flames, consuming Hatterene.

"REEEEEENE!" She cried from within the fireball as more of the trees began to fall. And after this, Viper leapt out of the fire and landed on a log as the flames vanished, revealing a panting Hatterene.

"You okay?" Trixie asked, Hatterene taking a deep breath before floating back up. "Alright, use Psycho Cut!" Hatterene fired a blade of psychic power, but Viper side-slithered to dodge it, "Again!" She fired another, only to miss again, "Multi-shot!" Again and again, Hatterene swung her hair around and whipped the psychic energy at Viper.

The Vipeacon hissed as it did everything to avoid the attacks, only for one to strike him. "Vi!" Trixie smirked as Viper was knocked back, about to call for a Psychic-

"HAT!" Hatterene burst into flames for a moment.

"Hatterene!" She gasped as she saw what just happened, "No..."

Cadance: "Looks like that Pyro Coil caused a burn status. This isn't looking good for Trixie."

Luna: "Now she's fighting with a time limit."

The burn allowed Viper to pick himself up, then slithered up to Hatterene. "Poison Fang!" Flash yelled, Viper leaping at the Psychic Fairy-type and sank his fangs into her, the Pokémon crying out as the toxins were injected into her body.

"Psychic!" Trixie exclaimed, Hatterene pulling Viper off of her. But before she could do anything else, the burn effect kicked in again. "No!"

"Flamethrower!" Flash yelled, Viper firing another burst of fire. But before it could land, Hatterene vanished thanks to Trick Room, this time easily getting away thanks to the flames now gone due to most of them being burned away.

"Psycho Cut!" Hatterene appeared behind Viper and swung her hair, the blade slamming into him.

Viper cried out as he knocked into a burnt stump, only for Hatterene's burn status to kick in. She cried out, allowing Viper to recover as Flash commanded, "Poison Fang!" Viper thrust his head forward and managed to bite Hatterene around where the knee would be, making her scream.

"Draining Kiss!" Hatterene quickly leaned down and kissed Viper before he could pull away. He let go of her right as he started glowing red, the yellow energy ball flying out of him in that second and into Hatterene, restoring her as she took to the air.

"Flamethrower!"

"Psychic!" Before the flames reached her, Hatterene used her mental powers to grab the fireball and curved it back at the snake.

"VI!" He cried as the flames hit him, only for the burn to also strike Hatterene.

"HAAAAT!"

Mic: "Geez, this match is so even that I can't tell who's gonna win."

Luna: "But aren't those the best kind to watch."

"Flamethrower/Psycho Cut!" The trainers yelled once their Pokémon recovered, the pair firing the attacks. The psychic blade hit the fire stream and cut through it, slowing the attack down just enough for Viper to leap out of the way. "Psychic!"

"VI!" Viper yelped as he was suddenly lifted off the ground, Hatterene getting ready to slam him into the ground.

"Flamethrower and aim for the ground!" Viper spat the fire down, causing the ash on the floor to pick up, covering Hatterene and making it cry out as the hot ashes got into its hair and eyes. Viper landed at this as Hatterene shook the ash off of her, only to burst into flames again.

"Poison Fang!"

"Magical Leaf!" Trixie exclaimed as Viper tried to reach Hatterene, the Pokémon sending a cloud of mystically charged leaves at the snake. He pushed through them before biting down into Hatterene's shoulder.

"HAAAT!" She screamed, but quickly used her clawed pigtail to slap Viper on the head, knocking him off.

"Draining Kiss!" Hatterene used her hair to grab him and kiss him. Viper cried out as his energy was drained away, only to pull his head up to her face.

"Flamethrower!"

"VI!" Viper unleashed the fire attack at point blank, making her cry out as she released him. He fell to the floor, panting as Hatterene staggered back before they both glared at each other.

"PSYCHO CUT/FLAMETHROWER!" Viper and Hatterene built up as much power as they could before launching their attacks at one another. But just as the Psycho Cut came for the snake, Hatterene exploded into flames.

"HAAAAT!" She cried while her attack struck the flames and cut right through. Viper saw this and tried to leap out of the way, but his body slipped on some ash, only for the attack to strike.

"VI!" Everyone watched as he was blasted back, skidding across the ground before coming to a stop, his eyes replaced by spirals. A moment later, the flames around Hatterene disappeared and she floated down, only to flop over with spirals in her eyes as well.

Every eye went wide at the sight of this as the Rotom Drone flew down. "Vipeacon and Hatterene are both unable to battle! The match is a draw!"

This statement caused not cheers, but murmurs as they all glanced at each other, unable to tell what they should do.

Mic: "Well...that was certainly unexpected."

Celestia: "Indeed. Both Pokémon gave it their all and were able to use their skill and abilities in interesting ways."

"A draw..." Spike moaned as Flash and Trixie returned their Pokémon. "So now they've only got one Pokémon each?"

"Yup," Rainbow nodded. "And that means this is the final battle."

"Oh dear..." Fluttershy shivered, "My nerves can't take this. Seeing them battling each other is hard enough, but all these crazy tricks they're pulling is making it even worse."

"Agreed." Rarity sighed, "But this is to be expected. They both managed to make it here, so of course they won't wanna go down without a fight."

The others nodded, Flash smiling at Viper's Pokeball, "Don't worry bud. You've got nothing to be ashamed of." He put the ball away as Trixie replaced her Pokeball. "So this is it," he told her, "One last fight for all the marbles."

"That's right." Trixie threw up her Pokeball and caught it, "And I'm sure this battle will be the hardest one of all." They both grinned at each other. "But let's have some fun. Sagic," she threw the ball, "it's show time!" In a flash of light, the ancient magician Pokémon appeared.

"Sage," it exclaimed as it started floating in the air.

"Sagic. Should have known. Alright..." He took out a Pokeball and stared at the battlefield's burnt remains of the trees. "Probably would have been better to have you fight when the forest was still up, but I know you can handle this battle. After all..." He smirked at the ball, "You're the prince of the forest." He pulled the ball back, "Prongs, I choose you!" He threw the ball and in a flash, the Stagrowth appeared.

"STAG!" He neighed, landing on the ash covered ground and smirking at the Sagic.

Mic: "Sagic against Stagrowth. That's an interesting match. And now, the final battle is on!"

"GO!" Flash cheered as Prongs charged at Sagic, the sorcerer raising his staff. "Stay out of his line of fire!"

"Dark Pulse!" Trixie yelled, Sagic unleashing a stream of energy rings. Prongs side-stepped this, only for the Trick Room to shine out over the stage.

"Energy Ball!" Prongs fired the orb instantly, Sagic unable to respond as it retracted its wand.

"Sage!" Trixie's Pokémon cried out as it was hit, only to keep floating as Prongs raced around the battlefield, "Sagic!"

"That's the way!" Trixie exclaimed, "Use Double Team!" As Prongs ran up to Sagic, it suddenly multiplied into ten.

"Stag?"

"Confusion!" The Sagic all pointed their staffs at Prongs, all glowing as one of them unleashed a blast of psychic energy. It struck Prongs, making him cry out. And as he staggered around at this, the Sagic started swapping places with one another.

"Oh come on," Flash moaned as he tried to follow the real one.

"Step right up, step right up," Trixie laughed, "Pick the right Sagic and win a prize! Pick the wrong one and get pulverized!" Flash growled at this, his eyes darting around, only for Trixie to say, "Now, Eerie Spell!" Suddenly, the Sagic stopped and lifted their staffs. A moment later, one of them was surrounded by multiple spheres of purple energy before firing thetm at Prongs.

"STAG!" He cried as they slammed into and around him, causing several explosions that knocked him staggering back. He looked up at the Sagic that had fired, but once again the clones flew around each other.

"Energy Ball 'em all!" Prongs fired the spheres again and again, attempting to hit the Sagic army, but they were moving so fast that he only managed to hit one. "Damn it!" He hissed as the Trick Room appeared again. "I gotta do something about this room," he whispered, "But how do I...wait." He shined a small grin, "It's worth a try. Prongs, fire an Energy Ball straight up!"

"Stag?" Prongs asked back, Flash nodding at him. "Growth!"

"What's he doing?" Spike asked as Prongs formed the sphere.

"I'm not sure," Twilight hummed, Prongs launching the attack. Everyone watched this, only to go wide-eyed when the attack struck something and exploded...and then saw the Trick Room appear and shake.

"YES!" Flash cheered, "I knew it! Prongs, use Energy Ball and break through the barrier!" Prongs smirked and did just that, firing again and again.

Twilight clapped at this, "Brilliant! He's trying to get rid of Trick Room!"

The rest of his friends cheered, only for Trixie to point at Prongs, "Nice try, but I won't let you! Sagic, use Dark Pulse!" The sorcerer fired a stream of energy rings, the Stagrowth barely managing to leap out of the way before firing another energy ball at the dome, this one making a crack.

Flash smirked, but then Trixie ordered an Eerie Spell. "Use Bounce to get out of there!" Prongs dashed forward at this, only to spot the real Sagic forming the orbs.

"Stag!" He roared before putting all his strength into his legs and leaping up, managing to fly between three of the orbs and reached Sagic. The Pokémon gasped at this, but Prongs managed to reach him before it could react. "STAGROWTH!" He slammed his hooves into him before bouncing off, Sagic now flying back as Prongs flew up to the cracked dome.

"Horn Leech!" Prongs' horns glowed as he thrust them into a cracked section of the Trick Room, the energy field vibrating as more cracks appeared. And soon enough, the entire room shattered like glass.

Mic: "Trick Room is down!"

Cadance: "Amazing strategy! Now Stagrowth will have the speed advantage."

And as this happened, Sagic suddenly felt its body getting much heavier, even its fakes now beginning to slow down. "Energy Ball Barrage!" As he fell to earth, Prongs fired another volley of green spheres. Each attack hit one of the clones, making them fade until only to original remained.

Sagic glared at this as Prongs landed, Trixie then ordering, "Dark Pulse!" It began to fire the attack, but Prongs vanished before it could even start. Sagic soon fired after that, but Prongs easily dodged the attack. He was now just a green blur to the magician.

"Body Slam!" Suddenly, Prongs appeared in front of Sagic before he leapt up. With a mighty roar, he thrust his hooves down and slammed them into the sorcerer.

"Sage!" It cried, flying back before pointing its staff at Prongs.

"Eerie Spell!" He fired the energy spheres at Prongs, four of the six managing to slam into him and blasting the deer back. Both Pokémon hit the ground, though Prongs just spun back to his feet instantly.

"Energy Ball!" Prongs fired the sphere at Sagic, hitting the magician as it tried to get up, knocking it back again.

"Double Team!" It raised its staff as multiple copies appeared, one getting hit by a second Energy Ball before they all floated back into the air. "Now, Confusion!" One fired the psychic wave in Prongs' direction, the Forest Antler Pokémon side-stepping the attack, only for the clones to start shuffling around. "Eerie Spell!"

"Bounce!" As the real Sagic fired the attack, Prongs began to leap around the place, dodging all but one part of the attack, only having it hit his shoulder. He then tackled a fake, dissolving it before zipping right through four more. And as he did this, Flash pointed at the last Sagic on the field. "There you are. Energy Ball!"

"Dark Pulse!" The ring stream was launched and struck the Energy Ball, causing an explosion that Prongs ran right into.

"Horn Leech!" Before Sagic could react, Prongs shot out of the cloud and leapt up with glowing horns, the stag then thrusting them into Sagic's chest.

"SAGE!" It screamed as it was sent flying back, skidding along the ground as its staff flew out of its gasp, rolling close to the edge of the field. Prongs then landed, glowing from the energy he managed to pilfer from the magic user before scraping his hoof along the ground. He lowered his head, ready to charge at Sagic as it picked itself up.

"Get your staff!" Trixie cried, knowing Sagic couldn't use its attacks without it.

"Body Slam!" Prongs charged at Sagic as it ran to where its staff fell, but Prongs was faster. Knowing it couldn't reach the staff, Sagic spun around and braced its arms in front of its chest. The next thing it knew, Prongs smashed his head into it, knocking it flying again. He hit the ground with a thud, Flash ordering a Bounce attack at the same time. But as this happened, Prongs saw that Sagic had landed next to his staff.

"Eerie Spell!" Sagic picked the staff up and pointed it at Prongs, then fired the energy spheres. They struck the mid-Bounce Prongs, blasting him back.

Prongs then landed on his hooves, sliding to a stop as both began to pant. They glared back at each other, the deer charging as Sagic fired another attack. Prongs leapt over it before firing an Energy Ball, Sagic deflecting it with a swing of his staff.

And as this happened, Trixie just stared at the battle. 'Flash's Pokémon are stronger,' she mentally told herself. 'If this keeps up, Sagic will eventually go down.' She shook her head as she began to smile, 'But that's okay. Just because I'm probably gonna lose doesn't mean I'll stop trying.'

She then remembered how she used to be before meeting Flash and his friends, how she was always trying to get the attention of others. But after meeting Twilight and their first duel, then journeying with them after her badge case was stolen and seeing them put others before themselves, she had learned that acting selfishly wasn't going to get her what she wanted. This in turn went to her remembering her meeting with Luna, the professor showing her that she could stand out without being the only thing in the world that needed to be seen...and then remembering her father and his stoic attitude, an attitude she refused to inherit.

And now here she was, giving it everything she had. And no matter what, she would hang her head proudly at the end of this battle. "Double Team!" Sagic multiplied again, dodging an Energy Ball. "Now, Confusion!"

"Dodge it!" Flash yelled, Prongs leaping away just in time. "Energy Ball Barrage!" Unleashing a volley of orbs, Prongs dispelled the Double Teams in a single stream, only the original dodging the attacks.

"Dark Pulse!" Trixie ordered, Sagic firing a burst of energy rings. But Prongs didn't dodge it, instead charging straight ahead as Flash called out to him.

"HORN LEECH!" His horns glowed as he reached the energy rings. He slammed into them and pushed through, now right at Sagic. "GOOOOO!" He roared, Prongs leaping through the last energy ring before slamming his horns into Sagic, unleashing a powerful burst of light.

Everyone flinched at this, forced to close their eyes at the light. And as it faded just a second later, they looked back at the battlefield. Both Prongs and Sagic now stood on the floor, heavily panting as they stared each other down. That is, till one fell over. "Sage!" Sagic hit the dirt, his staff rolling away as his eyes were now replaced by spirals.

Trixie's eyes went wide as the Rotom Drone flew down. "Sagic is unable to battle." It flew up above the stadium, showing the hologram of the battle screen with all of Trixie's Pokémon knocked out. "All three of Trixie Lulamoon's Pokémon unable to battle. The winner of the match is Flash Sentry!"

The crowd exploded into applause as Flash took a deep breath and bent over to place his hands on his knees. "That...was intense." A smile appeared on his lips, the teen glad his battle wasn't an easy one. He then heard hoofsteps and looked up to see Prongs, trotting over and neighing. "Nice work bud," he scratched him behind the ear before glancing over at Trixie.

The girl had moved over to Sagic and held him up. "Thank you," she said, Sagic giving a sad nod in return. She put him back into his ball before taking a deep breath. And as she did this, Flash walked up and stretched out a hand.

"Great battle."

"Yeah," Trixie giggled as she shook it, "It was. Thanks for making my Equestria League time such a rush." The pair smiled at one another while Present Mic spoke up.

"Flash might have been the winner, but let's all give a round of applause for the girl that made him work for it: Trixie Lulamoon!" The crowd cheered again, Trixie glancing back at the audience as they began yelling her name. The sight made her gasp, tears coming down her eyes. That is, till Flash patted her on the shoulder before they and his Pokémon left the stadium.

And as they left, Flash's picture appeared on the megascreen. It then joined the pictures of Rainbow, Sugarcoat, Indigo, Lightning, Micro, Applejack and Heath, the eight contestants that had claimed victory today. The crowd gave them all a cheer as the next match-ups were decided, tomorrow's battles appearing to be even better than today's.





That evening...

As the sun began to set, Flash and most of his friends at Professor Celestia's lab. There, the Pokémon Flash, Applejack and Rainbow had used that day were all enjoying a specially made dinner to celebrate their good work.

"There you go," Flash handed Astro a bowl. "Eat up bud. You deserve it."

"Gall!" He happily roared before he started eating while everyone was talking about the day's battle.

"That Trick Room stunt was really amazing," Twilight told Trixie. "If Flash hadn't been able to get rid of it, it's likely you would have won."

"Yeah...oh well." Trixie sighed before Luna stepped over to pat her shoulder.

"So, any idea what you'll do now?"

"Not really," she replied, "I'll need some time to think about it."

Luna nodded. "Well, if you need something to do after the league until you come up with something, I could always use some help with my research. I tend to end up in some seriously dangerous places and could use a strong trainer to help me out whenever I get into trouble."

Trixie's eyes went wide at this, stars appearing within them. And as they began to talk about this idea, Flash, Rainbow and Applejack tapped glasses. "Good luck in the next match," he told the girls.

"You too," they replied before taking a drink. As they did, they thought over their battles and what they could have done differently. But it didn't matter now, though it might help in their next battle. With the Equestria League's first round behind them, they now had to focus on the rounds beyond, knowing each battle would be harder than the last. After all, this was just the start of the insanity that was the league. As the journey continues.