Equestria. Canterlot. Equestria League Stadium. Afternoon.
Ash and Rainbow Dash's battle had just begun. Previously, Luxray took on both Pikachu and Gengar and ultimately fell to Gengar. But he put up an excellent fight that garnered the respect of many. Right now, it would be Altaria against Gengar, picking up right after Luxray had fainted.
More and more ponies came to watch this battle right as it was starting to amp up. This friendly battle would garner more attention, even though the Golden Stairway was right there. Joining the increasing crowd were none other than the few teachers from the Pokemon School. The three most prominent ones that the students always see. Roxanne, Brawly and Roxie.
"Ooh, a full battle between the two? Nice." Brawly commented, making himself comfortable. "Who's winning?"
"Ash is in the lead right now. But Rainbow Dash is doing pretty well so far. So far." Twilight explained. "That look in Ash's eyes means that he's only going to make it harder for her."
"He's already made it hard for her." Rarity added. "Rainbow Dash has access to Mega Evolution, Z-Moves and the Harmony Phenomenon. Ash only has a Z-Move at his speciality and yet..."
"It's go time, Altaria! Dragon Pulse!" Rainbow Dash shouted out, spreading and bending her hooves to mimic that of a dragon's fangs.
"Taria!" Altaria would unleash a Dragon Pulse, holding her breath in as a draconic beam came crashing out. A loud boom would erupt from the initial fire as this Dragon Pulse was the most ferocious that Altaria had ever unleashed.
"Water Gun, Dracovish!"
"Draco!" Dracovish would retaliate with a stream of water that didn't crash out with the same intensity as Dragon Pulse but was equally fierce as it smashed into the draconic beam. A combustion of water and arcane power would go off as both trainers would try and take advantage of this large cloud of smoke.
"Hyper Voice!"
"Ice Fang!"
"Alta...!" Altaria did what she does best. Hum beautifully as a mighty shockwave erupted from her, blowing away the smoke. At the same time, Dracovish would jump through the smoke with its fangs being coated in ice. But the second it came close, the soundwave already struck the Water-Dragon-Type, sending it back. "Ria!"
"Draco...!" Dracovish would roll on the ground from the soundwave's pressure, tumbling and bouncing before regaining its composure. Dracovish couldn't get in close at the moment. "Co!"
"Dracovish and Altaria aren't the fastest bunch, so they should be equal in speed. But on land and sky, that's a different story for both of them." Rainbow Dash said to herself. "So, I won't let it get anywhere near Altaria. Ascend, Altaria! Use Dragon Pulse!"
"Altaria!" Using the distance to her advantage, Altaria would fly up, building up arcane energy for a second Dragon Pulse. From above, Dragon Pulse would approach like a crashing lightning bolt.
"That's what you're up to...Dodge it, Dracovish!"
"Dra!" Dracovish had its own advantage on land as opposed to Altaria's aerial advantage. The Fossil Pokemon would slide on the marble floor moving to the side. The pulse would strike the arena ground, sending a shockwave that would slightly stagger Dracovish.
"Again!"
"Aria! Aria!" Continuous Dragon Pulses were spat out by the Humming Pokemon as Dracovish was met with a bombardment of these dragon-shaped attacks.
"Keep at it, Dracovish!"
"Vish!" Dracovish was forced to evade as much as it could. Each time a pulse would hit the stadium, a new outburst would come, minimizing the space it needed for safety. Luna, the referee of this battle, would continue to shield herself once the explosions ramped up. She would need to keep this up as the aggression of this battle was only going to increase. The ground, which had previously been turned to ice by Gengar, was starting to break apart thanks to this. Either way, Dracovish used this to slide smoothly.
"Trying to keep us away, huh? That won't happen! Water Gun, Dracovish! Aim it at the ground!"
"Draco...Vish!" Dracovish would retaliate. But instead of intercepting one of the Dragon Pulses, it would use Water Gun on the ground as per Ash's request. By doing so, Dracovish would propel itself upwards, using the stream of water as a pedestal. This was assisted by one of the Dragon Pulse combustions which gave Dracovish a boost.
"Higher, Altaria!"
"Alta!" But Rainbow Dash aimed to completely distance her from Dracovish. Altaria would ascend some more, charging up yet another Dragon Pulse. And with Dracovish being in the air, it would be much harder to evade this.
"It can't reach Altaria that way!" Roxanne gasped. "Can it?"
"Yes, it can!" Brawly stood up with high enthusiasm in his voice after seeing the Water Strategy. As a surfer, he respected this greatly. "Ride that wave good, Dracovish!"
"Catch up with her! More, Dracovish!"
"Vish!" But Dracovish would simply increase the power of Water Gun just to reach Altaria. The water pressure would be elevated, spreading across the ground faster while also giving Dracovish an extra boost. This extra boost would allow him to narrowly evade an incoming Dragon Pulse.
The Dragon Pulse would break straight through the Water Gun, however, ending Dracovish's rise. But that was all Dracovish needed. It managed to reach its fellow Dragon-Type with all that liquifying effort.
"Now, Ice Fang! Bring her down!" Ash smashed his fist on the ground to accentuate the motion that Dracovish needed to pull off.
"Draco...!"
"Quick, Altaria! Fire!"
"Alta...!" Another Dragon Pulse was incoming. However, this time, Dracovish had the advantage in the air as it was close enough to the Humming Pokemon. Before she could even unleash or fully build up her Dragon Pulse, Dracovish managed to bite down on Altaria's head. "T-Taria!"
"Oh no! Altaria!" Rainbow Dash gasped upon seeing Altaria's attack being interrupted and essentially shut down. Now that she was in Dracovish's clutches, escaping was the biggest challenge to overcome.
"Draco!" With its powerful apex predator jaws, Dracovish would force the Dragon-Flying-Type away from the sky and back to land. Unable to break free, Altaria would find herself being smashed into the ground first, with Dracovish landing second. The dust would aggressively fly everywhere, making Rainbow Dash flinch while Ash would casually stare, not flinching at all.
"Altaria! Are you okay?!" Rainbow Dash cried out once the smoke emerged. Out of it, Dracovish would appear and in his fangs was Altaria.
Altaria found herself trapped, unable to wriggle her way out of Dracovish's jaws. Not only was she trapped but she also received super-effective damage from that Ice Fang. She wasn't down yet but she was on the verge of fainting at this rate.
"She withstood that? Impressive." Roxanne nodded in approval of Altaria's stellar durability.
"But it won't matter with those crazy strong jaws," Roxie commented. "Break out of it if you can!"
"Tari...! Taria!" Altaria was unable to. Dracovish wasn't thinking about letting go as it would start gnawing as if it wanted a snack, startling Altaria who could receive something far worse than a knockout.
"Let's finish her off! Ice Fang!"
"Draco...!"
"No, you won't!" Rainbow Dash roared, refusing to let Altaria fall here. "Hyper Voice! Full blast!"
"ARIA!" Altaria would unleash Hyper Voice while her head was being restrained by Dracovish. Even though her head was restrained, her beak wasn't. With all of her might, she would hum as loud as she could.
And it was certainly efficient. The volume of the soundwave vibrated Dracovish's entire head since it was so close to it. The Fossil Pokemon's eyes widened as its grip on Altaria weakened. This allowed Altaria to break free, pushing back the Dragon-Water-Type with the power of the soundwave.
"Yes! We got out of it!" Rainbow Dash cheered.
"Not bad...Can ya hear properly, Dracovish?" Ash asked. Dracovish would shake its head before regaining balance. But the sound of Altaria's singing was ringing in its head.
"Okay...Those jaws freak me out. In more ways than one." Rainbow Dash took a deep breath as she was still safe currently. But at any time, it could go horribly south. "But...I'm gonna make a turnaround right now before it gets worse."
"I like that look in her eyes." Roxie noticed Rainbow Dash's intensive glare. "She's ready for something."
"I think I know what it could be." Twilight eyed down the aerial goggles on Rainbow Dash's head. And indeed, Rainbow Dash had the same idea in mind. This was a battle that would require the full strength of both trainers. And that meant the best of their Pokemon's capabilities.
"It's time!" Rainbow Dash yelled before tapping on the Keystone that was embedded in the aerial goggles. The time for Mega Evolution had come. "Mega Evolve!"
"Alta...!" With a resounding cry, the Mega Energy from both Altaria and the Keystone would go off, unleashing beautiful blue and yellow lights that would connect and form a DNA symbol. The symbols would then pulsate rapidly before then flying over to the Humming Pokemon. There was an enveloping light around her that would soon transform Altaria's body, bringing out her further evolved state. Mega Altaria. "Altaria!"
"I've been waiting for this." Ash anticipated Mega Altaria. This was Rainbow Dash's way of showing how serious she was getting. But there were two more ways she could show it that Ash was patiently waiting for.
"Go! Moonblast!"
"Taria!" Stronger than before, Altaria would gather power from the beautiful moon, turning that power into an incandescent sphere of Fairy Magic before shooting it out.
"Water Gun!"
"Draco!" Intercepting this attack with Water Gun, Dracovish would also up the ante, slightly pushing itself back from the force of Water Gun's initial release. Moonblast managed to overpower Water Gun in this instance, breaking through the stream and crashing into the Fossil Pokemon. A super-effective hit had finally come through. "V-Vish!"
"Yes! Follow up with Dragon Pulse!"
"Aria!" A second attack would be unleashed which would also bring about a super-effective effect if it landed. As if Ash would let that happen. He could see that Altaria had the advantage when it came to special attacks in her Mega Evolved State while Dracovish was far superior with Physical Attacks.
"Lower your body, Dracovish!"
"Draco!" In a more practical approach, Dracovish would lower its head, narrowly evading the Dragon Pulse.
"Now slide in and use Fishious Rend!"
"Draa!" Along came Dracovish, using the ice on the ground to its advantage. Dracovish would then lunge forward, biting down on the Altaria's wings with a light blue energy coming out of its jaws.
"A-Alta! Altaria!"
"Push it off with Hyper Voice!"
"Alta!" In this form, Mega Altaria had access to Pixilate as an ability. Thus, Hyper Voice became a Fairy-Type attack. Altaria would combine her cry of pain with Hyper Voice, damaging Dracovish with a super-effective blow that would push it away.
"V-Vish!" Dracovish would once again stumble, this time on the broken parts of the icy ground which was starting to diminish as the battle went on. The sliding advantage would no longer be present unless the element of Ice were to change it once more. Ash thought about it. Dracovish did have Ice Fang after all. There was also Altaria's Ice Beam which had yet to be unleashed solely due to Rainbow Dash's patience for Dragonite's appearance. And of course, Dracovish was not weak to ice like most of its draconic brethren.
"Alright, Dracovish. Return, for now." Ash would return Dracovish, giving it a break. "Great work as always. I'll call you back in when the time's right. Okay...It's your turn! Lucario!"
"Lucario!" Out of the next Poke Ball came Lucario. He would pick up where Dracovish left off. Lucario was the equalizer when it came to facing Altaria. His Steel-Typing gave him great resistance to all of her moves but none of his moves would do much to Altaria.
"I can't do much...but I'll still stop you!" Rainbow Dash declared. "Moonblast!"
"Altaria!" Moonblast would be unleashed, approaching the Aura Pokemon who would just stand there, unbothered by the approaching attack.
"Ca!" Lucario would simply slap it away with his arm, showing off immediately. The Moonblast would fly out of the arena, hitting the walls instead. The way he did so intimidated Rainbow Dash and Altaria as Ash didn't even need to say anything. It was thanks to Ash and Lucario's synchronized Aura that the Aura Pokemon chose to get serious.
"Always a tough guy...but that won't get to us." The pegasus growled. "Go for it, Altaria! Hyper Voice!"
"Aria!" If Moonblast wouldn't do then perhaps Hyper Voice might. Soundwaves to try and slow Lucario down were unleashed, bringing about a beautiful melody.
"Let's go, Lucario! Double Team!"
"Lu!" Along came Lucario, rushing in with multiple clones emerging from his body. These clones would run at different speeds, forming a horde that Altaria would have to deal with. Her soundwave would blow away some of the clones, causing them to vanish while the real Lucario was approaching.
"Now, Force Palm!"
"Ca!" Lucario then leapt upwards as the last of his clones vanished. That last clone gave him the chance to strike as Altaria could not slow him down at all. Before she knew it, she was socked in the face by Lucario's paw.
"T-Ta!" She staggered from this not-every-effective hit. But from how she was bewildered by it, it might as well have been very effective. Lucario would then bring about an onslaught of consecutive Force Palm hits, slugging and smashing Altaria repeatedly as he gave her little time to think. "Aaaa!"
"Altaria, no!" The multi-coloured-maned pegasus cried out. "Quick! Break out with Dragon Pulse!"
"T-Taria!" But that was fairly difficult to do when she was being staggered with each hit. Lucario was unrelenting to the core for poor Altaria.
"Does Ash seem tougher to you today?" Fluttershy said, realizing how advantageous Ash was during this entire battle and how much brute force was emanating from his actions.
"Rainbow Dash did ask for Ash at his best. Unfortunately, this means she'll have to take the full fury of Ash's battling style." Rarity answered. "And from the skill level between the two, Rainbow Dash is up against her hardest battle yet."
"What's wrong, Rainbow Dash? Don't you have something?" Ash said while Lucario's blows kept coming with multiple sparks flying everywhere.
"We won't lose like this! Altaria! Please!" Rainbow Dash pleaded to Altaria to try her best to escape this flurry. "Dragon Pulse!"
"A-A...!" While being pummeled, Altaria would try to use Dragon Pulse at any chance that she could. But she needed the right chance for that to happen. But seeing how fierce and fast Lucario was, that chance to release it was practically non-existent. So, Rainbow Dash thought of something else.
"It's risky but...Use it inside! Now!"
"Taria!" Self-sabotage. Since she couldn't use Dragon Pulse outside, Altaria would use it inside. She at least had time to build up her breath but didn't have the time to release it. With her breath, she would gather up whatever amount of draconic energy that she could.
And with it, the Humming Pokemon would unleash it inside. The explosion of Dragon Pulse would flare in her neck and out of her mouth, harming her own body. But as an odd advantage, the flare of energy would push Lucario back, gauging some distance. But the one who would truly fly back was Altaria since she took the full brunt of it.
Alas, when trying to use it as an escape mechanism, it ended in her downfall. Altaria would de-evolve while falling from above, dropping to the ground and emerging in her standard form. She had fainted.
"Altaria..."
"Altaria is unable to battle! Lucario wins!"
"Thank you, Altaria. You tried your best." Rainbow Dash closed her eyes before returning the Dragon-Flying-Type, holding her Poke Ball close to her face. Altaria truly gave it her all, but her own escape method backfired due to the damage she already received.
"Dash. That was pretty smart." Ash spoke. "Risky, but smart. Using Altaria's own attack inside of her was a great way to get Lucario away from her. But maybe next time, do it when Altaria's got some more strength. It's not a bad idea for a Pokemon to eat their own type. Trust me." He winked, referring to his Torterra.
"Thanks, Ash. But...I was thinking of calling her back but I didn't wanna waste the Mega Evolution, ya know?"
"Huh?" Ash narrowed his eyes along with Pikachu. They appeared confused by those words. "Say what now?"
"You know...Altaria had to stay out. I mean, Mega Evolution runs out if you swap, right?"
"Uh...No it doesn't." Ash and Pikachu laughed, revealing that Mega Evolution remained even if the Pokemon were to switch out. "You'd still have her in her Mega Form. It doesn't run out when you switch out."
"What?!" Naturally, this was new to Rainbow Dash due to her reaction.
"WHAT?!" But this was also new to everyone else aside from Brawly, Roxanne, Roxie and Zero.
"You can do that?!" Twilight stood up in shock at this news. This changed how she and everyone saw Mega Evolution. "And they'll still be in that form?!"
"Of course. It's just that Mega Evolution is so strong, many if not all trainers refuse to swap them out and save them for the climax of the battle." Roxanne explained. "When in reality, the effects wouldn't run out at all. I don't blame them. The power is just so immense after all."
"Of all the times to know this..." Disappointed, Rainbow Dash lowered her head before jolting it back up. "Oh well! I'll use that to my advantage the next time I battle with Altaria!"
"That's the spirit!" Ash loved to hear it, giving an approving thumbs up. "Alright! Let's keep this battle going!"
"Yeah! I choose-" Right as Rainbow Dash was ready to select her next Pokemon, Mienfoo's Poke Ball would fly out on its own. Out of it, Mienfoo would emerge. "Huh?"
"Mienfoo!"
"Mienfoo? You showed up on your own?
"Mien. Mienfoo." Mienfoo would face her trainer, hitting her own chest before then aiming her paw at Lucario. Clearly, she wanted to battle him. Fighting-Type vs Fighting-Type.
"Ooh...You wanna be the one to take on Lucario and not anyone else." Rainbow Dash understood Mienfoo clearly. "Don't tell you waited for Altaria to go down..."
"M-Mien." Mienfoo blushed as she did indeed wait for Altaria's defeat for this very moment to happen. It was rather selfish of her but Rainbow Dash expected this.
"Alright then. You've got your wish. Let's take down Lucario!"
"Mienfoo!" Mienfoo issued the signature fighting pose of her species.
"Use Force Palm!" At the same time, the two trainers would yell at the same attack. In unison, Lucario and MIenfoo would light up their paws with an incandescent orange light. Both Fighting-Types would then move forward, meeting up close.
It would be an up-close collision of Force Palm once their arms were thrust in unison. And of course, the impact of both attacks would release an orange flash that would envelop them both. But the one who would be pushed back was Mienfoo as Lucario won the clash.
"M-Mien...!" Mienfoo would growl from losing the main exchange but she still had other chances. The Martial Arts Pokemon recovered, spotting Lucario approaching her.
"Block it, Mienfoo!"
"Mienfoo!" He would throw another Force Palm at her, only for Mienfoo to brace herself. She successfully blocked the Force Palm but not without an aftershock. Her body would shake from the hit, blowing the dust behind her. "Foo!" After blocking it, Mienfoo found her moment to retaliate.
She would use her pure physical strength to push Lucario back, ending the physical lock before initiating another one. After pushing Lucario back, she would throw out her next Force Palm by lunging in. It was an upwards collision as she would go for the chest, hitting Lucario at the centre.
"R-Rrr...!" Lucario snarled at this as Mienfoo managed to land a super-effective hit in.
"Use Acrobatics!"
"Mienfoo!" Instantly, Mienfoo would switch attacks, going for something more up her sleeve. She was all about fast hits and Acrobatics was the way to do it. The Martial Arts Pokemon, after hitting Lucario's chest, who would jump off his chest as a way to gauge some distance and even push him back. Lucario would move back before seeing Mienfoo rush back in.
"Here she comes! Double Team!"
"Ca!" But right as Mienfoo came in for Acrobatics, Lucario would already multiply himself with his clones. Mienfoo only ended up kicking a clone that would soon fizzle out.
"We won't let this get the better of us again! Go, Mienfoo!"
"Foo!" It would be a full force Acrobatics, using the best of Mienfoo's acrobatics to her advantage. She would swiftly move around, attacking each Lucario clone with rapid strikes from her paws and feet respectively. One by one, the clones would vanish instantly at great speeds, gradually approaching the real Lucario. Mienfoonarrowed her eyes, searching for the real one.
"Aura Sphere!"
"Ca...!" The remaining clones would then put their paws together, preparing an Aura Sphere to give Mienfoo more to worry about.
"Mien?!" The Fighting-Type gasped once these spheres of concentrated aura would materialize. However, she noticed something that stood out. One Aura Sphere stood out from the rest, having a greater vibrance. Rainbow Dash would soon notice it as well.
"There he is! Straight to the near left!"
"Mien!" Mienfoo knew exactly what Rainbow Dash already meant. She would fly in with Acrobatics, approaching the spheres once they were thrown. She would phase through the fake spheres before then meeting with the real one. With a powerful stomp, Mienfoo smashed her foot against the real Aura Sphere.
"Send it back!"
"Mien...Foo!" Mienfoo would end up kicking the Aura Sphere back at Lucario with all her might, using it against the Aura Pokemon.
"Awesome! But..." Ash smirked, unbothered and amazed by this. Lucario's Aura Sphere would approach him, seemingly ready to land a direct hit.
Alas, it was a juke. There was a second Lucario that was behind him. The real Lucario was only using the clone as a cover and a perfect mirage, masking his movements with it. The Lucario clone would be destroyed by the Aura Sphere, leaving room for the real one to rush in.
"Use Reversal!"
"Ca!" After tricking Mienfoo, he would slug his fellow Fighting-Type in the face, making her head turn to the side. It was almost even a full turn. Flabbergasted, Mienfoo found herself spinning in the air.
"Now! Aura Sphere!"
"Lucario!" Lucario would follow up with Aura Sphere while Mienfoo was still airborne.
"I don't think so! Reversal!"
"Mien!" An explosive aura of Infinity Energy would erupt from her body. Thanks to Reversal, she could instantly regain her balance, performing a stylish flip in the air. Her arms and entire body would light up before she then smashed her paw against the sphere.
A direct hit. The light of Aura Sphere and Reversal would flare out with Mienfoo attempting to send this one back as well. Everyone was struggling to keep up with how fast-paced this battle was turning out. When two Fighting-Types battle, it truly becomes a high-tension exchange that is devoid of much commentary.
"M-Mien...!" Mienfoo's arm would tremble when trying to push back this Aura Sphere. She did her best to reflect it, harming herself in the process. The Martial Arts Pokemon was unable to reflect it, but she could send it elsewhere. With a crack of her arms, Mienfoo knocked the Aura Sphere into the air as it would fizzle out.
Everyone looked up as it beautifully vanished with blue sparkles dropping from above. Mienfoo would drop to the ground as her arm was vigorously trembling from that initial struggle.
"Not yet! We'll take all of that damage and make it our own!" Rainbow Dash's eyes flared. "But first...Meditation!"
"Mienfo..." Mienfoo put her arms together, entering a meditative state. It was time for a new approach that would try and turn the tides. Her strength would immediately increase thanks to this.
"Mediation, huh? So, you're going for Mienfoo's new side. Let's see what she can do then! Double Team into Force Palm, Lucario!"
"Ca!" Along came Lucario with his clones which would all use Force Palm at once. Mienfoo's eyes would open up after she managed to mediate for this instance.
"We'll show you...Acrobatics!"
"Mien!" In a sudden spurt of speed, Mienfoo would take off like a rocket, leaving behind afterimages. The clones of Lucario failed to reach her as the real Lucario was instantly found by the Martial Arts Pokemon, stunning the Aura Pokemon and even Ash.
"Lu?!" Lucario grimaced after being found. And of course, he had been hit straight in the face by Mienfoo's below. But Mienfoo wouldn't stop there. Avenging Altaria, she would use the speed of Acrobatics to repeatedly hit Lucario from different directions while swiftly dashing to do so. Now Lucario was the one being smacked repeatedly.
"Reversal! Upwards!"
"Foo!" As Rainbow Dash, Mienfoo would use her damage as her strength, giving Lucario an uppercut that would almost send him upwards, but not quite there yet. However, the initial blow was staggeringly effective as Lucario would feel all of Mienfoo's increased strength.
"Force Palm!"
"Rr!" Right after he received a devastating uppercut, Lucario would soon recover with his Aura flaring out of him. The Aura Pokemon returned the favour by swinging his palm at Lucario's entire upper body.
"M-Mien!" Mienfoo would also grimace and cringe. Lucario would use his full arm strength to throw away, breaking all the ice rubble in the process.
"This is a vicious back and forth! Do you think they're pushing it too far?!" Starlight cried out.
"No. This is all-natural for Fighting-Types." Brawly, the Fighting-Type expert, would answer immediately. "They're at their best when they're going all out like this. Lucario and Mienfoo wouldn't have it any other way."
"Mien...Mien..." Panting repeatedly, Mienfoo's limits were starting to show. I was clear that she was getting the worst of it as her whole body was covered in scratches and tatters.
"Mienfoo...Come back for now!o You-"
"Foo!" But Mienfoo vehemently refused. She would never return. Not when she was facing Lucario down.
"You wanna see this through...?" Rainbow Dash uttered slowly before sighing. This was her Pkemon's wish and who was she to deny it? "Fine. You would've just forced yourself out again anyway. Let's finish this with one strike, okay?"
"Mien!" There was only one way for Mienfoo to throw everything she had at Lucario. Previously, Altaria used the best of her abilities which was Mega Evolution. Now it was Mienfoo to use the full extent of her abilities.
A Z-Move.
Out of Rainbow Dash's mane, a Z-Ring would be thrown upwards. Rainbow Dash then raised her hoof as the ring would perfectly land on her hoof. Afterwards, she would slap the Fightium Z on. The Power of Alola would show itself in a vibrant light.
"Get ready, Ash! One of your Pokemon is gonna go down right here, right now!"
"We'll see about that.
It was time for the full force of this Z-Move to be utilized as Rainbow Dash started posing to pull it off as perfectly as possible.
"We're gonna make it to the Final Gym and win!" Rainbow Dash shouted out while posing.
"Mienfoo!" Mienfoo yelled as her body began flowing with the aura of Z Power once Rainbow Dash pulled off the successful poses.
"All of this Z-Power is our spirit and you're gonna take the full force of it, Lucario! Anyone else we face, we won't lose to! Not when I'm going to become the Equestrian Champion!"
"Mien!"
"MIENFOO! ALL OUT PUMMELLING!"
"Mien...FOO!" Mienfoo, with all her might, unleashed a ridiculously fast flurry of orange-glowing punches and kicks that covered tore through the remaining ice and even the air. Mienfoo's veins would even show from this full-power attack.
"Now, Lucario! Use Aura Sphere and Double Team!"
"Lucario!" Lucario would also show his full spirit. As if a hurricane was around him, his Aura would erupt as the Aura Sphere he made would then appear, larger than before. Lucario and all of his appearing clones would then throw the spheres that would meet with the punches and kicks. Al the spheres were the real deal instead of being fake this time as it was a fierce struggle between the two Fighting-Type attacks.
"Move in, Lucario! Force Palm!"
"Ca!" While all the Aura Spheres were holding back the Z-Move, Lucario would approach Mienfoo while she was wide open, leaving the rest to his clones.
"Go, Mienfoo!"
"Mien!" Mienfoo's voice echoed out as her body would flash vibrantly in response to ever-increasing passion. She would all the energy of All-Out Pummeling which resulted in the Z-Move becoming stronger than ever. However, it wasn't strong enough to overcome Lucario, but it did equalize things.
The struggle came to an end as all the clones of Lucario would vanish but the Aura Spheres and Z-Move cancelled each other out. There was an immediate wide spark with Lucario failing to get in close from the tremendous shockwave that pushed him back and Mienfoo failing to successfully hit Lucario.
Thus, it was a strength tie. The dust settled from the end of this struggle, but it wasn't the end of this battle. Lucario felt bewildered by that. He didn't expect Mienfoo to cancel it all out. Her strength was truly elevated when pushed to this point.
"Awesome...She matched his strength with that last burst." Ash said. "Man, you're so cool, Mienfoo."
"M-Mien...!" Mienfoo got on one knee once she finished using all of her Z-Power. And to an extent, a majority of her natural power was gone. She was now running low while Lucario still had more to spare. Everyone fell silent to Mienfoo's current state, wondering if she could even continue.
"Oh, Mienfoo." Rainbow Dash smiled, proud of Mienfoo for being such a trooper, standing strong just like her teammates. So far, all of her Pokemon have stood strong against their powerful opponents, refusing to go down easily. "You-"
"Mien...Mien!" But then, that's when it happened. A pillar of energy erupted from Mienfoo's body, interrupting anything Rainbow Dash wanted to say. The energy would light up the sky, piercing the clouds while also causing a wind pressure to emerge. All watched in awe while squinting their eyes at this sudden outburst of power.
"Mienfoo?!" Rainbow Dash spoke, taking a peek at the blinding light. Inside, a silhouette of Mienfoo appeared. At least, for a moment. The silhouette would soon change into something else. Taller, slightly leaner and with a new coat of paint, the Martial Arts Pokemon had truly broken past her limits in this battle. And with this limit-breaking struggle, her true strength could be unleashed.
"Mienshao!" She had evolved. Arriving at the scene was the fully-evolved form of her evolution line. The Martial Arts Pokemon Mienshao.
"Mienshao?! You evolved!" An ecstatic Rainbow Dash said as everyone cheered for this surprise evolution. Pushed to her limits, the full power of Mienshao's evolution line had been unleashed. And it was truly captivating.
"Well, I'll be..." Ash raised his hat, laughing at his sudden turn of events. "Ya did it, Mienshao. You're at your best now. But there's still more to do and grow with."
"Yes! With Mienshao, she might get one of his Pokemon down!" Sweetie Belle cheered.
"Okay! We can still win this!" Rainbow Dash pumped her hooves, ready to use this newfound power of Mienshao. "Let's go, Mienshao!"
"Mienshao!" After pulling off some poses and hitting the air for a bit, Mienshao was ready to jump back into the action.
"Lucario! Let's show them you're still not gonna fall even with this evolution!"
"Lucario!"
The battle between the two was heating up even more. While Rainbow Dash had a numerical disadvantage, much like Mienshao's evolution, her spirit and fire weren't burning out anytime soon. She was looking for a turnaround no matter how long it would take as the journey continues.
Chapter 998 End.