//------------------------------// // Taking Charge, Sci-Twi! // Story: My Little Pokémon // by Amarvax //------------------------------// Equestria. Hidden somewhere past the Hyperborean Island. Magehold. Nightfall. "That Fantina lady left an impression on our young ones? Should we be worried?" Concern was brewing within Magehold, and not the kind of concern that benefited them. This was concern about Fantina, the recent addition to Magehold. It has only been 2 hours since the event back at Old Magehold's Forest and the vampires already had their opinions on her. "She was brought here to teach us about Pokemon. But she's bringing something else with her here." Concerns about Fantina were fixated on how she reacted with the foals. "From how the young ones responded to her...it was rather unusual. Since when do they enjoy being saved?" "That Basilisk did have them deep underwater. If anything they weren't fearless enough, knowing very well they would've either blown up and returned to the chamber or become skeletons. Never have I seen them so happy to survive. That Fantina lady might change our young ones if she stays around." "What do we do? Queen Rosa needs her here." "We do nothing, lest we want to incur her wrath. I know I don't." A vampire shuddered as getting on the bad side of their ruler wouldn't be the brightest move in the world, even with their opinions on Fantina. "We'll just wait and see what happens next with each lesson that comes by. That Gym Leader will have to come across something she can't surpass. Even if she's talented." "And Hearthome City? You know...the place she came from? With how she acts...do you think she'll think about that place?" "I don't think so. After all, with how Queen Rosa left it, we won't have to worry about that city at all. As it is now, the city just looks natural. The same way it's always looked." At this point, the vampires felt the need to do something about Fantina but couldn't risk the Lich Queen punishing them. But either way, they were now out to get Fantina, refusing to have her potentially change a few things about Magehold. Possibly to a colossal degree that none of them would expect. Unova. Across a mountainside. Nightfall. Searching for an Alpha Heracross was Ash's group after discovering powerful horn dents that were left behind at Reversal Mountain. If Heracross was testing out his strength, then without a doubt, he would come somewhere else to do so once more. And over at this mountainside which was joined by a lush green forest landscape which was a neighbour to the mountains, they had a good inkling as to where Heracross may be. All they had to do was look for new dents or focus on tree sap. Heracross' favourite food. The forest was gigantic, thick, and somewhat young. Its canopy was overshadowed by hawthorn, rhododendron, and willow, their leaves and branches allowed for just enough light to pass down for a motley of saplings to take advantage of the nut and seed-covered grounds below. "Get a gander at this." It ended up being both. Sci-Twi spotted some acres of trees within this area, seeing how they had one consistent thing with them. They all had that dent in them. Heracross' dent had been found, but more importantly, none of the trees fell over despite how deep the dents were to the point where they looked flat. "That's impressive. All this damage and the tree hasn't fallen over? That Heracross could be an amazing carpenter with that horn." Sci-Twi tapped on it, feeling a burn to her finger upon making contact with the dent. "Ow! It's still fresh...so Heracross is still around here somewhere." "Sizzling hot. Probably from all that strength he used. He's gotta be pretty precise to even leave the trees standing too, huh? Fluttershy. Can you and Audino hear him?" Ash asked before pouring a bottle of his water on Sci-Twi's finger to heal it. In response, Sci-Twi shuddered. "Oh, sorry, Twi did that sting?" "No. It's fine. It's for the best anyway. At least it's brand new so that makes for a great hint. Ow..." "Hmm..." Fluttershy and Audino focused on the sounds of this acre. By listening carefully, they took in all the sounclamourt were possible in this area. A clamor of beastly noises, most belonged to Flying-Type songs, resonated through the air, and were accompanied by the rustling of the leaves and branches of the tree tops in the wind. Some of these belonged to foraging Pokemon which brightened up the forest and mountainside, and drowned out the occasional roar of a larger Pokemon trying to scare away predators. But that large Pokemon sounded more like a Rhydon than a Heracross. These were the sounds the duo picked up. And by searching some, that's when they heard something. The sound of something being slashed processed through their eardrums. And it was a potent one, equivalent to a knife being unleashed. "Oh! That sounded like it came from the West! That might be Heracross!" "Gotcha! West it is!" They had their destination. Heracross could potentially be slashing to the west, attacking more trees. If they hurry, they could find him before he moves elsewhere. Fluttershy and Audino would lead the way, using their hearing to track down these sounds. Speaking of these sounds, they seemed to be getting faster. Judging by the speed increase, the attacking Pokemon was most likely slashing at great speeds as well, only forcing the group to hurry. They scaled parts of the rest which still connected to the mountains. Some of them stopped by to see the sights, mainly Hoopa. His eyes were drawn toward the plethora of cotton candy that was stuck to the trees. He didn't even bother to wonder why cotton candy would be on trees, food was food no matter where it came from. The Mischief Pokemon rubbed his disconnected hands together before choosing to snag a piece quickly. Just a little something to have along the way. "Why's there cotton candy on the trees? And why that of all things?" Sci-Twi wondered. "Hoopa doesn't care!" Hoopa could care less about where they came from. All he cared about was scarfing it down. But this had Ash, Sci-Twi and Fluttershy curious. But this continued onwards. Beautiful flowers sprouted from the trees which grabbed Meloetta's attention next. These flowers had a rare one-of-a-kind appearance to them that was too attractive for Meloetta not to ignore. The way they sparked under the moonlight was also enticing, prompting the Melody Pokemon to take one of them for herself. "Meloetta~" "That looks nice on you. But let's not try and get distracted in case Heracross gets too far." Fluttershy said. The flowers didn't seem out of place compared to the cotton candy. But the way they sparkled was certainly unique as no other flower in this forest gave off the same sparkle as the ones on this singular tree. Strangely enough, it was just one tree and none of the others within this area. Two times in a row these Mythical Psychic-Types have grabbed something that caught their fancy. There was only one Psychic-Type who hadn't been drawn towards something. Victini. Both of these instances happened 5 minutes apart from each other while Victini had yet to run into something. Before that could potentially happen, they all ran into someone. They came to a screeching halt upon witnessing the individual standing next to another acre of trees. There he was. Alpha Heracross. "Yes! Heracross!" Sci-Twi exclaimed before grabbing the attention of the Alpha Heracross. As to be expected, Heracross had been slicing apart trees, leaving dents while also managing to miraculously keep them steady and rooted, only leaving them as flat husks. "Hera? Heracross!" Heracross' crimson Alpha eyes locked onto the group, already showing high aggression. That was to be expected from an Alpha Pokemon. They were far more aggressive and hostile compared to their standard species. "He's almost as big as a Snorlax!" Fluttershy gasped at the sheer size of Alpha Heracross. "Does your home have enough room for these Alpha Pokemon?" "We'll see. Right now...I'm going to try and catch him." Sci-Twi said as she was finally brave enough to confront an Alpha Pokemon without needing any second thoughts. "Pikachu. Can you help me with this?" "Pikachu!" For this, she chose Alpha Pikachu as the Mouse Pokemon ran ahead, standing in front of everyone. "Pika-Pika!" Pikachu rooted for his ancestor's victory in this, waving to the larger Electric Rodent. Out of all of Sci-Twi's current Pokemon, Pikachu, Luxio and maybe Munchlax were willing to listen to her, being the most reliable. Rapidash was still a wildcard but after the speech Ash gave her, that could change. For now, it was Pikachu who was taking control. "Hera!" Heracross didn't hesitate. The Alpha Heracross came charging in, delivering the first action while using Megahorn, channelling its strength into its greatest and only weapon. "Here he comes, Pikachu! Let's try and use Thunder Punch!" "Pika!" Pikachu would respond in kind with another physical move. With electricity crackling around his arms, Pikachu approached, leaping bountifully off the ground. "Pika...!" "Hera!" However, in the blink of an eye, Heracross moved to the side, becoming a blur with his red eyes being the only slow thing here. He moved faster than Pikachu and Sci-Twi expected, outspeeding the Mouse Pokemon. "Pi?!" Pikachu gasped, missing his Thunder Punch. Right after that, Heracross swung his horn, smashing it against the front of Pikachu's body, causing yellow sparks to fly out. Pikachu grimaced from the impact before being smashed into the ground by Heracross' downward motion. "Pi...Ka!" "Pikachu!" Sci-Twi gasped as Pikachu tumbled, returning to his trainer's side. Heracross wasn't about to relent his actions though. He continued his attack with Megahorn once more, spreading his wings out as he showed just how fast he could get. This speed was quick enough to force Twilight to act fast. "Oh! T-Try Thunder Punch again!" "Pika...!" Pikachu recovered as quickly as he could. By hopping off the ground, he would again approach Alpha Heracross, this time, hoping to strike with succession. "Pikachu!" He ended up managing to connect with Heracross as Thunder Punch and Megahorn collided. But immediately, the power difference was shown. But this was to be expected as a normal Heracross was already stupendously strong in the physical category. An Alpha Heracross was beyond that. "Cross!" "Pika-Pika!" Pikachu was overpowered, launched via the push of Alpha Heracross horn. In terms of strength and speed, Alpha Pikachu couldn't compare right now. "Hang in there, Pikachu!" She cried out, encouraging the Mouse Pokemon. So did his descendant as already Heracross was taking control of this battle, landing successful hits in. "It's fast just as it is strong?" Fluttershy gulped. "That's an issue...Pikachu's usually the faster Pokemon in most scenarios." "It's fine. We haven't lost yet. Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt, please!" "Pika!" Pikachu slapped his face for a bit before then jumping up. In the air, he managed to gather around 100,000 volts, converting them into power. Out of his body, those volts came crashing out at full force. "Heracross!" But once again, Heracross simply zoomed to the side, outspeeding Pikachu's attack. His speed was just too overwhelming right now. "Again...?" Twilight growled as even Thunderbolt was unable to tag Heracross. She even showed signs of frustration as at this point, her attempts had been failing her. "She won't be able to catch Heracross if this continues. Plus if Pikachu attacks more than Heracross, he'll tire out faster." Ash observed, already seeing what kind of drawbacks could come from this. Stamina was also a major factor and with this speed Alpha Heracross, it mattered more than ever. "Aside from Rapidash, Pikachu's my fastest Pokemon right now. But...that can change! Pikachu! Agility!" "Pika-Pika-Pika!" If he wanted to catch up with Heracross, he needed to match his speed. And thankfully, he had the move to do so. By leaping from side to side, Pikachu appeared to repeatedly vanish and immediately reappear in different spots while running. He relaxed and lightened his body which resulted in his speed increasing. "Cross?" Now Heracross had to keep an eye on Pikachu and his newfound speed as the Mouse Pokemon appeared around the Single Horn Pokemon in different directions. "Great! This should keep Heracross on his toes! Thunder Punch!" "Pikachu!" Pikachu would try Thunder Punch once more but this time with his new speed. After disappearing to another spot, he came flying in with sparking fists. "Hera!" Heracross swivelled to face Pikachu, catching him at the right moment. Even with the speed increase, Heracross could still catch Pikachu, fighting back with Megahorn. "Not enough?" Twilight shuddered before thinking quick on her feet. "Move around, Pikachu! Quick!" "Pi!" Pikachu quickly moved back before Heracross could launch him again. It was the right call on Sci-Twi's part as the horn almost grazed Pikachu once he ended the direct clash. "Heracross!" Another swing was unleashed, only for Alpha Pikachu to jump over this one. With this successful jump, Pikachu got one lick, hitting Heracross' face with Thunder Punch once. "C-Cross!" "Yes! Finally, a direct hit!" Sci-Twi squeed, glad that one of her hits managed to succeed. "Keep going! Use Thunderbolt now!" "Pikachu!" After getting a hit in, Pikachu would attack from afar, continuing his assault. It was time for him to turn the tables he unleashed Thunderbolt while backing up. "Cross!" Against Thunderbolt, Heracross put his arms up to defend himself. The bolt came crashing into him as Pikachu finally managed to land a hit in, causing Heracross to slide back. "Hera...!" "Awesome! You're doing it!" Ash and the others cheered for them both. "Keep going!" "Heracross...!" However, Heracross wasn't showing any signs of slowing. Once the smoke cleared, the Alpha Heracross decided to take Alpha Pikachu and Sci-Twi a bit more seriously now. By doing so, he used Megahorn yet again, but this time on the ground. One strike was all it took. The ground split from Heracross' impact as a white light started rapidly moving through the cracks. Pikachu tumbled along with the others as the sheer strength of Alpha Heracross was further revealed to reach this level with just one hit. "P-Pika?!" Alpha Pikachu was unable to keep his balance, eventually falling over. "Pikachu, look out!" Sci-Twi gasped, seeing that Pikachu was potentially set to fall into the split ground and eventually the white light. "Cross!" But that was simply the distraction. Heracross zoned in, using Aerial Ace to immediately move at confounding speeds. The white shockwaves engulfed Pikachu, sending him into the air. And once he was in the air, Heracross could use his wings, taking flight as he would continue his attack from above. "Pi-Pikaaaaa!" Struck at full force, Pikachu received a heavy Aerial Ace from the approaching Heracross. The horn was struck right in his chest, causing it to twist, almost as if Heracross punctured him. "Heracross!" With this direct hit, Heracross then sent Pikachu far from here instead of back to this spot. The Mouse Pokemon was launched via Heracross' horn, flying through the air. "Ah! Pikachu!" Sci-Twi yelled, witnessing Pikachu fly far from here. Right after that, Heracross landed, still looking he had more to give out. Alpha Pikachu was currently out of the way meaning that the hostile Alpha Pokemon's main confrontation was currently over. All that was left were the others in front of him. Sci-Twi and the others were now prime targets Alpha Heracross fixated his eyes on them each. Sci-Twi was stunned for a bit before stepping back for a bit. This wasn't how she expected this battle to go. "Pikachu...I need to get Pikachu back!" Sci-Twi stepped back a bit before then choosing to find Pikachu. She put him first before Heracross. A dangerous move by Sci-Twi as that prompted Alpha Heracross to attack. Once again, it was by using Aerial Ace as Sci-Twi was now the second target. He would attack her even while her back was turned. That wouldn't fly on Ash's watch. "Pikachu! Iron Tail!" "Chu...Pika!" Intercepting Heracross was Ash's Pikachu, using Iron Tail to do so. This gave Sci-Twi a chance to go on ahead and find her Pikachu. "Now's your chance. That girl and her rat managed to weaken it. Catch it." Then there was Sombra, suggesting that Ash should take advantage of this moment and catch Alpha Heracross for himself. "No way! This is Twilight's goal and I'm not gonna ruin it!" Ash denied as his Pikachu managed to match Alpha Heracross in not only speed but also strength as Iron Tail kept Heracross' horn occupied, locking the two in a stalemate. This wasn't Ash's battle. Despite stopping Alpha Heracross, he wouldn't give out any further commands. All he would do was have Pikachu push Alpha Heracross back. Heracross slid back, even tumbling on the damage it did to the ground via the devastating split. "Nice, Pikachu! Come on!" Ash ended it there. Fluttershy and the others had already gone ahead, following Sci-Twi to check up on Alpha Pikachu. They then left Alpha Heracross here, giving him time to recover from the pushback. "Hera..." And what of Pikachu himself? Where did he land to with such a vast distance as a result of Alpha Heracross' stupendous physical strength? Alpha Pikachu was launched to the south of the forest from Heracross' assault. He found himself in some rubble after making a hard landing. "Pika..." The rubble ended up being one of the trees in this forest. Instead of Heracross destroying them, it ended up being Pikachu's impact. But to an extent, Heracross was involved. The acre of trees covered his body as he sat there, trying to take in what just happened. Naturally, he took stupendous damage from the initial crash, causing him to just lie there for a while. It was even hard to tell if he would get back up from that. "Pikachu! Pikachu!" The voice of Sci-Twi cried out for Pikachu. "Can you hear me?! Audino. Fluttershy. Please tell me you can hear Pikachu nearby." "He looked like he flew south. I can take to the skies and make it easier." Fluttershy replied, taking flight as it would be best to cover every ground here. "Then from above, Dragonite's who we need." Ash already had Dragonite, sharing the same idea as Fluttershy. Whether it was using Audino's amazing hearing to find the Mouse Pokemon or seeing everything from the skies, they worked in unison to find Alpha Pikachu and hopefully before Heracross could leave. 7 minutes later. 7 minutes had passed. Eventually, Alpha Pikachu had been found, lying in the rubble of trees. Sci-Twi managed to find him first, seeing his current condition. Miraculously, Pikachu hadn't fainted. He was just badly injured. "Pikachu...I'm sorry. You probably had a better run when you were with Bertha, right?" Sci-Twi apologized to Pikachu before having Fluttershy nurse him back to help. Fluttershy had some potions to give out, letting Pikachu drink them to restore what had been done. He drank a full bottle of these potions, showing just how heavy each of Heracross' hits felt. "Pi...Pikachu." "Pikachu says you shouldn't worry about it too much." Fluttershy translated. "You were up against an Alpha Pokemon, so it makes sense that you'd feel a bit overwhelmed. Besides, you haven't lost yet." "I know. I can still do this. We can still do this." Sci-Twi closed her eyes. Instead of worrying about what could come next, she instead focused on what she could do next. Now that she had powerful allies, worrying about the future was barely an option. It was a matter of changing it that she focused on. "That's the spirit, Twi." Ash loved what he saw. Many months ago, Sci-Twi would've potentially hesitated to continue going after Heracross. But not anymore. Sci-Twi had Ash, Siebold, Bertha, Sunset and the counterparts to her friends from Equestria to thank for this confidence. The things they shared with her helped the rookie Pokemon Trainer come this far. "But...rest up, for now, Pikachu. Let your teammates handle the rest." Sci-Twi then held out two Poke Balls. Each of them belonged to certain Pokemon that had the strength she could count on. However, one of them was a wildcard. Alpha Rapidash. Rapidash was on the right while Luxio was on the left. She wondered who to choose. Luxio was powerful and loyal but Alpha Rapidash surpassed them all and yet was stubborn. However, Sci-Twi remembered how Ash encouraged Rapidash to cooperate back at the Battle Carnival. After thinking about it, Sci-Twi was focused on growing more than anything. And the best option for that growth would be Rapidash and growing the bond between the two. "Tini!" But while she thought about it, Victini found some macarons to snack on. Another one of these trees had something attractive to them. And of course, Macarons were Victini's all-time favourite food. "Macarons? Here?" Ash said after witnessing Victini scarf it all down. Even Ash knew that Macarons couldn't grow on trees at all. "Hmm..." "First Hoopa and now Meloetta find something fun on those trees," Fluttershy added. "Is there something special about this forest, maybe?" "Maybe. The only thing magical here I see is Meloetta's hair accessory." Sci-Twi focused on Meloetta's sparkling flower accessory. "Cotton candy and macarons are surprising though. First of all, you all ate from something that was connected to leaves. Are you okay?" "Hoopa's fine!" "Victini!" Victini and Hoopa appeared to be fine after scaring them down. The taste of the leaves didn't bother them at all. If anything, it added to the flavour, making Sci-Twi shudder. "Anyway. Let's hurry back and get to Alpha Heracross." Sci-Twi soon dismissed it before focusing on what mattered right now. "Let's go for our second round." "Heracross!" Heracross went back to his usual business. He kept showing off his strength, smashing trees and leaving deep dents in them. He didn't bother going after them once they got away. Thus, once again, they would come to Heracross since he wouldn't come to them. "Heracross!" Sci-Twi yelled, once again grabbing his attention. Heracross stopped what he was doing, recognizing that voice." "Cross?!" "We're not finished yet. Not until I've come out as the winner of this. This Pokemon Battle isn't over until all my Pokemon are unable to battle." Talking big to the Single Horn Pokemon, Sci-Twi adjusted her glasses before holding the ball out to Heracross. "Cross..." Heracross even found intrigue in Sci-Twi's words. Her voice had extra confidence in it. Condifence that was enough to garner Heracross' full attention and see what else she could bring to the table. "You got this, Twilight." Ash said from the back. "Use everything you've learned so far and go wild with all of it." "Going wild's not my thing, Ash. I prefer to be careful but I'll still win this! Please, help out, Rapidash!" By launching the Poke Ball, out came Alpha Rapidash, ready to go. "Rapidash!" "Rapidash. Here's our first serious battle. At least, I hope it is." Before starting, Sci-Twi had a small chat with the Fire Horse Pokemon. "For this one, please help me. Heracross is a massive obstacle in the way after all." "Dash..." Rapidash and Sci-Twi once again looked at each other. Ash and Fluttershy scrunched their faces, hoping this time, Rapidash could come to an understanding with Sci-Twi. And thanks to the conversation back in the south of the area, Rapidash saw it. The newfound confidence that Sci-Twi possessed. Heracross was the first to notice it and now Rapidash too. It felt somewhat alien to her, seeing Sci-Twi with such gusto and confidence. But that kind of confidence is something that Rapidash wanted to associate herself with. Powerful confidence leads to a powerful ally. "Rapidash!" Thus, Rapidash would help out, choosing to listen to Sci-Twi. Of course, she also wanted to test her. "Yes! Okay, let's go for it, Rapidash!" Sci-Twi had the happiest soul right now, seeing how Rapidash responded to her. "Go! Use Dragon Pulse!" "Rapidash!" It was time for her exclusive move as an Alpha Pokemon. Alpha Rapidash forms a ball of multicoloured energy in her mouth, taking a deep breath. After gathering her breath, and fires a crackling dragon-shaped beam of energy from it at her fellow Alpha Pokemon. "Hera...Cross!" Heracross approached, once again, going up close as that was his speciality. He used Megahorn while spreading his wings as well. Noticeably, Dragon Pulse moved at a speed that was enough to keep Heracross where he wanted him. The speed of Dragon Pulse forced Heracross to approach it in the first place as he smashed his horn into the blast. Heracross' goal was to try and cleave through the pulse which would end up allowing him to reach Rapidash. But while he couldn't reach the Fire Horse Pokemon, he did end up cutting the attack apart, causing it to combust. In return, the explosion harmed him a bit. "Put him to sleep, please! Hypnosis!" "Ra...!" The goal was to end this as soon as possible. Sci-Twi wanted to catch Heracross not defeat him after all. And the best option right now was Hypnosis as Rapidash releases light blue circles from his eyes that expanded. "Hera!" Heracross could at least dodge this as he took flight, appearing above. The hypnotic waves weren't even close to touching him at all. Heracross, now in the air, went for an aerial assault from above. This time with Aerial Ace. "Cross!" Jetting down with a silver trail, Heracross channelled his strength into his arms instead of his horn this time. "Quick, Rapidash! Flamethrower!" "Rapi...!" Rapidash's head was already up and ready for whatever aerial attacks would come her way. She gathered up some flames, however, Heracross managed to get a hit in first. "D-Dash!" Rapidash was smacked in the face by one of Heracross' arms which then began a consecutive attack. "Hera! Cross! Cross!" Heracross began delivering high-speed hits with his arms, punishing Rapidash repeatedly. Each hit was potent in every way thanks to Heracross' grand strength and he had yet to even use his horn. But of course, Alpha Rapidash withstood the hits. "Hang in there, please, Rapidash!" "R-Rapidash...!" Rapidash growled as even though she was taking these hits, damage was still coming through as her hooves started moving back. Rapidash held her ground as Heracross could see that she was only slightly moving back. "He's gauging them both." Ash suddenly said, grabbing Fluttershy's attention. "What do you mean by that?" Fluttershy, Hoopa and the rest asked. "Heracross is trying to see how good Twilight is with Rapidash right now. Otherwise, he would've used his strongest weapon. His horn. It's probably because of what Twilight said earlier. Now Heracross is battling without all that hostility from before." "Oooh...You noticed?" "I'm friends with a Heracross too ya know. Plus...sometimes I even do this." Ash smirked as this is something he would definitely try in battle. And he certainly has tried it before. "Wait for it..." Sci-Twi scrunched her face, waiting for a clear opening in all of Heracross' swift attacks. This meant that Rapidash would have to take all of these hits some more. Rapidash wondered why Twilight wasn't doing anything yet. Did she make the wrong call to trust Sci-Twi in this instance and it would lead to her defeat? Not at all. Sci-Twi said it before. She wanted to be cautious. This is who she was. And with the lessons she learned from experts, she already found a style that suited her. "Hera!" Heracross decided to take it up a notch. And this included using his horn. By channelling the rest of his strength into his horn this next hit would be grander than the rest. "I see you! Rapidash, chomp on Heracross' horn!" Sci-Twi found that chance. The second he transferred power into his horn, there was a build-up as he was no longer using his arms. "Dash!" Rapidash took that chance as well. She leaned forward while galloping to swiftly grab Heracross' horn with her bare teeth. This was right before all of it went to his horn, resulting in Rapidash stopping the transfer midway. "H-Hera?!" "Gotcha! That horn buildup is what I needed!" Sci-Twi adjusted her glasses before putting on a smirk. "You're still stupidly strong with it, so we'll stop any chance you get to use it! Flamethrower! Up close!" It would be a direct hit. Flames sparked out of Rapidash's mouth, ready to be unleashed. Heracross' horn was still insanely strong, capable of lifting anything up. But in this instance, when tried doing it to Rapidash, it failed. Rapidash didn't show any signs of being launched. "Surprised? You can't use your horn efficiently in that position! There's no momentum for you to swing upwards or even downward!" Sci-Twi exposed Heracross. She found one weakness and revealed it to its fullest capabilities. "Go, Rapidash!" "RAPIDASH!" Finally, Rapidash unleashed Flamethrower, engulfing Heracross' body. The blast was so strong that it forced Heracross' horn out of Rapidash's mouth, carrying him away. A truly super-effective hit as the trees that Heracross attacked had been obliterated by the crashing body of Heracross and the flames. The end result was a violent explosion of flames that went off, causing Sci-Twi to hold onto her clothes from the blowback. "H-Hera...!" Heracross emerged out of the smoke, having visible battle damage at last. "Now's your chance!" Fluttershy exclaimed as this was the perfect chance to throw a Poke Ball. "Not yet! Hypnosis!" "Rapidash!" But there had to be extra measures. To make sure Heracross doesn't pull a surprising comeback, Rapidash used Hypnosis for safety. Those hypnotic waves came through, encasing Heracross. Unfortunately for him, he was now entranced by the waves. "H-Hera...Heracross..." And as to be expected, he started dozing off. Just as planned. Heracross dropped on his face, unable to continue moving in this tiresome state. "Cross..." "Okay! Here I go!" Now she would take that opportunity. A Great Ball was held out by Sci-Twi. She had the target in size and with all her might, she launched it, nearly falling over. This looked like it would be it. A successful capture from Sci-Twi in her first serious battle against an Alpha Pokemon without needing outside help. Now for the moment of truth. Damage done by Alpha Pikachu earlier combined with the heavy damage from Rapidash with the finishing touch of Hypnosis had worn this physically powerful Pokemon down. The Great Ball placed him inside before beginning to shake. 1...2...3...Gotcha! Alpha Heracross was caught. "Yes! Success! A stunning success!" A total victory. With her full confidence, Sci-Twi achieved her goal. She caught Alpha Hracross with her skills alone. No other trainer helped her out this time. It was all her. "I actually overcame someone that strong...amazing. Amazing!" "You rock, Twilight! Rapidash!" Ash and the others thundered with joy and applause. Victini and Meloetta danced around after witnessing her victory while Fluttershy and Ash high-fived and high-hoofed each other. "We did it, Rapidash. Working together feels so amazing..." "Rapidash." Rapidash had to agree. She was impressed by how Twilight took control of this battle. Therefore, Rapidash now felt that it was rather interesting to stick by Sci-Twi's side, just to see what happens next. But for now, a new Alpha Pokemon had been added to Twilight's team at last. Without a doubt, her physically strongest Pokemon to date with Rapidash only being the fastest and strongest when it comes to ranged attacks. "I did it! I caught Alpha Heracross!" To declare this victory which felt more satisfying than anything she's done so far, Sci-Twi raise the Great Ball into the air. "Oh...I'm tired now...Is it safe to fall asleep while standing up? I'm going to assume it isn't." By now, the Sun would son rise and Sci-Twi had yet to get some full rest after what just happened. But it was all worth it just for this one moment. Ash and the others would get her some rest while also letting her revel at this moment. "Still...what was with those trees?" But even so, Fluttershy had to wonder about the trees. It knew exactly what each Pokemon wanted. If they had gone any further, would they have shown Pikachu and the others something? And why only the Pokemon? These were the questions that Fluttershy and even Ash wondered about. Questions that they wonder would ever be answered. Either way, it wouldn't take away from this joyous moment as the journey continues. Chapter 904 End.