Unova. Mistralton City. Celestial Tower. The Pokemon Festival. Afternoon.
Rainbow Dash was about to face off against Bertha of the Sinnoh Elite 4. After having a nice buffet, the two would battle at Mistralton City Tower, also known as the Celestial Tower, with Ash and the others spectating.
Spectating was the undercover Spectrum Shade, trying not to give herself away as a vampire. Being a very new trainer, even more so than everypony in Equestria, watching this would give her a perfect experience of what she would have to try and reach.
As for Celestial Tower, it was a staggeringly tall tower with a large bell whose tones are said to purify the spirit. Some consider this to be the counterpart to Kanto's Pokemon Tower, Hoenn's Mt. Pyre or even Sinnoh's Lost Tower since they were all burial grounds for deceased Pokemon.
"Right then. I would like to do a special option for this battle, my little pony. I want you to battle with Pokemon that you feel have less observation than normal." Bertha asked as the winds of the azure skies were dominant in this area. Ash, Hilbert and Hilda held onto their hats from this pressure as hairs, manes and tails blew gracefully in the wind. Spectrum Shade also kept her hat on, trying to contain her disguise.
"Observation? Alright. Works for me. You're an Elite 4 Member, so anything's fine. I didn't do my best against Hilbert, so here's my second chance." Rainbow Dash replied.
"Heh. That's to be expected though." Hilbert smirked. "Back in my world, I'm on the level of a champion, so it's totally fine that you lost to me. No biggie. Now that I'm here, I can give you some pointers in this battle, my student."
"Uh...sure. I'll maybe listen to them." Rainbow Dash reluctantly said.
"But, young lady. Don't get too ahead of yourself. Then again, you don't strike me as the type to do so, correct?" Bertha wanted to know if Rainbow Dash was the type of trainer to get ahead of themselves when facing a powerful opponent. Especially one that trumps over them in every way.
"Nah. I already know that feeling." She shook her head. "I've already been through it way before Pokemon."
"Oh. That's good. I suppose I don't need to teach you that and just battle as if it were an everyday Pokemon Battle. Although...I do wonder if you're an observant one. This is what I want to know about you and some of your Pokemon."
"Observant?" Rainbow Dash repeated.
"That's what Bertha focuses on the most," said Ash. "When we met her back at Sinnoh, she told Dawn paying attention to her observant skills would help her out in her contests. She says it's an awesome tool for battles and Contests and even everyday life."
"Really now?" Twilight and the others looked at Ash, learning what Bertha had passed on to him.
"Mhm. And by, that really helped out when Pikachu and I got to Alola."
"Pikachu."
"I'm glad you remembered it so well, Ash." Bertha nodded, proud that Ash recalled and took her advice to heart. "But what about your friends? They come from a world where Pokemon are relatively new and weren't there from the very beginning. In your world, how are you with your observation skills?"
"Top of the line! I'm a Wonderbolt, ya know, so I'm always using those skills. Even way before I became a Wonderbolt."
"But what about everything else? Including battling?"
"Everything else and battling? Well..." Rainbow Dash pulled back, thinking about it. She would have to think about every battle she had done so far and every action in her life aside from her enjoyment of flying. "Hm...I guess maybe in a few things but not really battling. No."
"Hoh. Then I do have something to share. Ash already said it, but I'll demonstrate it. Send out the Pokemon you believe lack much observation. Who knows? Perhaps you've already been using those skills in all of those battles without even knowing. You are a fast pony, after all, so your reaction time should be immaculate."
"Oh, you bet it is! Let's go, Bertha!"
"Let me handle this!" Pinkie Pie appeared in between them, opting to be the referee. Twilight was about to get up, only for Pinkie Pie to take the referee role before she could. "You've got infinite time! If either Pokemon goes out on one side, it's over! Send out your first Pokemon, pretty please."
"Let's do this! Luxray!" Rainbow Dash threw her Poke Ball into the air, sending out her first Pokemon. Luxray.
"Luxray."
"Go! Gliscor!" As for Bertha, she sent out her Gliscor as her first Pokemon.
"Gliscor!"
"Oh! A Ground-Type! "Seeing that the first opponent was a Ground-Type was bad news for Luxray. Rainbow Dash knew that sending him out first wasn't the best approach, but she wouldn't have known since Bertha sent hers out second.
"Ah. I forgot to mention. I'm a Ground-Type specialist. So every single one of my Pokemon are Ground-Types. That shouldn't be an issue, right?"
"Not at all. Besides, I've got options for Ground-Types. Just you wait and see." Despite this surprising revelation, Rainbow Dash wasn't worried. Indeed, most of her Pokemon had perfect responses to Ground-Types. Two of them were even immune to Ground-Types.
"But Luxray's an observant Pokemon, right? He's got X-Ray vision." Pinkie Pie asked. "Are you sure this is the right Pokemon, Dashie?"
"Luxray may have X-Ray vision, but he never uses it in battle. I kinda wanna use that. Plus, he's always thinking of getting hits in and nothing else. Does that work, Bertha?"
"Hmm...That depends. You have a point with his X-Ray vision, but I want to see it for myself if your Luxray is less observant as you say it is. Maybe, that special vision isn't his only sharp sense."
"Battle Start!"
"Here we go! Luxray, use Ice Fang!"
"Luxray!" Luxray went first. By letting out a mighty roar, the Gleam Eyes Pokemon coated his fangs in an icy aura, rushing in.
"Gliscor! Guillotine!"
"Gli!" Gliscor immediately went for a powerful attack. A one-hit attack was incoming as Gliscor's claws were coated in a silver aura.
"Hah!" Immediately, Rainbow Dash was on full alert. She promised herself she wouldn't go down as quickly as she did against Hilbert. And Guillotine could ruin that. After hearing that attack, Rainbow Dash would have to refrain from going on the offensive for this moment. "Jump over Gliscor! Quick!"
"Lux!" Luxray sensed the immediate danger as well, immediately jumping over Gliscor. The second Gliscor was about to swing its claws, Luxray had already leapt over the Fang Scorp Pokemon.
"Phew! That was close..." Rainbow Dash sighed as she would've been down one Pokemon already.
"Hm. Well, anyone would be smart enough to avoid Guillotine. That much is known." Bertha said. "But, I'm not sure if you're as observant as I think you are. Not yet anyway."
"You'll see. I was just thrown off by Guillotine. Get a load of this! Ice Fang!"
"Lux!" Luxray went in for another Ice Fang, turning around and approaching the Ground-Flying-Type.
"Then, I'll indulge you. X-Scissor!"
"Gliscor!" Gliscor would go for X-Scissor. It covered its claws in a shining green aura, but Gliscor did not fly towards Luxray. Instead, it waited for the Gleam Eyes Pokemon to get close. Luxray jumped up, ready to take Gliscor out of the skies.
That's when Bertha's skills came into play. She observed Luxray's movements, seeing that he slightly opened his jaw a bit more, which was a signal that he was ready to land Ice Fang.
"Grab it!"
"Gli!" Gliscor had then zoomed to the side, evading Luxray's bite. But not only did it dodge the fangs, but it also used the strength of X-Scissor to grab Luxray by the neck, clamping him. "Gliscor!"
"L-Lux?!"
"What the?!"
"You need to strengthen your powers of observation, Rainbow Dash. Strengthen them when it comes to everything. Luxray can't break out because it probably has an Electric-Type attack meant for this situation. But that doesn't mean anything against Gliscor, correct?"
"Grrr...!" Rainbow Dash growled as Bertha was right. Usually, the way Electric-Types free themselves when they're trapped is by using a burst of electricity, like Thunderbolt, Discharge or anything else. But for a Ground-Type that wasn't happening.
"What will you do then? Can you find something that will free Luxray despite his disadvantage? What can you see?" Bertha was teaching Rainbow Dash, trying to show her the ways a trainer can observe the battle and find workarounds in the process.
"I can't see anything. Do you guys see something?" Twilight asked.
"Hmm...Can't say." Hilda shook her head. "Without the right attack, Luxray's stuck.
"That's the kind of thing Bertha taught me. She taught me how to increase the variety of moves I have." Ash started, revealing what else Bertha taught him. If anything, Bertha was the one who greatly affected Ash's future battling styles for years to come with parts of it sneaking in every once in a while. "Sometimes, there's a move that can solve the issue. You just have to find it."
"No?" Bertha saw that there wasn't a response to Luxray's position. "Well, in that case, let's end this. Gliscor, Guillotine."
"Gli!" Gliscor had used Guillotine on its other claw, replacing the energy of X-Scissor. This could be it for Luxray. But, Rainbow Dash was putting in full effort to observe what she could. That's when she saw something. It was her only chance and the only attack that would work.
"Got it! Wrap your tail around Gliscor with Iron Tail!"
"L-Luxray!" Luxray acted accordingly as he hardened his tail with iron. Rainbow Dash saw one advantage with Luxray's tail. It was impressively long. Luxray was identical to a lion, so a long tail was to be expected. And due to the position Gliscor was holding Luxray in, it gave Luxray the opportunity to use his tail in a specific way.
By manipulating it, Luxray had wrapped his tail around Gliscor's body, clamping the Fang Scorp Pokemon in retaliation. This sudden clamp had thrown Gliscor off, interrupting its Guillotine.
"Gli?!" Gliscor gasped as the weight of Iron Tail squeezed its upper boy, causing the Ground-Flying-Type to grimace. This also allowed Luxray to break free from Gliscor's grip since it was thrown off by the Iron Tail clamp.
"Lux!"
"Haha! Yes! It worked!" Rainbow Dash pumped her hoof into the air with excitement as Castform had also flown out of Rainbow's saddle bag to cheer with her.
"Castform!"
"Hm. Not bad. You used the reach of Luxray's tail. And thankfully, the position was perfect for Iron Tail to be used." Bertha nodded in approval of Rainbow Dash's choices. "But, you were aware that Gliscor was big enough for that to happen?"
"Uh...big enough?" Rainbow Dash repeated as she and Castform stopped celebrating for a bit.
"Cast?"
"Gliscor is bigger than Luxray in terms of height. Had it been another Pokemon of a smaller size, what would you have done? Would Luxray's tail have reached them? These are the things you need to consider when going up against an opposing Pokemon, Rainbow Dash."
"I'd find a way through that too! It doesn't matter how big or small they are!" Rainbow Dash declared.
"Heh. I could've taught you that already." Hilbert proudly grinned, boasting that he would've taught the same thing to Rainbow Dash.
"The sad part is, he's not wrong." Hilda sighed in response.
"Hm? So you say? Then, let's continue and see how things turn out. X-Scissor!"
"Gliscor!" It was another X-Scissor coming up and this time, Gliscr would fly in instead of staying in one position.
"Here we go! Iron Tail!"
"Ray!" And Luxray would deliver another Iron Tail. The two of them approached each other with Iron Tail being swung. However, Rainbow Dash could see that Gliscor was going for the same X-Scissor trick. Gliscor was trying to grab Luxray's tail.
"Not this time! Swish your tail down!"
"Lux!" Luxray swished his tail down before Gliscor could grab it. By doing so, he managed to evade another rough spot before swinging his tail upwards, forcing Gliscor to clash with him instead of going for another trick.
Bertha was impressed. Rainbow Dash was observant indeed. She predicted that Gliscor would go for that same trick, especially with Luxray needing to turn around for his Iron Tail to be used.
"Not bad." Bertha smiled. "Second time in a row, my little pony."
"Thanks. But in reality, I have Ash to thank for that." Rainbow Dash turned to face Ash. "Thanks to him, I've learned how to use so many neat tricks in battle. And to everyone else back at Ponyville, obviously.
"No problem." Ash gave a thumbs up. "But you can thank Bertha for what she also taught me."
"How nice. You've become a mentor as well, Ash. So, I'm inclined to believe that there are tricks that you've picked up along the way in everypony else, right?"
"You know it," Ash confirmed that he taught everyone some tricks that they could utilize. And these tricks have helped them greatly.
"Then in that case...enough chit chat. Let's go." Bertha's eyes suddenly narrowed Rainbow Dash's heart skipped a beat. Bertha was about to get serious. "Gliscor! Earthquake!"
"Gli...scor!" Gliscor had then smashed its claws into the ground, creating a mighty tremor that transformed into pulsating golden shockwaves.
"Yikes! Try pushing it back with Discharge!"
"Luxray!" This was the only attack that would work. Luxray exuded a flare of electricity from his body, causing it to reach the golden shockwaves. However, immediately right afterwards, Earthquakes' shockwaves powered through Discharge, reaching Luxray. Luxray was struck by the shockwaves, resulting in an explosion to occur.
"Oh no! Luxray!" Rainbow Dash cried out as there was no chance for Luxray to fight back against that attack. Just like how there was no chance for him to withstand that attack.
"Luxray..." The explosion faded away as Luxray was down on the ground. He had fainted.
"Ooh. Luxray's down and out! Gliscor wins!" Pinkie Pie announced. The first victory went to Bertha, but Rainbow Dash wasn't expecting much from this outcome.
"If I were you, I would've probably swapped Luxray out by now. Staying in can be dangerous for your Pokemon, Rainbow Dash. It's always good to know when the time to switch is needed. Just like now. Return, Gliscor." Bertha returned Gliscor while Rainbow Dash returned Luxray.
"Thanks, Luxray. You were great. Alright then...whoever comes next, I've got the Pokemon for it! Let's go, Altaria!"
"Altaria!"
"A good choice...But how will you respond to this? Mamoswine!"
"Mamoswine!" Mamoswine was Bertha's second Pokemon. Another great pick against Rainbow Dash's Altaria.
"Great. Mamoswine." Rainbow Dash grizzled her teeth. Mamoswine was a massive threat indeed. Rainbow Dash knew that since she was going up against an Elite 4 Member, so this wasn't an ordinary Mamoswine.
"Don't get so riled up by the Pokemon your opponent chooses. If you do, your head won't be fully in the game and you won't be able to battle in the way you usually do."
"She's right, Rainbow Dash!" Twilight exclaimed. "I know that feeling personally!"
"Yeah, I got it! Altaria! Dragon Pulse!"
"Taria!"
"Mamoswine! Icicle Spear!" Mamoswine opened its mouth as the inside of it started to illuminate a vibrant light-blue. It then releases multiple sharp, thin, spear-shaped ice shards from its mouth, intercepting Dragon Pulse.
The spears crashed into the pulse, holding it back. However, Mamoswine unleashed some more spears, pressurizing Altaria's Dragon Pulse. Afterwards, Ice Shard won the struggle, pushing back Dragon Pulse as the Humming Pokemon had been struck by a barrage of shards.
"T-Taria!" Altaria cried out taking massive damage from such a super-effective move as she was knocked out of the sky. The Dragon-Flying-Type was slightly carried away by the wind before then hitting the ground, landing next to Rainbow Dash. However, despite that super-effective blow, Altaria managed to hang in there. "T-Tari!"
"Oh geez..." That was another close call for Rainbow Dash. "Okay. That's not gonna happen again."
"Really? But, does your Altaria have the strength to make sure it doesn't?" Bertha asked as Rainbow Dash looked over at Altaria. Just one Icicle Spear and she was already greatly weakened. "That's one thing that every Pokemon Trainer should observe. The state of their Pokemon. Can they continue?"
"You're right...I was gonna throw Altaria back in there." Rainbow Dash replied. "Kinda used to going all the way but...return, for now, Altaria." Rainbow Dash recalled Altaria as Bertha warned her about the dangers of keeping a Pokemon out in certain conditions.
"There's no shame in switching out so soon. Usually, trainers tend to switch out when they feel that their Pokemon have done enough work for now. But in reality, at any moment, your Pokemon could be greatly weakened. Always observe the state of your Pokemon and make the right call. That way, victory can be seized much easier."
"I got it, Bertha. But..." Rainbow Dash held out her next Poke Ball.
"But?" Bertha raised an eyebrow.
"This next Pokemon's a bit too stubborn. No one's getting through to her. Let's do this, Mienfoo!"
"Mienfoo!" Mienfoo roared out with unbridled energy. Out of all of Rainbow Dash's Pokemon, Mienfoo was the one to most likely ignore Bertha's teachings.
"Mienfoo here's gonna truck on and do what she does best!" Rainbow Dash declared, raising her hoof. "You'll see what I mean! Go, Force Palm!"
"Mienfoo!" MIenfoo lunged in, channelling her strength into her palm.
"A stubborn one? I'm no stranger to that! Mamoswine! Earthquake!"
"Mamo!" Mamoswine stomped on the ground, also having access to Earthquake as even larger shockwaves from what Gliscor created had formed.
"I don't think so! Combine it with Agility!"
"Mienfoo!" Mienfoo's common combination was always using Agility since it would increase her already amazing speed. Mienfoo relied on sharp and quick movements and with the boost of Agility, Mienfoo moved so fast she became a blur, jumping over the shockwaves with the speed she managed to gather.
"Oh." Bertha gawked at Mienfoo and that move combination, thoroughly impressed. "Double Edge!"
"Mamo!" Mamowsine would meet Mienfoo in the air with Double Edge after she had dodged the Earthquake. It jumped into the air with great force, generating a silver aura that left a trail behind him. "Maaamooo!"
"Mien!" Mienfoo and Mamoswine collided with Force Palm smashing into Double-Edge. The collision was fierce as Mienfoo was trying to smash Mamoswine to the ground. Her arm was twitching in the presence of this heavy Pokemon. Mamoswine also had to put some effort into its attacks just for Mienfoo.
"That Mienfoo lacks any form of observation...but she makes up for it with her spirit." Bertha could already read how Mienfoo acts. The passion in Mienfoo and the fierce spirit she brings was enough to make anyone cautious. "But..."
"Mamo!" Mamoswine won the exchange, overpowering Mienfoo's Force Palm. Mamoswine ended up knocking Mienfoo into the air, receiving some recoil damage but it was nothing compared to the damage Mienfoo took.
"M-Mien!"
"Oh yeah?! Unleash Force Palm's energy!"
"Mienfoo!" While in the air, the currents of winds that were commonly around Mistralton City had kept the Martial Pokemon airborne for a while. Just enough time for her to unleash Force Palm in the air, using the orange energy as a weapon. The energy transformed into a beam, shooting towards Mamoswine from above.
"Counter with Earthquake!"
"Swine!" Mamoswine unleashed Earthquake again. This time, to block the attack. The golden shockwaves acted as an impenetrable wall, blocking Mienfoo's attack as there was an explosion right afterwards.
"Mien...!" Mienfoo growled before descending.
"Come back, for now, Mamoswine." Bertha returned Mamoswine before then swapping into her next Pokemon. "This time...I'll give Nidoking a chance!"
"Nidoking!" Nidoking was her third Pokemon. Rainbow Dash was expecting Gliscor to return but instead, this behemoth of a Pokemon was her opponent.
"Mienfoo...!" Against such a large opponent, Mienfoo always felt the need to size herself up to her opponent. Nidoking grinned at Mienfoo's attempt to intimidate him.
"Nidoking! Sludge Bomb, now!"
"Nido!" Out of Nidoking, destructive and explosive poison sludges were shot out rapidly in droves.
"Mienfoo! Hit them as fast as you can with Fury Swipes!"
"Foo! Mien-Mien!" To counter this, Mienfoo revealed her hidden claws, extending them. The FIghting-Type had then started swiping at the sludges as fast as she could. And this was her speciality. Swift strikes. This benefit showed itself greatly as Mienfoo was capable of keeping up with the sludges, slicing them apart with her claws.
"Yeah, go, Rainbow Dash!" Twilight cheered her on, seeing that she was starting to hold her own against an Elite 4 Member perfectly.
"Go, Mienfoo! Acrobatics!"
"Foo!" Mienfoo, who had already gotten faster earlier, started moving with even greater speed, performing stylish flips while approaching Nidoking. She did an airborne frontflip that lasted a while before then going in for a dive kick.
"What a rowdy Pokemon...reminds me of my old days. Earth Power!"
"King!" Nidoking would meet with Mienfoo via Earth Power. However, the attack would be channelled into his arm instead of being unleashed as shockwaves. He swung his claw, smashing it against Mienfoo's leg. There was another collision with sparks flying.
"Keep going, Mienfoo!"
"Mien!" Mienfoo then jumped off Nidoking's claw before using the agility of Acrobatics to her advantage. Nidoqueen went for a downwards smash with Earth Power, only for Mienfoo to do a cartwheel, narrowly evading it. "Fo!"
"Nido?!" Nidoking turned around before seeing Mienfoo zoom in for a headbutt.
"Mien!" Mienfoo bashed her head into Nidoking's face at full force. Nidoking barely staggered, but some damage had been dealt.
"Grab her and use Thunderbolt!"
"Nido!" Nidoking immediately went to grab Mienfoo, only for Mienfoo to backflip right afterwards. However, even though she managed to backflip away from Nidoking's grab, there was something else she didn't see coming. Nidoking's tail. He had also used his tail, swinging it as it had tripped Mienfoo.
"M-Mien?!"
"Ah! Mienfoo!"
"King!" After tripping Mienfoo, Nidoking grabbed a hold of Mienfoo. Bertha didn't even need to tell Nidoking to do so. The Poison-Ground-Type just knew. Now, Nidoking had Mienfoo in his clutches and up next was Thunderbolt.
"Darn it...! Smash your head into Nidoking!"
"M-Mien...Mienfoo!" Mienfoo wouldn't let herself be taken out like this. Attempting to free herself, she smashed her head into Nidoking's face once again. But just like before, Nidoking did not stagger. Mienfoo tried again repeatedly, harming her face in the process.
"Nidoking!" 100,000 volts were unleashed, shocking Mienfoo as Nidoking gave her a bear hug.
"Mienfoo, no!" Rainbow Dash yelled as Mienfoo was being punished, crying out with all of these volts going through her. The Martial Arts Pokemon showed some restraint, trying her best to power through this.
"Your Mienfoo has amazing passion. The likes of which I've only seen a few times. But, even the most passionate and fierce Pokemon have to be observant. Your Mienfoo's aggressive style is what works for her, but that shouldn't leave her wide open, especially with her being Pokemon so fixated on sharp reflexes."
"Ugh...!" Rainbow Dash grimaced as the volts kept coming through, keeping Mienfoo stuck in one spot. Rainbow Dash closed her eyes, thinking deeply. Indeed, she's so used to how Mienfoo battles. Aggressive and always uses speed to her advantage. Rainbow Dash grew accustomed to this style as it resonated with her, putting pressure on her opponents.
But against someone who was always observant, Mienfoo's style had a weakness against that. But that was only because of how Rainbow Dash chose to approach them. The skills of the Trainer bounce off the Pokemon.
"Mienfoo!" Just then, Mienfoo shouted at Rainbow Dash, grabbing her attention. Mienfoo started ranting, showing visible frustration. Not by her current situation but with how Rainbow Dash was taking this. The Martial Arts Pokemon wanted Rainbow Dash to look further and understand Mienfoo some more. "M-Mien!"
"You can hear it, can't you?" Bertha asked. "Mienfoo's frustration."
"Mienfoo..." Rainbow Dash stood there dazed. "I hear you. You're a martial artist. I can't allow you to slip up like this. You're fierce but you've got more to show."
"Foo." MIenfoo nodded as Nidoking even took the time to pause his attack, keeping Mienfoo in his clutches.
"You must always observe your own Pokemon, Rainbow Dash. Not just in their conditions, but in what they feel. And even your opponent's Pokemon. How much do you really know about them? And how much of their potential can you bring out of them?" Bertha continued to instruct Rainbow Dash. But she wasn't just instructing her. Twilight, Sci-Twi, Pinkie Pie and even Spectrum Shade were being mentored.
Bertha had a lot to teach them. Despite them being with their Pokemon for so long and forming strong bonds with them, everypony had no idea how far their bonds with their Pokemon could go. Ash knew. And those bonds can reach even greater heights.
"Hm. Yeah, I got it. Let's go, Mienfoo! Let's break free from Nidoking! Agility!"
"Mien...!" Mienfoo then closed her eyes, generating the silver aura of Agility around her. That was another speed increase. Or so it seemed. But instead, the silver aura turned into a pink aura as Mienfoo was suddenly in a deep state of focus.
"Hm? That's not Agility." Twilight noticed as Nidoking was ready to shock her again.
"Mienfoo...!" Mienfoo had then done some deep breathing before utilizing her intense focus. This wasn't Agility. It was something else. The second the volts were about to travel through, in a split second, Mienfoo's eyes had opened. Not just that, but the pink aura became a forcefield that had suddenly expanded from Mienfoo's body, pushing back the volts and even Nidoking with its expansion. "Mienfoo!"
"King?!" Nidoking slid back once the forcefield emerged. He and Bertha looked in awe along with everyone else as Mienfoo was floating in the air, putting her paws together. This was the calmest that Mienfoo has ever been.
"Hey! That's Meditate!" Ash immediately recognize what this move was. It was Meditate. Gone was Agility. Now, Meditate had taken its place.
"You learned Meditate, Mienfoo? Awesome!" Rainbow Dash cheered.
"That moment between you and Mienfoo had put Mienfoo at ease. And it seems this is the first time it's ever happened." Bertha observed. "Because of this, your Mienfoo has tapped into Meditate. Impressive."
"Mienfoo." Mienfoo descended as the pink forcefield faded away. She lowered her paws before opening her eyes. The Martial Arts Pokemon found a counterpart to her fierce attitude. Complete meditation and focus. Her attacks had been raised but this also meant that she was now more observant.
"So, Mienfoo. Is that something you were looking for all this time? Or am I missing something?" Rainbow Dash asked, wondering if Mienfoo wanted to have a calmer side at times.
"Foo." Mienfoo nodded her head. She wanted some of this. Being so headstrong allows her to dish out some fierce damage and put her opponents on the back foot with pressure. But, Mienfoo knew that someday, she would have to gain a cooler head.
This was because of her final evolution. Mienfoo looked to the skies, spotting the visage of Mienshao, who was the opposite of Mienfoo's fierce personality.
"No? Oh. I think I get it. Alright then, let's keep going. Force Palm!"
"Mienfoo!" Mienfoo ran in with Force Palm, now having a new state of mind.
"Excellent. But you're still going to lose. Sludge Bomb!"
"Nidoking!" Nidoking would stop Mienfoo dead in her tracks with Sludge Bomb, sending out explosive poisonous sludges.
"Here it comes! Stop and block it!"
"Mien!" Mienfoo would use the energy of Force Palm defensively. She stopped in her tracks, holding her paw out as she allowed the bombs to reach her. Mienfoo closed her eyes, expanding the orange energy of Force Palm to the point where it looked like a gentle wave that was flowing. It even moved like a wave as Mienfoo moved her arm around, making the energy flow. The flowing energy had deflected the poison, keeping it away from her.
"Amazing! She feels so much different now!" Sci-Twi was stunned by this change of skill.
"And it was so fast too!" Hilda gawked. "She's a fast learner, alright. I wish my Mienfoo could've done that before he became Mienshao."
"Now, strike!"
"Mienfoo!" Mienfoo's fierce attitude was back as she got rid of all the bombs. The Martial Arts Pokemon lunged in, still maintaining some leftover speed from the now-gone Agility. She would use the remnants of that move one last time, becoming a blur.
"Earth Power!"
"King!" Nidoking would meet with Force Palm, initiating a fierce physical clash. Mienfoo was coming face to face with another heavy Pokemon, trying to push through as always. The energy of Force Palm flowed beautifully once more, showing her immediate growth.
"M-Mienfoo!" Mienfoo closed her eyes, putting her gathered strength from Meditate into this final push.
But against an Elite 4 Member, she wasn't there yet. Nidoking had the edge in strength, overpowering Mienfoo as there was a fierce explosion around the area. Mienfoo was enveloped in the light of this explosion as Bertha looked on with a smile on her face.
The smoke cleared as it could be seen from afar on the top of Celestial Tower. Once it cleared, Mienfoo could be seen standing, holding her paw out as it was still touching Nidoking. Nidoking was surprised to see that Mienfoo was standing even after all of that.
But that was only because she had fainted while standing up. "M-Mien..." Mienfoo didn't have the strength to continue as she fell on her back. "Mienfoo..."
"You did good girl. But you're unable to battle." Pinkie Pie went over, patting Mienfoo on the head. "That means Nidoking wins this one."
"Figures. That's an Elite 4 member for you." Rainbow Dash walked over. "I think I'm gonna call this battle quits."
"Huh?! So soon?!" Pinkie Pie gasped. "A-Are you sure? You still have Altaria though! And some of your Pokemon could use some of that observation stuff, ya know."
"I'm sure. Braviary, Whirlipede and Castform already have a good grip on observation. Especially Whirlipede. I'm gonna stop here. And for Altaria's sake." Rainbow Dash held Mienfoo up. "And for your sake too, Mienfoo.You were amazing."
"Mienfoo..." Mienfoo groaned before then receiving a hug from Rainbow Dash.
"I'll accept it. Let's call this battle over." Bertha returned Nidoking.
"Oh. Okay then. Bertha win this battle!"
"That's my student for you..." Hilbert teared up. "I'm so proud!"
"Against all odds, she lasted a long time and learned something new too," said Sci-Twi. "Amazing."
"That's Rainbow Dash for you. That's the kind of determination that'll help her get to the Equestria League. No doubt about that."
"Yeah..." Ash nodded in absolute agreement. Rainbow Dash was one step closer to reaching the Equestria Leauge with what she was picking up along the way.
"I need to get them all healed up soon. That damage is the biggest I've seen so far."
"They're way stronger than I thought..." Spectrum Shade said to herself before slowly backing up. The vampire looked at her only Poke Ball before then turning into a bat, swiftly flying into the indoors of the castle without anyone spotting her. Pikachu almost did, only to just miss her thanks to her speed.
"That was quite enjoyable, honestly." Bertha walked over. "You've shown me that you do have splendid observation skills. Perhaps they need to be worked on, but for the most part, I can see a bright future ahead for you, Rainbow Dash."
"Thanks, Bertha. I'm gonna use everything you taught me too."
"Hm-hm. But, you won't be seeing the last of me. Not until this festival ends. I plan to have the time of my life during this Pokemon Festival and you all have the right energy."
"Sweet. You're gonna tag along?" Ash replied.
"I don't have a set destination right now. Plus, there will be others who would like to battle an Elite 4 Member out there. As much as I love battling, I can't be asked to battle 24/7 for 3 weeks. Why not just have fun?"
"Can't argue with that. We're planning to head somewhere else soon. Well, I was. There's a place in Kalos I wanna visit. It's called Arche Valley." Ash revealed his destination.
"Arche Valley?" Twilight repeated, trying to think if she's heard of it before. But nothing came to mind.
"In that case...please teach me along the way, Bertha!" Rainbow Dash pleaded. "I want to know if there's more I can learn from you. I really want to grow. More than anyone back home, ya know."
"Mienfoo!" Mienfoo agreed.
"I hear you, I hear you. I suppose I can give you extra tips along the way. Now come along. My SUV is nearby. This time, there's enough room for all of you...including Meloetta and Victini. But not before you heal your Pokemon, Rainbow Dash."
"Awesome! Arche Valley, here we come!" Ash pumped his fist into the air.
"Pikachu!"
"I can give you some pointers too, pupil," Hilbert said to Rainbow Dash as they all started strolling away, walking down Celestial Tower and its many steps.
"I don't know about that...And I'm not your pupil. But uh...where'd that therp ony go. Didn't she want to battle you?" Rainbow Dash noticed that Spectrum Shade was gone. She left without a trace.
"I have a feeling that she learned something here." Bertha smiled even in the absence of Spectrum Shade. "Good luck, young trainer."
Rainbow Dash had received some new advice from yet another teacher. She has had many teachers in her life that have helped her skills as a Pokemon Trainer. Champions. Elite 4 Members. Gym Leaders and potentially more to come. And with Bertha tagging along just for the sake of a good time, there was more to learn along the way as the journey continues.
Chapter 842 End.