Canterlot. Afternoon.
The Canterlot Tag Battle Competition was closing to an end with the remaining battles finishing off. Soon, Ash and Fluttershy would have to go up next along with a few others and that would be the first day over.
Rainbow Dash and Lightning Dust won theirs but with lacklustre teamwork. But they pulled through either way. The prize for the 10 Master Balls is still on the line. A worthy and easily desirable prize.
After the few battles had ended, it was time for Ash and Fluttershy to make their move. And tomorrow, Spike and Scootaloo would have their turn. Trainers that had already battled were having their Pokemon healed up by a nearby Nurse Joy joined by Nurse Redheart.
In the meanwhile, Team Rocket was thinking about how to grab the 10 Master Balls. It would be a tough object to grab considering the massive population and important figures around. But 10 Master Balls are irresistible.
"Time for us to make our move." Ash sat up. "Let's do this, Fluttershy."
"Okay," Fluttershy replied. "We'll do our best. But uh, what are you gonna do with those Master Balls, Ash?"
"Hm? Ah, nothing really. I just entered it for fun. Might keep them over at my home." Ash shrugged.
"You won't use them?!" Rarity sat up, almost choking on her food. "Are you insane?!"
"Yeah!" Pinkie Pie also sat up with shock, roaring in the process. "Those are Master Balls!" Master Balls! I mean, wouldn't the Future Pokemon Master need those!"
"Yeah, but Master Balls make things too easy. Trying to catch a Pokemon makes it fun, ya know." Ash instantly explained why he wouldn't want a Master Ball.
"Fair enough." Rarity and the others said as they immediately went off to watch Ash and Fluttershy's match take place. Rainbow Dash was currently sitting on a couch, taking a deep breath after the battle she had. Not her best performance.
She would have to cooperate with Lightning Dust all the way through until the victor of this Tag Battle Tournament can even come to an end. Her next Pokemon would also have to work well with Lightning's next Pokemon. Mienfoo and Incineroar didn't exactly get off to a good start as they show zero fondness towards each other.
Out on the field, Ash and Twilight faced their opponents. An earth pony and a human wearing a funny-looking Snorlax hat. Instantly, they were told to send out their first Pokemon for today.
"Pikachu! I choose you!" Ash went with his tried and true partner first.
"Pikachu!" Pikachu hopped off Ash's shoulder, ready to go.
"Discord would be so proud of you when he finds out about this. Maybe." Fluttershy held a Poke Ball, sending Krookodile out of it.
"Krookodile!"
The opposing trainers sent out their Pokemon next. An Armaldo and a Shiftry. Each Pokemon was out as very heavy cheers filled the atmosphere. More than usual. This was because Ash, who was a big fan favourite amongst many was present here, battling.
"Go, Ash! Go!" Some ponies acting as cheerleaders exclaimed, holding signs that either had Ash and Pikachu's names or faces on them. Pikachu felt embarrassed, putting his hand on the back of his head. He still wasn't used to such praise.
"Pika-Pika."
"You're a crowd favourite, Ash. Best not disappoint I guess," said Fluttershy.
"We're not gonna disappoint, Fluttershy," Ash replied. "Let's make us and our Pokemon crowd favourites, okay?"
"Okay!" She nodded, feeling Ash's enthusiasm and confidence rub off on her as she faced forward.
"Battle Start!"
"Check out our speed! Pikachu, use Quick Attack!"
"Pika!" Pikachu went first, taking off from the ground and running at speeds so fast, he could be seen as lightning. Fitting as he was also leaving behind white afterimages. "Pika-Pika-Pika!"
"Krookodile, use Shadow Claw!"
"Krooko!" Krookodie's claws had extended, receiving a shadowy and mysterious exterior as he ran with Pikachu. Not as fast as him when he's using Quick Attack, of course.
"Shiftry! Stop them with Knock Off!"
"Go and use Crush Claw, Armaldo!"
"Shift!" Shiftry summoned a dark aura around its hands, swinging them towards Pikachu. Pikachu utilized the speed of Quick Attack to avoid the incoming Crush Claw by zooming to the side. "Try?!"
"Pika!" Pikachu then got the first hit off, striking Shiftry's face with Quick Attack and evading Knock Off. The Grass-Dark-Type had been staggered and knocked back a bit before Pikachu zoomed off.
Shiftry then held its head before chasing after Pikachu, not finishing with Knock Off. It wanted one good hit in as Pikachu stood firm after zooming backwards.
"Armaldo!" Armaldo and Krookodile had a bit of claw-to-claw action with Shadow Claw and Crush Claw. One collision and sparks were already flying. But, they were equal in strength, thus neither could overpower the other. Thus, they separated afterwards.
"Iron Tail!"
"Chu...Pika!" Pikachu hardened his tail once Shiftry came after him. He had clashed Iron Tail with Knock Off, creating a small collision between them. Pikachu had forced Shiftry to back away, preventing the Wicked Pokemon from landing a proper hit.
"Shiftry, use Seed Bomb!"
"Try! Try!" Shiftry had then sent a frenzy of hard-shelled seeds into the air. The seeds then started raining as if someone was bombing the arena. And someone was.
"Pika!" Pikachu and Krookodile started evading the incoming Seed Bombs as constant grass explosions emerged after every hit. Thanks to Pikachu's quick speed, he could evade a lot of them. But the explosions were harder to pass by.
Krookodile had been struck by some of the incoming Seed Bombs, taking super-effective damage. He put his hands up while siding back. Krookodile could manage despite how abundant these raining Seed Bombs were.
"Krookodile!" Krookodile then grabbed Pikachu, pulling him back as a Seed Bomb almost landed in front of him. Krookodile had just saved Pikachu from that instance as the Mouse Pokemon thanked him.
"PIka-Pika."
"Dile."
"See Ash? I took your advice on making Seed Bomb act like Draco Meteor. Great, right?" The Shiftry Trainer spoke to Ash.
"Yeah. You really went and made it your own. Proud of you." Ash nodded in approval.
"Hear that?!" The trainer squeed with excitement, looking at his partner with equal excitement. "Ash is proud of me!"
"But don't get distracted! Makeshift Volt Tackle!"
"Pika...!" Pikachu then jumped into the air, combining the speed of Quick Attack and the power of Thunderbolt to make a temporary Volt Tackle. By shooting Thunderbolt into the air as it came down, engulfing the mouse Pokemon, Pikachu moved at lightning speeds with a massive lightning aura. "Pika-Pika-PIka-Pika!"
He caught Shiftry off guard, smashing into it with the full force of the attack."Shif!" The Trainers then got back into focus after their little geek out.
"Okay, Armaldo! Use Sunny Day!"
"Armal...!" The Plate Pokemon spread its arms out, manipulating the skies and sun itself. After doing so, Armaldo had intensified the sun, granting a beautiful glow that beamed across Canterlot and Equestria.
"Sunny Day? Then that means..." Ash squinted his eyes over at Shiftry. His assumption was about to come true.
"Solar Beam!"
"Shif...try!" With the power of Sunny Day, Solar Beam was instant. Shiftry had unleashed a massive green beam packed with solar energy. No time for charging up as it went straight for Krookodile.
"Krook?!"
"Pikachu! Block it with Iron Tail!"
"Pika!" Pikachu hopped in front of Krookodile, using the hardness of Iron Tail to block the incoming Solar Beam. Steel's resistance to Grass helped in this, however, the force of Solar Beam was not to be scoffed at. Pikachu did manage to block it as the beam blew up in front of him. However, he took some chip damage from that, sliding back as his tail had trembled a bit. "Pi-Pika!"
"Thanks, Pikachu!" Fluttershy thanked as Pikachu gave a thumbs up.
"Pika-Pika!"
"They're strong. Good." Ash grinned. "That's what I like. Say, Fluttershy. Why don't we try our new trick on them?"
"Right now? Okay. Sounds good to me." The pegasus replied with a gentle nod.
"Pikachu! Get on Krookodile's head and use Thunderbolt!"
"Pikachu!" Pikachu suddenly jumped behind Krookodile, taking a ride. He had latched onto the back of Krookodile's head with a cheeky grin. Afterwards, the Mouse Pokemon had summoned 100,000 volts of electricity from his body.
And obviously, this did not affect Krookodile since he was a Ground-Type. Ash and Fluttershy's little trick had been revealed as a gigantic and fierce electric aura surrounded Krookodile.
"What the?!" The opposing trainers gasped as everyone looked in awe.
"Get a load of this!" Ash exclaimed, raising his arm. "The new trick we came up with just today! With Krookodile's immunity and Pikachu's electricity, we've made a powerful armour!"
"We sure have. It wasn't difficult to perform either. Since Krookodile's immune to Electric-Types, no one got hurt." Fluttershy explained. "It's the easiest plan we've ever come up with."
"Yeah. It's just like my other strategy. The Thunder Armor. But we call this one the Electricifying Krookodile!" Ash snapped his fingers. "Krookodile's not golden so it looks kinda different."
"Pika-Pikachu!"
"Krookodile!"
"Now, let's show them how invincible you two are! Pikachu, keep powering Krookodile up!"
"Krookodile, go and use Brutal Swing!"
"Krooko!" Now having an aura of electricity as his shield, Krookodile was a walking electrical weapon. Aside from Pikachu. Anyone that gets close to him is prone to a shocking. Especially the opponents in front of him.
"D-Do we get close?!" The earth pony that owned Armaldo said. It didn't seem safe to get into close-quarters combat with Krookodile considering the constant aura of electricity around his body.
"Not if we stay back! Solar Beam, again!"
"Shif...!" Shiftry drew the power of the sun in, instantly charging Solar Beam in a flash thanks to Sunny Day. But Krookodile didn't seem worried at all.
"Counter with Thunderbolt!"
"Pika...!" Pikachu added some extra electricity. He charged up 100,000 volts, merging it with the electricity that was already around Krookodile, making it 200,000 volts.
Out of Krookodile's body, a burst of electricity then shot out, intercepting Solar Beam once it came out. The 200,000 volts were greater than the average Thunderbolt, making it potent enough to cancel Solar Beam out via an explosion following afterwards.
"Dile!" Krookodile moved through the smoke, appearing before Shiftry. The Intimidation Pokemon then swung his claws at Shiftry, giving it a good slap and knocking it aside. But not only that, the electricity had affected it.
"Try!" Shiftry cried out before being sent flying as the aura of 100,000 volts had paralyzed its body, making it slower in the process.
"Armaldo! Flash Cannon!"
"Ar...mal...do!" Armaldo opened its mouth before gathering all its light energy and releasing it all at once in the form of a silver beam.
"Dile!" Krookodile roared as he used the aura of electricity as a shield while also putting his arms up. With the double usage of protection, he was able to power through Flash Cannon. Plus, he resisted Steel-Type attacks due to being a Ground-Type. So, in the end, the Intimidation Pokemon shrugged off.
"Maldo?!" Armaldo gasped as a Brutal Swing was coming towards it.
"Dodge, Armaldo!"
"Armal!" Armaldo quickly jumped back, evading the incoming Brutal Swing.
"Go! Iron Tail!"
"PIka!" Pikachu then jumped off of Krookodile's head, pursuing Armaldo after it had jumped away. In that instance, the Mouse Pokemon brought upon Iron Tail, rolling through the air and striking Armaldo's head in the process. "Pikachu!"
"Mal!" Armaldo grimaced before being smashed into the ground. That was certainly a super-effective hit without a doubt. And with that hit, Armaldo had fainted. "Armaldo..."
"Armaldo is unable to battle! Pikachu wins!"
"Alright!" Ash pumped his fist as Pikachu landed on the ground, facing Shiftry who was the last one. And thanks to Pikachu defeating Armaldo, Sunny Day had ended. "Now there's just Shiftry."
"Aw, seriously...?" The defeated earth pony got on the ground sighing.
"Don't worry about it. I've got an ace in the hole for this one." The other earth pony grinned with a devious plan in mind. Pikachu and Krookodile stayed cautious.
"Pika...!"
"Krook...!"
"Shiftry...EXPLOSION!" She exclaimed, dropping her hair accessories from how the wind blew after she bellowed out the devastating attack name.
"Explosion?!" Ash and Fluttershy were even shocked by that. It is not an attack that is used commonly and for a good reason. The sheer power of it was catastrophic for almost every Pokemon minus Ghost-Types.
"Shif...!" Shiftry started gathering all of its Infinity Energy with golden lights flaring out of its body. It was going to make sure that it would take Pikachu and Krookodile out in one fell swoop.
"W-W-What happens if they're all down and out?!" Pinkie Pie screeched. "Is it a Tiebreaker?!"
"Only one way to find out!" Twilight bit her hoof.
"I can't watch!" Rarity, terrified by the attack, put her hoof over her eyes in fear.
"That's gonna be bad news when that hits! It could take us out in one go!" Ash gasped. "Let's try-"
"Don't worry, Ash! I know what to do." Fluttershy stepped forward. "Krookodile! Outrage on the ground!"
"Kroo...Ko...DILE!" Krookodile then become enveloped in a fearsome red aura as his pure unbridled rage had been unlocked. And by doing so, he used pure draconic power to smash the ground. Afterwards, he grabbed a large rock that had been separated after the crack he made, lifting it.
This rock would act as a shield. And for extra safety, Pikachu added another Thunderbolt, bumping up the volts to really make the electricity the ultimate defence.
"Try!" And after building up enough power, Shiftry unleashed a gallant and catastrophic outburst of Infinity Energy that made a fiery gale in the shape of a dome as always.
Pikachu held onto Krookodile tightly while closing his eyes. The fearsome explosion expanded, making contact with the massive platform of rock and the electric aura.
Everything around Shiftry had been blown back as Krookodile stood his ground, trying to maintain himself from this overwhelming force. The rock in front of him was being obliterated, but he held on, not letting up.
The rock had been obliterated as Krookodile had only the electricity to rely on. And with Pikachu adding more volts in it, bumping it up to 400,000 volts, the protection was heightened.
The explosion came to an end as Krookodile fell on his back. Pikachu quickly hopped off before he could be crushed. Krookodile barely withstood that. If that Thunderbolt shield was not up, that would've been it for him.
And it was certainly it for Shiftry as it had fainted after using such a risky and potent move. "Shiftry..."
"Shiftry is unable to battle! Thus, the winners are Pikachu and Krookodile!"
"Yes! We did it, Fluttershy! Awesome stuff!" Ash cheered as he and Fluttershy gave each other a high-five-hoof. Pikachu and Krookodile did the same with their hands too. Cheers resounded across the stadium due to their stunning victory. And so did their friends.
"Those two have great chemistry, so it was to be expected." Rarity nodded in approval. "A little terrified if Ember and I end up facing them."
"Using Krookodile's immunity to Electric-Types and forming a defensive shield was brilliant! That Ash comes up with the weirdest things, doesn't he?" Twilight said.
"Too weird." Barry grizzled his teeth before rummaging his hair. "I don't get Ash sometimes! What else does he have that I don't?!"
"Well, he's not as loud as you," Ember replied before holding her ears.
"I've forgotten how it felt to be in a real Pokemon Battle! It's so...exciting!" Fluttershy got all giddy, prancing on the spot. After the match had ended, both sides respected each other. Now they could make way for the next matches to come along.
And with that, the rest of the matches could continue until this day ended. And the orange glow of the sun slowly setting was a sign of the first day coming to a close.
Nightfall.
And with the last match, everyone could rest tonight. Nightfall had come with the mon shining. The later matches would happen this coming morning along with the afternoon, thus making the second day longer than the first.
All Pokemon had been healed up by Nurse Joy to their full strength. Redheart felt a tad bit jealous that Nurse Joy was better at healing the Pokemon than her. Then again, every Joy family member has been trained for taking care of Pokemon so it was to be expected.
The Canterlot Guest rooms were used to rest up for the night for everyone. Some were eating before heading to bed. Dinner or even a midnight snack.
Rainbow Dash's Pokemon were eating for heading off for a night of good night sleep. All except for Mienfoo, who was still bitter after what Lightning Dust's Incineroar did. She sat there with her arms crossed, not eating her food.
"Come on, Mienfoo. Are you not hungry?" Rainbow Dash went up to the Martial Arts Pokemon.
"Mienfoo." She scoffed, turning her head away from the food.
"Still upset about that Incineroar thing, aren't you?" Rainbow asked as Mienfoo nodded in confirmation. "Ah, don't worry about it. We won, didn't we? Sorry that you couldn't take anyone out. I know you enjoy at least getting good licks in and the finishing blow."
"Mien..." Mienfoo grumbled as she was already itching to pick a fight with someone. Out of everyone in her friend group, from Ash's Pokemon, Twilight's Pokemon and more, she was the most hot-headed of them all. Quick to start a fight and rapidly get angry over certain things. Big or small.
Speaking of Lightning Dust, Rainbow Dash saw her outside, practising with her Pokemon. She had three of them out as Rainbow Dash got to see the rest. Her Incineroar, a Tyrantrum and a new Pokemon Rainbow Dash and the others had never seen before.
A Toxtricity.
"Woah! Who's that Pokemon?!" She cried out as Ash and the others instantly came to her location to witness this new Pokemon. They too had seen Toxtricity for the first time, taking out their Pokedex.
"Toxtricity. The Punk Pokemon. Amped Form. When this Pokémon sounds as if it’s strumming a guitar, it’s actually clawing at the protrusions on its chest to generate electricity. This short-tempered and aggressive Pokémon chugs stagnant water to absorb any toxins it might contain."
"An Electric-Poison-Type? Sweet!" Ash and Fluttershy geeked out at this new Pokemon. They share the same love for Pokemon after all. Especially ones they've never seen before.
Rainbow Dash opened the door to see Lightning Dust and how she had her Pokemon out to improve them. "Hey, Lightning!"
"Hm?" Lightning turned around before chewing on some food. "Mmm? What?" She swallowed her food.
"I see you're training for tomorrow. Great stuff." Rainbow Dash went up to her. "How about we do the same?"
"Why?" She asked, not sure if she was fond of Rainbow Dash's approach.
"Well, we'd work better if we trained together, wouldn't we? I mean, that's what teamwork's all about, isn't it?"
"Pass. Besides, I told you I didn't wanna team up with you. I can get stronger with just my Pokemon and that's it." She gave her retort.
"Seriously?" Rainbow groaned. "How are e gonna win this if we can't even work as a team? In case you've forgotten, we're gonna be going up against Trainers that are way better at us as a team. Do we really wanna lose to that?"
"Well, no." She bit her lip. "I obviously want to beat Spitfire and shove it all in her face and everything."
"Then we can do it together. We can both shove it in her face." Rainbow Dash said before looking around. "Uh...she didn't hear that, right?"
"But I still don't want to work with you."
"Gah, you're still on that whole leader thing? I know it meant a lot to you and everything but-"
"I don't wanna hear it. As long as I can win this and prove Spitfire wrong, I'm good. Besides, I've got something else in mind. Totally separate from the Wonderbolts."
"Huh?"
"Oh yeah. Since I can't live out my dream-dares thanks to the Wonderbolts, I found a way to make that come to reality. I made the Washouts for this."
"The Washouts?" Rainbow Dash repeated.
"Oh yeah. My professional stunt team full of ex-Wonderbolts. And we don't need Wonderbolts regulations to do our thing over there."
"No regulations? That doesn't sound like a safe job at all." Twilight gasped.
"Obviously not. It's only for ponies who really wanna do it their way. The best kind of team!" Lightning spread her hooves out. "And it's going good so far."
"Out of spite. Ooh." Rarity shuddered.
"When I win this and beat Spitfire, it'll help boost the Washout's popularity. Probably even more than the Wonderbolts. And if I don't get the chance to battle her then, eh. The Equestria League will have to do."
"We're only gonna beat them if we work as a team." Rainbow Dash brought up teamwork once more. But, her irritation was starting to show due to how Lightning Dust was pulling away from teamwork. "Can you at least do that?"
"If you won't hold me back."
"I'm not holding you back!" Rainbow Dash bellowed. "I never hold back! Ever!"
"Well, in the next match, don't let me outdo you again and take all the faints." Lightning smirked, further filling Rainbow Dash's irritation.
The multi-coloured mane mare repeatedly stomped her hoof on the ground as Pinkie Pie, rushed out of the castle pulling Rainbow Dash away before something brash could happen. But she wasn't the only one to pull away. Mienfoo hopped over Pinkie and Rainbow Dash, landing in front of Lightning Dust.
"Foo! Mienfoo!" The Martial Arts Pokemon had a higher temper than Rainbow Dash as she started roaring at Lightning Dust, demanding that she brought out Incineroar for a 1-on-1 battle, no holds barred.
"Mienfoo! Now's not the best time!" Fluttershy pleaded, translating for Mienfoo.
"You guys are throwing my training off. Get lost."
"Fine." Rainbow Dash pouted before holding Mienfoo. The Martial Arts Pokemon flailed her arms and legs around, wanting a fight desperately. "We'll go. But if we lose tomorrow then it's on you."
"We'll see about that." Lightning snapped back before facing her Pokemon. Rainbow Dash didn't say anything else as she just entered back inside to finish her food and rest up.
"Ash. You've come across something like this before, right. Anything to fix it?" Twilight asked.
"Not that easy." Ash shook his head. "This is something Rainbow Dash and Lightning Dust have to solve on their own. And if not then I could try something."
"Pikachu."
Morning.
The next day had come. And the matches for the day were up and ready. Battling today would be a group of friends. The first matchup was Spike and Scootaloo against two human trainers.
With Spike's powerful Dragon-Types and Scootaloo's fairly speedy Pokemon, they were able to hold their own in this battle. Especially with their Goodra and Cyndaquil.
"Goodra use Surf!" Spike ordered.
"Goo...Dra!" Goodra put his hands out, summoning an orb of water before shooting it on the field. He then swamped the entire battlefield with a giant wave of water, riding on it.
"Throh! Use Wide Guard!"
"Throh!" Throh had the move for this. A move as widespread as Surf needed a move that could protect both Pokemon with ease. The Judo Pokemon put his arms out, summoning a giant and wide shield that had blocked the incoming Surf. Both Throh and Swalot had been guarded against Surf.
"Cyndaquil! Flame Wheel!"
"Cynda...!" Cyndaquil spun around in the air as his body became engulfed in flames. He then charged right for Swalot at high speeds.
"Swalot, dodge and use Body Slam!"
"Swa..." Swalot waited for Cyndaquil to get close. Once the Fire Mouse was close enough, the Poison Bag Pokemon jumped into the air, ready to drop its full body weight on the Fire-Type.
"Sucker..." A cheery grin graced Scootaloo's face. "Cyndaquil, drift!"
"Cynda!" But, Cyndaquil didn't stop his momentum. He drifted across the ground, evading Swalot as the Poison-Type ended up crashing onto the ground, hitting nothing. "Quil!" Cyndaquil then came back around, smashing into Swalot.
"Lot!" Swalot cried out as it was knocked back. The extra momentum with that Flame Wheel made sure the knockback was greater than it would usually be.
"Throh, use Storm Throw!"
"Swalot, recover and use Sludge Bomb!"
"Swa...Lot!" Swalot instantly recovered, shooting out unsanitary sludge. As for Throh, he lunged into the air, approaching Goodra.
"I don't think so! Grab him back with your horns, Goodra!"
"Goo!" Goodra had then used his horns to counter Throh. Before the Judo Pokemon could even grab Goodra, he had been grabbed instead as Goodra's horns wrapped around his arms and legs while in midair.
"Throh?!"
"Now, Power Whip into that Sludge Bomb!"
"Goo...Dra!" With amazing strength and green-coated horns, Goodra had swung Throh towards Sludge Bomb, intercepting it. And instead of hitting Cyndaquil, the poison sludge had struck Throh instead. Not only that, but Goodra dropped Throh onto Swalot.
"Throh!"
"Swa?!"
"Thanks, Spike!" Scootaloo thanked. "Now, use Incinerate!"
"Cyndaquil!" And to finish things off with power, Cyndaquil opened his mouth, unleashing a giant stream of dark fire that engulfed both Throh and Swalot.
A fearsome explosion of fire emerged afterwards in a dome-shaped flame. Cyndaquil landed on Goodra's head after that powerful attack hit its mark. And with Incinerate plus POwer Whip adding up to all the damage done to the opposing Pokemon in this battle, there was only one outcome.
Throh and Swalot had fainted.
"Throh..."
"Swalot..."
"Throh and Swalot are unable to battle! Thus the winners are Goodra and Cyndaquil!"
"Yes! Yes!" Spike and Scootaloo jumped for joy as Goodra picked them both and Cyndaquil up for a massive group hug of victory. And of course, Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom and their friends cheered for their victory. They would be advancing onto the next round today without a doubt.
Afterwards, they gave respect to their opponents. And the next matchup would end up being Rarity and Ember going up against Pinkie Pie and Sunrise. This would be the first one where three friends would face-off at last.
"Would ya look at that!" Pinkie looked at the monitor. "It's our turn, Sunrise!"
"Oh, r-right!"? Sunrise stuttered before standing up. "I'm ready! But uh...are you gonna show Mew since...everyone knows?"
"Eh. Mew's popular and rare to everyone." Pinkie shrugged. "But it doesn't matter. Gonna use him anyway."
"Yes!" Sunrise pumped his hoof. "This means with Mew, we might win this!"
"I wouldn't get too confident, darling." Rarity said. "You never know what could happen in a Pokemon Battle after all. You have to be as careful and focused as you can be. You want to face your brother Daylight, right?"
"Oh. Y-Yeah." He nodded. "You're right. Bit nervous if I have to face him."
"If you can beat us." Ember pointed at herself.
"We are gonna beat you! Just watch!" With high bravado, Sunrise made a statement. He was also hoping his brother would be watching him.
The opposing trainers took some time to prepare, thinking of which Pokemon to lead with. After doing so, they made their way onto the field once everything was cleared. And just as Sunrise was hoping for, Daylight was watching from the crowd. Because why wouldn't he? Sunrise wanted to make his big brother proud while his big brother wanted to see his little brother do his best. Even if he doesn't win.
Sunrise's friends from the Pokemon School were also present. The most notable are Sapphire Flash and Dew Drops. Sapphire and Sunrise had a bit of a rivalry together as Sapphire found mild amusement in Sunrise's mishaps. And this was one she was looking forward to.
"I can't wait for this." The little unicorn grinned, holding popcorn with her magic. Dew Drops was adamant and more along the lines of rooting for her friend rather than Sapphire's amusement in his less than stellar performances.
"How good is your little brother?" Spitfire asked her fellow orange-haired pony.
"Uh..." Daylight scratched his man, having an uncertain look on his face. "He's not bad, I'll say that much. But he knows how to improve when it counts. I just hope this loss doesn't hit him as hard as the Gym Leader one."
After getting on the field, both teams looked at each other, anticipating this to begin. "Both sides. Please bring out your Pokemon." The referee ordered.
"Come out, Leavanny!" Rarity chose her strongest Leavanny as her choice for this round.
"Go, Drakloak!" And for Ember, it was her Drakloak.
"Leavanny!"
"Drakloak!"
"I can always trust this Pokemon! Gurdurr, go!" Sunrise chose who he saw as his ace. His Gurdurr.
"Gurdurr!"
"Showtime, Mew!" Mew popped out of Pinkie Pie's mane, appearing before everyone. The humans were still shocked to see that Mew was just out in the open, owned by a trainer that didn't make such a big deal out of the ancestor of all Pokemon.
This next battle was about to be underway as Celestia watched, eating some leftover cake with Adagio and Premium Polish by her side. But as she watched, one of the guards came up to the Ruler of Equestria along with Luna.
"Sister," Luna spoke. "Hope we're not interrupting. I mean...we are. But we should probably tell you that what seems to be the Empress' forces have been spotted in the Pokemon World."
"They have?" Celestia gasped silently. "You saw this when training, were you? Did you follow them?"
"I lost them, sadly. But they seemed to be roaming around with no clear sense of direction at all." Luna replied. "But from the looks of it, they're looking for something out there. Plus...they didn't seem like they had the same armour as the Empress' forces. Maybe it was just an improvement."
"Maybe a Pokemon. I'll take notice of it as well." Celestia said as she would get to the bottom of this. Any involvement with the Empress was nothing to ignore. Little did they know, it was more than just the Empress heading for the Pokemon World for one reason.
"Battle Start!"
But aside from that, the battle had begun. "Mew! Go first with Aura Sphere on Leavanny!" Pinkie made the first move.
"Gurdurr, use Slam!"
"Mew-Mew!" Mew opened his mouth and put his hands out before gathering Aura. Gurdurr had held his steel beam tight before running forward with it. And at the same time, Mew had thrown the sphere of Aura.
"Leavanny, X Scissor!"
"Drakloak! Dragon Pulse!"
"Leavan!" Leavanny and Drakloak followed afterwards. Leavanny approached the Aura Sphere with her arms crossed while Drakloak readied a pulse filled with nothing but draconic energy within it just for Gurdurr.
This battle was just getting started along with this competition. Some more battles were soon to come and eventually, the final two teams will have to face each other for victory as the journey continues.
Chapter 570 End.