Equestria. Ponyville. Town Hall. Day.
The 7th Gym Battle with Mayor Mare being revealed as the newest Gym Leader was inevitable. Rainbow Dash was ready. It would be a 2-on2 battle so just 2 Pokemon only. But she knew which Pokemon to bring. After she and Twilight assisted Mayor Mare in catching a few Pokemon to prepare for the Gym, Rainbow Dash made sure to know which Pokemon she would go up against. This was the gym that would earn her the 7th Gym Badge and take her towards the final Gym. There, the road to the Equestria League would be unlocked.
But Mayor Mare was in the same boat. She was waiting patiently in Town Hall, knowing Rainbow Dash's Pokemon very well after all she's seen of them. In her hooves, she three Poke Balls containing Alakazam, Whiscash and Probopass. Pokemon with facial hair.
And while sitting there, petting Stoutland on the head, Rainbow Dash opened the door to Town Hall, appearing before Mayor Mare. And joining Rainbow Dash were her friends who were here to watch this Gym Battle ensue.
"Ah, good. You arrived on time." Mayor Mare stood up. "Hollow battled everyone else yesterday, making you the first trainer to battle me officially."
"Wouldn't have it any other way." Rainbow Dash grinned. "I've been waiting for this. I watched your battle with Ms Harshwinny back at the Crystal Empire and know all about Alakazam, Whiscash, Probopass and especially your Stoutland. I'm ready for this."
"She sure is!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed. "But you'll do great too, mayor."
"I hope you are. The time with Alakazam, Whiscash and Probopas may have been brief, but some progress had been made. Not too long either. Isn't that right, boy?"
"Stout. Stoutland."
"The battle isn't going to seriously happen here, is it?" Twilight asked. "That would mean Town Hall might take some damage now that I think about it."
"Ah, have no fear. A field made to withstand Pokemon Battles had already been built. Observe!" Mayor Mare stomped her hoof once. Upon stomping it, the floor was starting to transform. Everyone gazed downwards to see the floor split, revealing another floor below.
That floor had the signature Pokemon symbol that was found in Gyms, Pokemon League Stadiums, fields and any place where Pokemon Battles take place. One had been built beneath Town Hall as it had risen. Now, the stage was set perfectly.
"Impressive, isn't it?" The mayor nodded while everyone gawked. "This Town Hall is old so some new additions are always. Now then, let's not waste any more time, shall we?"
"Oh, right, right!" Rainbow Dash quickly zoomed towards the fields, taking her respective side. She stood on the right side of the field. Mayor Mare casually trotted to the left side while Ash and everyone would use the seats that naturally came with Town Hall. No special stands were needed for this.
It wouldn't just be them. Since Town Hall was within a civilization, some ponies would look through the window or enter the building, wanting to see this Gym Battle for themselves. The referee pony also arrived, ready to oversee the battle from start to finish. Once everyone was seated, made themselves comfortable, everything could go underway without any interruptions.
"The Ponyville Gym Battle between Rainbow Dash and Gym Leader Mayor Mare will now begin! This will be a 2-on-2 match! And the battle will be over when all two of either Trainer's Pokemon are unable to continue. Only the challenger will be allowed to make substitutions during the match. Now, bring out your first Pokemon."
"Observe." Mayor Mare held out her first Poke Ball, throwing it into the air. "Probopass, come out!"
"Probopass!"
"Probopass. It's a good thing I've got you as my first pick! Go, Mienfoo!" Rainbow Dash's first pick was her Mienfoo as she launched the Poke Ball by slapping it with her wings. Out of it came the Martial Arts Pokemon.
"Mienfoo!"
"Battle Start!"
"Watch me ace this! I won't be holding back! Mienfoo, Force Palm, go!"
"Mien...Foo!" Mienfoo went first, leaping off the floor as everyone's eyes were glued to the action. She thrust her palm in front of her, causing an orange streak of light to appear around it.
"Now, Probopass! Retaliate with Gyro Ball!"
"Probo-Probo!" Probopass responded to Mienfoo's Gyro Ball via some body spinning. Thanks to its slow speed, Gyro Ball's strength was vastly increased as a white light emanated from Probopass. Mienfoo's palm had been thrown into Gyro Ball with the two forces meeting with each other. An orange and silver light flashed from their collision with none of them overpowering the other. Mienfoo soon jumped back as it was a tie clash.
"Okay then! Move around with Acrobatics! Let's show them that they can't keep up!"
"Mienfoo!" After jumping back, Mienfoo immediately started moving once more with little time to slow down. She was a Pokemon that was always on a rapid move after all. Mienfoo used the surroundings and the vast space of Town Hall to move around, jumping and running on the walls in seconds. She became a yellow and pink blur from her speed as Probopass was unable to keep up.
"Not surprised. Most if not all of your Pokemon are fast." Mayor Mare didn't seem bothered by Mienfoo's absurd speed. Rainbow Dash let out a proud grin, knowing that she had a truly swift team. "But unfortunately, your speed will be your downfall once someone negates it. Like so! Probopass, use Gravity!"
"Probo!" Probopass' eyes lit up once Mienfoo moved in for a dive-kick with Acrobatics. Right as she got close, Probopass had already manipulated space itself. The space around Town Hall specifically. With just that alteration, Mienfoo suddenly felt heavier as her Acrobatics were thrown off balance and negated, causing her to crash into the Compass Pokemon.
"M-Mien!"
"Now, Gyro Ball!"
"Pass!" With Mienfoo crashing into Probopass, this allowed the Rock-Steel-Type to gyrate and spiral with the Martial Arts Pokemon on it. And with this action, Mienfoo was being spun as well, receiving something akin to a merry go round but on a far more aggressive level.
"Oh, no! Mienfoo!" Rainbow Dash gasped. Mienfoo was already feeling sick and dizzy from this spinning. And so was everyone else watching. Their eyes kept following Probopass' spinning. There weren't many options to break free from this scenario with retaliation. But there was one form of freedom that was tailored to Probopass' actions. Once it had stopped spinning, Mienfoo had been launched off of Probopass, flying a great distance.
"Now, Stone Edge!"
"Pro!" After spinning Mienfoo and launching her far, Probopass followed up with glowing crystals forming around its body, similar to a planet orbit. Afterwards, it had launched the stones towards Mienfoo while she was still flying. Plus, Gravity was holding her down even still.
"Force Palm!"
"Foo!" But even when being hurled and having Gravity pressurize her, Mienfoo had struck the incoming stones repeatedly, breaking them apart until they became pebbles.
"Does this decrease of speed within this gravity field not worry you, Rainbow Dash?"
"Not one bit. I've seen the move Gravity used quite a bunch. So it's not a big deal for me and Mienfoo. We're gonna work around it anyway." Rainbow Dash crosse her hooves along with Mienfoo.
"Mienfoo."
"Hm. Fair enough." Mayor Mare shrugged, accepting that argument. "But can the same be said for your Flying-Types?"
"Gh!" Rainbow Dash and Mienfoo both twitched as Mayor Mare had revealed one flaw with them. Gravity didn't matter much to a Pokemon like Mienfoo. But for her other Pokemon that could fly, this could prove to be a problem. "It doesn't matter! Because once I beat Probopass, that Gravity Field is out of here!"
"Foo!"
"Then give me your best shot, why don't you?."
"Fine! We'll end this in one move!" Rainbow Dash had then revealed the Z-Ring, holding her hoof out. Afterwards, she had placed the Fightium Z onto the ring. Upon placing it, the ring pulsated an aura that flew out. It was time for the full force of this Z-Move to be utilized as Rainbow Dash started posing.
"She's going to use a Z-Move right now?!" Scootaloo gasped. "This early?!"
"The best choice in my eyes." Twilight agreed with Rainbow Dash using it this early. "Probopass is far too vulnerable to Fighting-Type moves. So a Z-Move such as this is the way to go. Unless..."
"Get ready! There's no way Probopass is fast enough to avoid what's coming!"
"Mienfoo!" Mienfoo nodded as her body began flowing with the aura of Z Power once Rainbow Dash pulled off the successful poses. But Mayor Mare didn't seem worried even if Probopass was incredibly vulnerable to Fighting-Type moves and was too slow to avoid what was coming its way.
"Mienfoo. ALL OUT PUMMELLING!"
"Mien...Foo!" Mienfoo then threw a ridiculously fast flurry of orange glowing punches and kicks that covered a majority of the field. Everyone watched as Probopass simply stood there, ready for the attack.
"P-Probo!" Probopass had then been bombarded with these constant blows that pummelled it with an unrelenting force. The sound of Probopass' hard body could be heard echoing from each hit. The final blow came in the form of a gigantic paw that had engulfed Probpass. Afterwards, the Fighting-Type Infinity Energy combusted, resulting in a dome-shaped explosion.
The Z Aura then faded away as Mienfoo and Rainbow Dash narrowed their eyes, waiting to see if Probopass was down and out. Lo and behold, once the smoke started clearing, that was not the case. The silhouette of the Compass Pokemon could be seen floating there. Not only was it floating, but it was still up and able to continue. It did not faint.
"No way!" Rainbow Dash and Mienfo gasped.
"Hmph. Unfortunately, Sturdy says otherwise." Mayor Mare adjusted her glasses as they shined with the sun beaming through. "Perhaps you might know about that ability, hm?"
"Sturdy! Darn it!" Rainbow Dash growled, knowing that Sturdy can sometimes be a climatic-killer in a lot of instances.
"Ah. Then I suppose you also know this move. Pain Split!"
"Pass!" Probopass had then made one of its eyes glow. Out of its glowing eyes, a tiny yet hyper-fast ray of light came flying out. It had connected with Mienfoo's eyes immediately.
"Mien?" Upon meeting with Mienfoo's eyes, a barrage of invisible blows had been delivered to her. "M-Mienfoo?!" Mienfoo cried out once all these invisible blows came to her. Just like that, she had been knocked back as shockwaves came out of her body, causing her to fall down.
"What the?! What was that?!" Rainbow Dash had no idea what that move was. But judging from the name, everypony else who had never heard of this move could most likely tell.
"That's Pain Split!" Ash cried out. "It's an attack that makes the targets pain the same as its opponent. All that damage that Probopass took from All-Out Pummeling and withstood from Sturdy is now on Mienfoo. They're about equal in energy right about now.
"Wish they taught us that move in the Pokemon School. But only Princess Luna has a teacher that specializes in Normal-Type moves, correct?" Rarity asked. "Norman, was it?"
"Mienfoo! Are you okay?!"
"M-Mienfoo..." Mienfoo stood up slowly as she had tatters all over her body. She got on one knee with one eye closed before opening the other eye and barely standing upright. "Mien."
"Nifty move, wouldn't you agree? Now, all we need is one clean hit and that Mienfoo of yours is out of the picture. Or will it be a switch, Rainbow Dash?" Mayor Mare pointed at the Wonderbolt, making her nervous. Rainbow Dash grit her teeth, knowing that in just a few minutes, she had been put in a rough spot. These upper-level Gym Leaders are certainly no joke. And they never will be.
"Mienfoo!" Mienfoo wasn't planning on leaving. Even if Rainbow Dash would choose to return her. She gt into a charging stance, raising her arms and letting out a powerful battle cry.
"Mienfoo? Do you seriously want to stay in?" Rainbow Dash gawked. The Martial Arts Pokemon turned her head, giving an approving nod to the pegasus. "Hm. Okay. I gotcha. The truth is...we also a clean hit as well and that Probopass is done for. So let's do this!"
"Mienfoo!" Mienfoo took her signature stance that the entirety of her species has. Both Pokemon were incredibly weak right about now. One mighty blow and either one could go down. They looked at each other a bit before Mayor Mare gave the next command.
"Stone Edge! Keep them at bay and take them out, Probopass!"
"Probopass!" Probopass descended onto the floor, smashing it as it had summoned an array of glowing crystals that burst from below, destroying parts of the field.
"Run across the walls with Acrobatics!"
"Mien!" Mienfoo would once again use Town Hall as a way to work to her advantage. However, the effects of Gravity were still prominent, especially when within the air. The speed of Acrobatics had been bogged down because of this Gravity field.
"Pass!" But just then, Probopass had used the other variation of Stone Edge. The ones that flew out as they orbited Probopass' body before shooting at the Martial Arts Pokemon.
"Foo?!" Mienfoo gasped as the stones started hitting the walls of Town Hall, leaving dents and holes. Mienfoo started running from them once they approached. She jumped from wall to wall with each stone that got close to her. Some stones even flew out the windows. The ponies from the outside had ducked and squealed after almost being hit by these stones once they had reached the outside.
"Knock them away with Fury Swipes!"
"Mienfoo!" Mienfoo revealed her hidden claws which started glowing. The Fighting-Type faced the stones, leaping off of the walls before using her amazing swiping speed to her advantage here. She started cleaving the stones as fast as they came, using all of her efforts despite how vulnerable she was currently was.
She managed to get rid of all of them until Probopass had sent some more her way, planning to overwhelm the Martial Arts Pokemon at all costs.
"Grr! Use the energy from Force Palm and shoot it out!"
"Mien...!" After getting rid of the first barrage of stones, Mienfoo aimed to take the rest of them out with just one hit. She had used Force Palm, forming an orange glow around her paw. But with that glow, she had utilized the Infinity Energy from it, thrusting her trembling arm forwards as an orange beam had been shot out. "Foo!"
The orange beam had met with the second barrage of stones, clashing with them. Upon colliding, the energy had taken out the stones successfully, resulting in an orange explosion.
"Now's our chance...!" Rainbow Dash said to herself. "Reversal!"
"Foo!" Mienfoo then jumped off the wall, passing through the smoke and appearing in front of Probopass, ready to deliver the final blow to the Compass Pokemon with an up-close and personal strike. But, unexpectedly, the final crystal from Stone Edge had been revealed.
It had burst out of the floor, hitting Mienfoo in the chin, right as she threw the punch. It was right in front of Probopass' nose by one inch. But that crystal had put an end to things, knocking Mienfoo aside. Everyone was agape in the mouth from that sneak attack. No one expected a final stone to show itself. Mienfoo dropped to the floor as it had been decided. She had fainted.
"M-Mienfoo..."
"Mienfoo is unable to battle! Probopass wins!"
"Oh..." That was all Rainbow Dash could say. She accepted the defeat of Mienfoo but was flabbergasted by the secret Stone Edge. So was everyone else.
"Always check your surroundings," said Mayor Mare as that was a slight taunt considering Mienfoo had been using her surroundings this entire time. Everyone applauded as they were enjoying this battle. It was a shame that it was just a 2-on-2, meaning that the battle would be shorter. But even so, that first round proved to be a lengthy one.
"Mienfoo. You did great. Get some rest." Rainbow Dash recalled her partner. "You got the first one, but that Probopass of yours is one tap away from victory." She then brought out her second Poke Ball as it glimmered with the sun beaming down on it.
"So you say..." Mayor Mare still wasn't bothered.
"I never knew Mayor Mare could be so...so..." Sweetie Belle stammered on her words, trying to find the right thing to say. "So cool."
"Didn't you see her when she battled all those Honchkrow and Murkrow for the first time?" Scootaloo nudged Sweetie Belle.
"It's almost terrifying to imagine what she would be like if our world never met with Pokemon..." Fluttershy chuckled nervously.
"Uh...You'd be disappointed." Cold Colt shook his head as he knew the truth of what Mayor Mare would be like in the original timeline without Pokemon.
"Alright! Here comes the sec-"
"Cast!" But Castform had cut Rainbow Dash off, wanting to go next. "Castform! Cast-Cast!"
"Aw. Sorry, buddy. But I was thinking of bringing someone else out for round 2. Maybe in the next Gym Battle or another battle we might have sooner or later." She apologized to the Weather Pokemon.
"Cast..."
"Let's go! Whirlipede!"
"Whirlipede!" Rainbow Dash's first-ever Pokemon had been sent into the fray. And arguably her fastest depending on how long a battle goes on for.
"Let's end this in one shot! Whirlipede, use Rollout!"
"Whirlipede!" Whirlipede revved up his body, creating some dust along the way. After picking up some speed, Whirlipede took off, rolling towards Probopass to deliver that finishing blow Mienfoo couldn't give.
"Stone Edge!"
"Probopass!" But Probopass would be there to stop him. More of those glowing crystals had been summoned from underneath, rapidly erupting and tearing the floor apart.
"Pede!" But, Whirlipede could work around this. Mainly by drifting. The Curlipede Pokemon took a hard drift and a hard turn, avoiding the crystals with incredible precision. But more were popping up, just to block Whirlipede at all costs.
"That's the stuff! Now! Go!"
"Whirlipede!" Whirlipede then used one of the stones as a ramp, rolling off of it. Probopass and Mayor Mare's eyes were raised to see the Bug-Poison-Type attacking from above. "Pede!" With a spurt of speed in the air, Whirlipede had crashed into Probopass by accelerating his body. Even Gravity couldn't keep him down as it was a direct hit.
"P-Pro!" And that one hit was all that was needed. Probopass was knocked down as Whirlipede slid past it afterwards, coming to a screeching halt. The Compass Pokemon hit the floor, making a loud clanging sound from its body weight. It had fainted. "Probopass..."
"Probopass is unable to battle! Whirlipede wins!"
That much was to be expected. Sturdy was an amazing ability but it did have its flaws depending on the scenario. With Probopass down, it came down to only one Pokemon as Mayor Mare recalled the Compass Pokemon. "Thank you, Probopass. You were amazing for your first run at this."
"It's so short but it's so much fun too!" Pinkie Pie cheered along with many others from the inside and outside. "This is truly short and sweet.
"I know what the next Pokemon is...She can't resist using her very best one," said Rainbow Dash as her eyes were focused on Stoutland. Mayor Mare's first and undoubtedly strongest Pokemon.
"I'm counting on you, Stoutland." Mayor Mare faced the BigHearted Pokemon. "You will always make me proud. Now go! And show them what you can do!"
"Stoutland!" Stoutland ran ahead, standing in front of Mayor Mare and making a powerful howl. "Stout!" With this howl, other canine Pokemon nearby couldn't help but howl as well. Including Pokemon already owned by Trainers. Even Applejack's pet dog Winona howled in response.
"I've been waiting for Stoutland." grinned Rainbow Dash. "That dog's always been crazy strong ever since. I've wanted to see just how good it was and now's my chance."
"Don't waste your chance then." Mayor Mare shook her head. "Show me what you can do. But be careful. I have a secret waiting just for you and Whirlipede."
"We'll beat you before that secret can come along! Whirlipede! Rollout, let's go!"
"Whirlipede!" Whirlipede's speed had been increased thanks to his ability Speed Boost. Because of this, his take-off was faster than before as he approached the Big-Hearted Pokemon at full throttle.
"Stoutland, show him your speed and sweep that Bug!"
"Stoutland!" Just then, unexpectedly, Stoutland had dashed from the spot he stood on, appearing n the other side with impressive speed. Speeds that no one knew Stoutland was capable of.
"Whirl?!" Whirlipede was taken aback by this as well as he quickly drifted to face the Normal-Type. However, Stoutland had then dashed once more, moving from place to place with after images being left behind. Whirlipede kept rolling to try and keep up.
"Wait! Stoutland has always been this fast?!" Rainbow Dash was aghast.
"Always has been! Crunch!"
"Stoutland!" Stoutland, after zipping throughout the area, appeared before Whirlipede with a yellow aura shaped like a set of teeth.
"Whirl!" Whirlipede rushed at Stoutland, clashing with the aura teeth directly. The teeth managed to grab ahold of Whirlipede once he was close. Stoutland now had the Curlipede Pokemon within his grip. "W-Whirl?!"
"Give him a good slamming!"
"Stoutland!" Stoutland then started slamming Whirlipede onto the floor while still holding onto him. The first hit was hard enough to shake the field and the second hit involved a turnaround slam. Stoutland then kept slamming the Curlipede Pokemon around like a ragdoll.
"W-Whirlipede!"
"Whirlipede! Spin as fast as you can to break free with Steamroller!"
"Pede!" Whirlipede wouldn't allow this to continue. He spun on the spot while the energy of Crunch was still holding onto this. With Steamroller's power, Whirlipede built up some acceleration that started to damage the aura teeth. Stoutland soon noticed this as Whirlipede's acceleration was strong enough to burn away the aura teeth of Crunch, breaking him free. "Whirl!"
"S-Stout!"
"Thanks to that slamming, you've helped increase Whirlipede's speed some more with Speed Boost! Now, hit him hard with Venoshock!"
"Pede! Whirl...!" After breaking free from the teeth, Whirlipede used his tiny limbs that shot out streams of poison from both fronts. The poison immediately sprayed Stoutlan, stinging the Normal-Type and pushing him away.
"Reversal!"
"Stout!" Stoutland's eyes flared after being sprayed by the poison. Immediately, he had rushed back in with his amazing speed, appearing before Whirlipede with a glowing head.
"Dodge it quick!"
"Pede!" Whirlipde managed to zoom to the side, evading Stoutland's Reversal headbutt by a smidge. Stoutland was still able to keep up.
"Go with Rollout!"
"Whirlipede!" After rolling to the side, Whirlipede had then drifted to rush back in. Rollout's attack strength had been increased as well after being used once.
"Meet him with Reversal!"
"Land!" Stoutland roared, allowing Whirlipede to come his way. The BigHearted Pokemon smashed his head onto Whirlipede's body. They clashed with Whirlipede trying to push through. However, the strength of Reversal proved to be superior as Stoutland's head bash managed to overpower Whirlipede's spinning, pushing the Curlipede Pokemon away.
"Whirl!"
"It isn't over yet! Steamroller!"
"Whirlipede!" Even after being blown away, Reversal was not very effective. Whirlipede managed to land on the walls, rolling on them. Similar to his teammate Mienfoo, he had used his surroundings. He started rolling on the walls, sticking to them for a moment while using Steamroller.
"Again with the walls?!" Mayor Mare exclaimed. "Have it your way! Chase him down, Stoutland! Imagine the walls are massive frisbees!"
"Stout..." Stoutland started doing so. He loved playing with the frisbee and seeing something else as a frisbee would do the trick to motivate him. With his jaw-dropping speed, the Normal-Type immediately ran towards the walls, pursuing the Bug-Poison-Type. "Stoutland!"
Stoutland used his claws to stick onto the walls, digging deep into them. After sticking onto them, Stoutland used his claws as a way to manoeuver around the walls. Everyone's eyes were working hard to try and keep up with the action.
"Don't let him catch you! Take him by surprise and land a good clean hit!"
"Whirl!" Whirlipede searched for that blindspot on Stoutland. For now, he would have to keep rolling and wait for the right moment.
"I think not! Giga Impact!"
"Stout...!" Stoutland then stopped for a moment, building up energy. The energy of Giga Impact showed itself, covering Stoutland with Infinity Energy. The BigHearted Pokemonthen lunged forward, leaving a massive trail while also catching up to Whirlipede immediately. "Stoutland!"
"Now!"
"Whirlipede!" Whirlipede had then jumped off the walls at the right moment once Stoutland approached. By leaving the walls, Stoutland ended up crashing into them, missing his target. The impact damaged the walls of the Town Hall, shattering the windows as well.
"Ah!" Mayor Maer gasped as Stoutland had descended from that failed attack. And now he was truly vulnerable as some time to recharge after using Giga Impact was needed.
"Now's our chance! Rollout!"
"Whirl!" Whirlipede saw his chance. He went in while Stoutland was recharging. Upon approaching with greater speed than before, he had crashed a powered-up Rollout with extra high velocity into Stoutland's canine body. A direct hit and a hard one too. One hard enough to make Whirlipede bounce back while also launching Stoutland.
However, despite that hard hit, Stoutland was still up and able. He rolled on the floor before jumping back up, returning to Mayor Mare's side. Whirlipede did the same, rolling back to Rainbow Dash. "Stout! Stoutland!"
"Yikes...Not enough?" Rainbow Dash growled, surprised that Stoutland had a great mix of both speed and durability.
"Hm-hm." Mayor Mare shook her head. "You've certainly made my blood pump, Rainbow Dash. I haven't felt this much excitement when I was in my younger years. I suppose becoming a Gym Leader and partaking in Pokemon Battles is what managed to rekindle that spark."
"Land."
"No problem. But it isn't over yet until I win. I don't want to get your hopes up too much, Mayor. Isn't that right, Whirlipede."
"Whirl."
"I know. But I could say the same to you. You've already proven worthy for me to show you this." Just then, Mayor Mare dug her hoof into her mane, pulling something out of it. Everyone looked onward to see that a Z-Ring had been revealed. She had one the entire time.
"WHA- You've got a Z-Ring?!" Rainbow Dash gasped as her heart dropped for a moment. Seeing a Z-Ring was a massive red flag and a potential game-ender right here. "Since when?!"
"You young ones aren't the only ones that go on adventures." The mayor smirked before placing the ring on her hoof. Afterwards, she had held out the Z-Crystal as well. And this turned out to be the Normalium Z. "Now then..." She placed the crystal onto the ring, allowing the aura and Z-Power to appear.
"Stout!"
"Get ready, Whirlipede! Use Iron Defense!"
"Whirlipede!" Whirlipede was ready to brace himself for the incoming Z-Move. He had to as his body sparkled with increased defence.
"This is..." Mayor Mare started pulling off the correct poses for the Z-Move correctly. "Our absolute full-force Z-Move!" The energy from the Z-Crysta then went to Stoutland, filling him with Z Power.
"Stoutland!"
"Stoutland! Breakneck Blitz!"
"Stout...!" After striking a series of successful poses with his trainer, Stoutland's body then becomes surrounded by an orange aura. Afterwards, Stoutland took off at breakneck speeds with the aura, approaching Whirlipede.
"We'll match their speed with ours! Rollout, go!"
"Whirlipede!" Whirlipede was ready to clash with Breakneck Blitz. Even though it was being powered up by Giga Impact which was already a hard-hitting attack. With the increased speed of Speed Boost and the increased strength of a repeated Rollout, Whirlipede approached.
Both Pokemon had met, butting heads once more. And this time, it was a true struggle. Whirlipede was using all of his gathered strength and sped to try and push back against Stoutland's force output. It became a back and forth struggle with both Pokemon trying to succeed. Dust clouds were forming from their struggle with sparks flying from Whirlipede's spinning.
Rainbow Dash and Mayor Mare held their breaths, knowing that either side could come out on top. But it was impressive that Whirlipede was able to match with a Z-Move in this manner. Eventually, one of them would have to peak at some point.
W-Whirlipede!" Whirlipede cried out as his spinning was starting to heat his body just from how fast he was moving. And because of this, not only did he heat himself up, he also sent some of that heat towards Stoutland. Stoutland felt the heat from this intensive struggle. Stoutland was starting to push back with the Z-Move not ending yet. "Pede!" Whirlipede's ability Speed Boost being used once more allowed him to use some more velocity to his advantage. Afterwards, both attacks blew up in front of each other.
Silence filled Town Hall as much of the crowd blinked after that aggressive clash. Both Pokemon had come out of the smoke, feeling winded afterwards. Their heads also ached from the damage they had taken and their bodies were sweating because of the heat. Despite it all, none had seemed to faint just yet. "W-Whirli...!"
"S-Stoutland...!"
"They're both still up!" Twilight gasped. Everyone thought that this would go on for a bit longer. But once both Pokemon stopped moving, they started to fall over. This meant that an inevitable faint was incoming as everyone leaned forward or stood up.
However, only one fell. Whirlipde managed to keep himself balanced with his circular body, making sure not to fall. The one who fell was Stoutland. "S-Stoutland..."
"Stoutland is unable to battle! Whirlipede wins! Thus the victor is Rainbow Dash!"
"Yes! Victory!" Rainbow Dash raised her hooves with blazing excitement before flying over to Whirlipde. She then hugged the Curlipede Pokemon as resounding cheers echoed throughout and outside Town Hall. "Whirlipede, you're so awesome!"
"Whirl..."
"That got too close...Kinda scared for what the last Gym Battle's gonna be like..." Applejack sighed, laying on Sceptile's body.
"I'm more worried about the Equestria League than anything else." Rarity chimed in.
"Stoutland. Thank you so much." Mayor Mare helped her partner up. "I couldn't ask for a better partner than you. You're such a good boy."
"Stout." Stoutland then licked Mayor Mare's face, making her laugh. Rainbow Dash reigned victorious as that meant the 7th Gym Badge was now hers. "Thank you for the amazing battle, Rainbow Dash. Now, you've earned yourself this." She went over to a table, picking up the badge that Rainbow Dash would receive. "The Stache Badge. It's yours. Proof of your victory at the Ponyville Gym."
"Awesome..." Rainbow Dash took the badge. "The Stache Badge is mine! Yes! Just one more to go!"
"And the Equestria League will be yours to enter. Just a tip, the final Gym is located in Canterlot." Mayor Mare explained. "That is where you'll find the last Gym Leader."
"Canterlot, huh? Got it." Rainbow Dash nodded before flying to her friends. Everypony else left the building as they enjoyed themselves from watching that battle. "Wonder who it might be? Ah, who cares? I'll win that too!"
With the 7th Gym Badge achieved, only one Gym remains. Only Canterlot is the final destination of it all. Fitting honestly. The final Gym Leader was still unknown to many, but Rainbow Dash would face them no matter who they are as the journey continues.
Chapter 676 End.