//------------------------------// // Ash and Dash // Story: My Little Pokémon // by Amarvax //------------------------------// Equestria. Canterlot. Equestria League Stadium. Afternoon. During the heated battle between Ash and Rainbow Dash, Mienfoo finally evolved into a Mienshao. Struggling against Lucario brought forth her final evolution and full potential. But even with this evolved state, Rainbow Dash was still in a rough position. Ash still had Lucario out as well as all of his Pokemon being conscious. Rainbow Dash was down two Pokemon with only Mienshao, Whirlipede, Castform and Braviary remaining. "Do you think she stands a better chance now that Mienshao's evolved?" Spike asked. "I mean, it's true that Pokemon get second bursts of wind and strength when they evolve." "But Mienshao took a lot of damage previously and that'll obviously carry over. We'll just have to wait and see what she does." Twilight replied. "Okay, Mienshao! Use Reversal, now!" "Mien...!" Mienshao would flare her body with an orange energy, prepared to use all of her damage against Lucario. But that energy would suddenly turn blue, no longer having that signature orange glow. "Huh? What's this?" Rainbow Dash gasped as this was a sudden change of elements that she wasn't expecting. Upon evolving, MIenshao had learned something new. "Shao!" Mienshao had learned Aura Sphere. She formed her own azure sphere that was made out of her own life energy as it flashed beautifully in her arms. "Lu?!" Lucario was surprised to see her utilize what was usually seen as his signature attack. Now, there was another Pokemon from his friend group that had access to this amazing power. "Not bad, Mienshao! Lucario! Let's respond in kind! Aura Sphere!" Luca!" Lucario would show her how it was done. Attempting to outdo her, he generated Aura Sphere with a larger size than before. Together, both Fighting-Types would throw out their respective Aura Spheres. The attacks crashed into each other, entering a fierce struggle where they would spin in unison as the amount of Aura in one place would explode greatly, forming a crater. The debris would fly everywhere as the shockwave stunned them from the aftermath. "Acrobatics!" "Shao!" Moving through the smoke was an even faster Mienshao as she left behind multiple afterimages. Lucario looked up to see her competitive ally appear above him. Before he knew it, he was consecutively struck by Mienshao's arms which were used like arms. A flurry of lightning-fast kicks would follow suit as she was way swifter than she had ever been. "C-Ca!" Lucario slid back from the barrage of kicks. "Reversal!" "Rrr!" Lucario would slow down his sliding to then return the favour to Mienfoo, swinging his arm forward. From his arm, a flare of orange energy would emanate before being used as energy. The orange beam would fly forward, blowing Mienshao back, going straight for the gut. "M-Mien!" Mienshao's eyes widened from this blow to the gut. She would almost fall over, only to soon keep herself steady and balanced, hanging in there. "Hang in there, Mienshao! Force Palm!" "Lucario! Use Force Palm!" Together, both would use Force Palm, going for another up-close altercation. This time, they would just run up to each other instead of crazy jumps or slides. Another clash ensued. This time, it would be a back-and-forth collision. Both would connect their paws, only for Lucario to get the second hit in, staggering his fellow Fighting-Type. Mienshao would snarl in response before then using her long fur as a whip once again, uppercutting Lucario. The two would go back and forth, hitting each other continuously. Sometimes, they would block each other's incoming attack, with one trying to outdo the other. Soon, their strikes were moving so fast that they looked like blue and silver blurs. It was hard for many to keep track of this lightning-fast struggle. They would then butt heads, growling at each other from the intensity that they were emanating. After growling at each other's faces, Lucario would manage to push Mienshao back, but not by much. Mienshao would soon retaliate by getting a Force Palm in. Lucario didn't finish without another hit in, refusing to let Mienshao get ahead of her. The Aura Pokemon stomp on his foot on his ground to keep himself steady before slugging the Martial Arts Pokemon's face before soon receiving the same blow to his own face. Both Pokemon would end up hitting each other's face, dealing a double blow. Their eyes looked like they would pop out while their faces were grimaced because of the impact. The dual Fighting-Types found themselves, stumbling back from that shattering exchange. "Let's finish it! Aura Sphere!" "Caaaao!" "Shaooo!" They would try and finish things off with one last Aura Sphere. From their paws, only one paw this time, Lucario and Mienshao would form all of their strength into one Aura Sphere. With a final glare into the eyes of each other, they would thrust their arms in unison, smashing both spheres. The spheres would shake and pulsate from the hard collision but only one of them would succeed. Lucario's Aura Sphere shattered Mienshao's. Mienshao then found herself being smacked in the face by the Aura Sphere. With her eyes turning white, she would drop to the arena floor after her face was enveloped in the outburst of Aura. The Martial Arts Pokemon fell at last, dropping on her back. After such a fierce battle between these two Fighting-Types, only one of them emerged victorious. Mienshao had fainted. "Mienshao..." "Mienshao is unable to battle! Lucario wins!" There it was. By Luna's call, that was another Pokemon from Rainbow Dash that went down. And yet, there was a consistent theme with all of them so far. The pure persistence that each of them contained was staggeringly amazing despite how powerful Ash's Pokemon were. And Mienshao certainly showed the most vigilance. "She lost but that was the best physical battle I've ever seen!" Brawly and many others applauded as the Fighting-Type expert teared up from what he had just witnessed. "Mhm. Rainbow Dash's Pokemon may not have downed any of Ash's Pokemon so far, but the potential is there," said Roxanne. "Wait. Where did Zero go?" Meanwhile, Twilight would soon realize how Zero had suddenly vanished without a trace or a sound. "Shao..." Mienshao sighed before witnessing Lucario hold his paw out to her. The Aura Pokemon, showing good sportsmanship, would offer to assist her up. Knowing that she was beaten, even with her evolution and a second burst of strength, she acknowledged Lucario as the stronger of the two, taking his paw. She was then helped up, seeing that she had ways to go still. "Rrr." But Lucario could acknowledge how well she battled. "Great work, Mienshao. You were awesome. Now, return." Rainbow Dash would call back Mienshao, proud of her to the core. Mienshao left the scene with a smile on her face, also proud of her achievement. With her newfound strength, she could take on any future battle with even greater utility. "You've done great making it this far, Dash," said Ash. "I would save this for the end but...I'm proud of you. That's some jam-packed strength you've got there." "Thanks, Ash. But I've weakened three of your Pokemon now. All I gotta do is take those guys down and I'll be smooth sailing then and there!" "Prove it." Ash grinned. "You're down three Pokemon and even though my Pokemon are weakened, they've got a lot of spirit to share. Isn't that right, Lucario?" "Luca!" "Ash still has a lot of heavy hitters remaining. His whole team is full of heavy hitters, actually." Starlight commented. "Most of Rainbow Dash's own heavy hitters are down and out now." "Not at all of them. She still has Braviary. And Whirlipede can hit hard too." Goh shook his head. "But I don't know if Ash will allow any of them to get those hits on at this rate." "Even if she loses, who's going to deny her skills now?" Roxie questioned. "If you asked me, anyone would be shaking and freaked out if they had to go up against her. All of that persistence is sweet!" "I'll come at you at high speeds from now on! All of my last three Pokemon won't let you take a breather!" Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes, showing that she was increasing her seriousness. "Castform! Let's go!" "Castform!" Next up was Castform. He would fly out of the saddlebag, appearing into the stadium. While he may be small, smaller than even Pikachu, he had a lot to offer when it came to utility, just like Pikachu. And upon appearing, his body reacted to the cold weather, instantly turning him into an Ice-Type, AKA his Snowy Form. Not the best typing to be in front of a Lucario. "Start off strong! Reflect Type!" But Rainbow Dash had an easy solution to that massive weakness. "Cast!" Castform would glare at Lucario, rearranging his cells. The Weather Pokemon instantly copied Lucario's Fighting-Typing as his radioactive cells would unleash it as power. In this case, a massive orange energy pulse would flare out of his body, heading in every direction. "Rrrr!" Lucario blocked the massive pulse as it would deal super-effective damage to his body. "Now, use Weather Ball!" "Form!" Following up that pulse, Castform would form a chilling ball of ice from the weather conditions, shooting it at impressive speeds. "Break through and use Force Palm!" "Caaaa!" Lucario would roar at the Weather Ball before shattering it with his bare paws. The ball became nothing but snowflakes from the crushing impact. After that, Lucario would advance on Castform, rushing in with another Force Palm ready. "No way! Castform! Fire Blast!" "Fire Blast?!" Ash gasped, stunned to hear such an attack being utilized by Castform. "Castform!" Castform would ascend, zipping into the air to avoid Lucario's incoming strike. After evading it, he would hold his breath before forming up a giant blaze of fire. "I've been practising for those 6 months while you were in the hospital, Ash! All of my Pokemon have gotten way better! Go, Castform!" "Castform!" The giant blaze of flames would fall from above, bewildering Ash for a moment. "Double Team!" "Lu!" But by the skin of his teeth, Lucario managed to evade the gigantic blaze of flames by duplicating himself. The attack would crash into the ground, causing a large eruption of fire which would take out his clones in the process. Shocked, Lucario would slide back from the aftershock. "That just makes it better!" Ash loved this instead of fearing Castform's new utility move. "Lucario! Reversal!" "Rio...!" Lucario would gather up every last bit of damage he had suffered previously, channelling it into pure power. "Castform, use Thunder!" "Cast!" Castform had another powerful move at his disposal. Flying out of his body was a destructive beam of electricity that would boom loudly and crack the sound barrier. The bolt reached Lucario fasted than he could unleash Reversal, shocking the Aura Pokemon. "Lu...Caa!" But even when being furiously shocked, Lucario powered through it, punching the air to unleash Reversal. The attack would form into a beam that would travel through the Thunder. Castform's body would be enveloped just like Lucario's but this time with an orange glow. "C-Cast!" Castform stammered as that initial blow left him turbulent. The truth was that Castform was far more fragile than his teammates. He was more prone to fainting faster than them. And yet, he wouldn't let that happen so easily. At first, it looked like the Reversal would put him down with how much damage had been raked up, but not at all. "Castform!" Castform would keep himself steady, recovering in midair. "Nice, Castform! All we gotta do is-" "Return, Lucario!" But, unexpectedly, Ash would recall Lucario. He was going for a swap at last instead of keeping Lucario in. Lucario had already done enough, after all. "Gengar! I choose you!" "Gengar!" Back into the fray was Gengar, sticking his tongue as he was ready for a second round. Gengar would then try to intimidate Castform by pulling off a face. For a moment, he managed to jolt the Weather Pokemon. "Gengar, now? That's a problem...As if!" But Rainbow Dash was unbothered by this swap-in. "Reflect-Type!" "Cast!" Castform would simply swap types once more. This time, it would be Gengar's Ghost-Typing, which was also strong against him. The cells within Castform changed yet again as a barrage of gigantic ghost faces would fly out of his body, cackling viciously. "Here it comes! Dodge and use Shadow Ball!" "Gen! Gen!" Gengar would zoom across the arena, attempting to evade these massive spectral faces that would try and consume him with their sharp and eerie expressions. However, with so many of them, some of them eventually landed, crashing into the Shadow Pokemon. "Gen! Gen...!" But even after being hit by these terrifying faces, Gengar would still manage to throw a Shadow Ball in with just one hand. "Weather Ball!" "Castform!" Countering the Shadow Ball, Castform would use Weather Ball to do so. An interception that turned out successful. The two attacks would equalize, ending in a tie. "Keep your distance! Fire Blast!" "Cast!" For such a fragile Pokemon, the best thing to do was to keep his distance. He would ascend while also charging up a Fire Blast to deal colossal damage. "You won't get away from us! Chase him down, Gengar! Use Shadow Ball!" "Gengar!" But Gengar wouldn't let him escape. He would pursue the Weather Pokemon, holding up two Shadow Balls for him. When the first Fire Blast came down, it prompted Gengar to fly to the side before then throwing the first ball. Castform, with his minuscule body, would narrowly evade this before then unleashing a second Fire Blast. This one intercepted Gengar's second Shadow Ball, which would be stopped in its tracks. The two of them would keep this up with spectral blobs and bursts of fire going off constantly in the air. It was a stupendous light show, especially with the winter Sun beginning to lower. Both Pokemon were unable to tag each other with their constant back-and-forth game of Cat and Mouse. "Let's make an opening! Thunder!" "Form!" Castform would go for a faster attack. This time, it was Thunder. He would switch from Fire Blast to a large blast of electricity that came crashing down. The Shadow Ball would be pierced by the blast of lightning, successfully shocking Gengar in the process. "G-Gen!" Gengar cried out before falling in a spiralling motion. "Direct hit!" Rainbow Dash pumped her hoof. "Use Fire Blast! Go!" "Cast!" Castform would follow up with another devastating attack. This time, he was free to use Fire Blast without anything intercepting it. "Psychic!" "Gar!" Gengar opened his eyes, nearly hitting the ground. He managed to recover, readjusting his position as fast as he could. As for the Fire Blast, Gengar would illuminate his eyes with a light blue aura before manipulating the giant blaze with his mind. He barely stopped the attack in its place as it nearly met with his body. Gengar could even feel the heat affecting his face. "Send it back!" "Gar!" Gengar would then hurl the attack back with Psychic, performing a full turnaround. "Castform! Thunder!" "Form!" Retaliating against his own attack was a blast of thunder. Castform was looking to pierce this one as well, only for both attacks to be equal in strength. "Bring Castform here with Psychic!" "Gengar!" Gengar would continue using Psychic. This time, he had a clear view and sight of Castform, outlining the Weather Pokemon in the light blue aura. Castform would soon find himself being dragged over by pure mental power, leaving the sky. "Now, Ice Punch!" "Gen...!" While dragging Castform towards him, Gengar would prepare an Ice Punch on one arm. It would be a direct blow at such a high velocity. Any staggering hit would be enough to put the Weather Pokemon down unless something was done. "All or nothing! Use Fire Blast!" "C-Cast...Form!" Castform, with all of his might, would unleash a Fire Blast. Specifically, it would be an up-close Fire Blast. Right as Gengar's Ice Punch was approaching Castform, the symbolic flame would erupt out of Castform's entire body instead of his mouth this time. Gengar's eyes widened once he saw the eruption of flames. Castform had essentially caused his own version of Self-Destruct. The result of this collision would cover one chunk of the arena in an explosive flame with small ice shards flying out. The dust and smoke would each settle over the crater that was formed within the marble floor. The whole arena found itself covered in flames. Emerging from the dust, Gengar and Castform could be seen standing and floating while the flames turned everything red around them. Gengar's ice had melted away with the remainder of it dropping from his hand. Both Pokemon stayed silent for a bit along with their trainers. And that's when it happened. A double knockout. Both Pokemon would end up falling over and fainting. Gengar and Castform expended themselves. Castform for his fragility and Gengar for all the damage that had been racked up previously from Luxray. "Gengar and Castform are both unable to battle!" Luna declared the double knockout. Rainbow Dash finally managed to defeat one of Ash's Pokemon at last. Granted, it meant that she was down to only two Pokemon but even managing to beat one was an achievement on its own. "She finally did it! Oh, but Castform went out too and Ash is still sitting pretty with 5 Pokemon." Starlight deduced. "Then there's Dragonite who's an entirely different problem. The only ones that could be a huge threat to Dragonite are out." "Not yet. Rainbow Dash still has Whirlipede who has something for Dragonite." Roxanne replied. "It's just a matter of how she executes this." "It'll be fine. Whirlipede and Rainbow Dash have perfect unity when it comes to momentum. But then again..." Twilight was unsure of how the rest of this battle would turn out. "Awesome job, Gengar. Get some rest." Gengar made it this far, unfortunately being the first of his teammates to fall. But he took Castform with him, so it wasn't a total loss. "Great work, Castform." Rainbow Dash would pick up Castform, placing him back in her saddlebag. "You took out one of his Pokemon for us. Now leave the rest to Whirlipede and Braviary, okay?" "Cast..." "Princess Luna. Can you hold this and take care of Castform, please?" Rainbow Dash would then take out two Poke Balls before passing on her saddlebag to Luna. "Oh. I understand." Luna knew exactly why she did this. By this point, Rainbow Dash was going for broke since she was down to her last two Pokemon. And considering one of them allowed the movement of her own body, it was wise to keep Castform out of danger. "Do not push yourself too much. I'm frankly getting tired of all the hospital visits." "Your majesty." Back at the balcony, one of the Canterlot Guards would approach Princess Celestia. Alongside him would be Jackie and one of the Ranger Union Researchers. "Oh. Is this about the stairway?" Celestia would turn, bringing up the stairway once she saw them both. What else could it be about? "That's right. We're just about nearly done, princess. Someone stopped by to share something with us. Do you know anyone by the name of Zero?" "Twilight's Research Friend. Yes? So you're nearly done with the suits?!" "Correct. He's shared with us some sort of Techomagic device that will grant us extra protection against the pulses." The researcher explained. "We will be done in about 10 minutes. So it's best to suit up as soon as possible." "Hmm...I think we'll stay here for a bit and finish this battle." Celestia chose to see the battle from start to finish. "But...I'm looking forward to finally reaching Jirachi. And I know they are as well." "This is it..." Rainbow Dash took a deep breath, holding up both Poke Balls. Whirlipede and Braviary. Two Pokemon she's been with since the early days of the world's crossing over. She would soon pick out one of them, throwing the Poke Ball into the air. "Go! Whirlipede!" "Whirlipede!" Whirlipede would drop from above, bouncing for a bit as he entered the fray at last. "In that case...Let's go, Sirfetch'd!" Ash sent out his next Pokemon. "Sir!" Sirfetch'd slid in, valiantly holding his leek sword and shield. "Let's keep the streak going! Sirfetch'd...Dragonite, Pikachu, Lucario and Dracovish are all going down!" Rainbow Dash declared. "I'm gonna make it a reality!" "I'll shatter that reality then. Bring it!" "Whirlipede, Rollout!" "Whirlipede!" Whirlipede would move in first, rolling on the spot and taking off at great speeds. For these past months, Whirlipede had also grown and that involved his speed. "Sirfetch'd! Night Slash, now!" "Sir!" Sirfetch'd would coat his blade in darkness before holding his shield up to the Curlipede Pokemon. Whirlipede would end up crashing into the shield, making a mild shockwave which would shake the Fighting-Type's body. "Sir...fetch'd!" But standing strong, Sirfetch'd would push the shield forward before swinging his sword at the Bug-Poison-Type. "W-Whirl!" Whirlipede was distanced from Whirlipede but as an exchange for this blow, Whirlipede's speed and Rollout would increase thanks to Speed Boost and Rollout's natural ability. "Again!" "Pede!" And Whirlipede would take full advantage of this boost. Faster than before, he moved in for another Night Slash. Sirfecth'd was met with another crash onto his shield which was stronger than before. "F-Fetch...!" "Keep him back, Sirfetch'd! Use Fury Cutter!" "Whirl! Whirl!" Whirlipede would keep at it, continuously crashing into the shield at faster speeds and greater power. The debris would fly everywhere as Sirfetch'd was looking for an opening. But thanks to Sirfetch'd's speed, it was difficult to find this opening at all. "Oooh! Whirlipede is too fast now! Sirfetch'd can't find an opening to attack!" Goh leaned in. "Then he'd be too fast for any of Ash's Pokemon, right?" Sweetie Belle asked. "Unless they can still even it out." "Knowing Ash's Pokemon, they'll even out that difference with ease." Rarity spoke."Unless Rainbow Dash can work around that as well." "Once more, Whirlipede!" "Whirl...!" Whirlipede was going in for another Rollout, ready to stack up his strength and speed. "Detect!" "Sir!" But Sirfetch'd had the perfect move ignore this. With a flash of his eyes, he would leave behind an afterimage, evading Whirlipede's attack with a stylish backflip. "Now strike!" "Fetch'd!" After performing that stylish evasion, Sirfetch'd would thrust himself forward with his leek. "Drift, Whirlipede!" "Pede!" But Whirlipede would soon evade as well, drifting to the side once the leek came in close. With a smooth dodge, he avoided Sirfetch'd's Fury Cutter. The like would stab into the ground after missing completely. "Use Sludge Bomb!" "Whirl!" One of Whirlipede's newest attacks would be revealed. This time it was Sludge Bomb. From its body, poisonous bombs were thrown out at a Sirfetch'd who still had his leek in the ground. "Guard yourself!" "Sirfetch'd!" With his leek stuck, he didn't have enough time to remove it. But he could still use his shield as he managed to block the incoming poisonous bombs in time. However, they were bombs for a reason. The poison would combust, shaking Sirfetch'd's body even with his shield in front. "Sir!" After blocking the bombs, Sirfetch'd would finally pull his leek out, swatting away the poisonous smoke. "Iron Defence!" "Whirl!" On top of his boosted speed and Rollout's increased power, Whirlipede would soon increase his defence. He made up for his lack of evolution with his constant increase in attack, speed and defence. "We'll break through those defences! Night Slash!" "Sir! Sir-Sir!" From afar, Sirfetch'd would use the alternate version of Night Slash, vigorously slashing the air while sending out black crescent blades of energy. "Steamroller!" "Pede!" Another rolling attack was imminent. This time, it would be Steamroller. At stellar speeds, Whirlipede would roll past and evade the slashes, managing to close in on Sirfetch'd. "Whirl!" "S-Sir!" A direct hit. Sirfetch'd found himself being smashed by the full throttle Steamroller which knocked him through the air as he dropped his sword. But right as he went upwards, his body would suddenly glow for a bit as he managed to recover by flapping his wings. "Sirfetch'd!" "What was that glow about?" Rainbow Dash wondered. "Steamroller has a chance to make the opponent flinch. And Sirfetch'd here has Steadfast as his ability. So thanks for the speed boost." Ash grinned as now Sirfetch'd receive a boost in speed. "Oh yeah? Whirlipede's still faster! And your sword's stuck here next to him! Rollout!" "Whirl!" Whirlipede, who was now at ludicrous speeds, would approach as a blur. But Ash had a response for such a boost. "Detect!" "Fetch'd!" Detect completely ignored Whirlipede's speed increase as the Wild Duck Pokemon would effortlessly flip over Whirlipede's incoming charge. "Now get on Whirlipede!" "Sir!" But he went a step further. Another one of Ash's wild tricks would be unleashed. This time, it was using a Pokemon as a ride. SIrfetch'd after evading Whirlipede's roll, would latch onto the Curlipede Pokemon's back. "Whirl?!" "What the?! Get him off, Whirlipede!" Rainbow Dash pulled back as Whirlipede started running on Whirlipede's body while he continued rolling. Even though he was now on Whiripede, he had to keep his balance while holding his shield over his head. "Yes! Now, cover his eyes!" "Sir!" Sirfetch'd wouldn't continue running on Whirlipede. Instead, he would use his shield, covering Whirlipede's eyes with it. It was a risky attempt as he ended up losing his balance because of this. But it was still a success as Whirlipede was unable to see because of this. And thanks to this stupendous speed, he ended up flying out of the arena, passing by Ash and Luna while Sirfetch'd ended up falling off. The Curlipede Pokemon found himself crashing into the walls of the stadium thanks to his misdirection. A large dent formed because of this crushing impact as Whirlipede's rolling wouldn't slow down even when his body was glued to the walls. "He used his own speed against him! Harsh but amazing!" Pinkie Pie cheered. "Oh, but is Whirlipede okay though?!" "Roll back, Whirlipede quick!" "Whirl!" Whirlipede would force himself out of the wall, flying through the air with his amazing speed, avoiding a ring out since he refused to even touch the standard ground. Since he flew off the marble floor previously, he would use that same accident to his advantage on the wall. "Here he comes, Sirfetch'd! Fury Cutter, repeatedly!" "Sir...!" Sirfetch'd would start swinging the air continuously suddenly, seemingly for no reason. But there was a reason for it. Ash took advantage of Fury Cutter's best trait. "He's hitting the air repeatedly since Fury Cutter gets stronger when used in succession! Genius!" Twilight figured it out before anyone. "That's his way of countering Whirlipede's Rollout!" "We won't lose! Full force, Whirlipede! Rollout!" "Whirl!" Landing back on the marble floor without touching the ground once, Whirlipede would go in for a full-force charge, hoping to finish Sirfetch'd off with all of his gathered strength. "Sirfetch'd! Strike hard and strike through!" "Sir...!" Sirfetch'd would give it his all as well. He swung the air enough times to build up Fury Cutter to a high level. It would be a hard-impact crash of two ever-increasing attacks. Whirlipede became a purple blur while Sirfetch'ds' leek would accelerate as a green blur. The two would clash, bringing about another explosion in this heated battle. This one seemed louder and harder than the rest. It could even be seen as a sign of how far this battle has come and how far Rainbow Dash's strength has grown. The smoke would be pierced by Sirfetch'd's leek, clearing everything as the two Pokemon could be seen standing opposite from each other. With views being somewhere else, Sirfetchd' and Whirlipede seemed static. Whirlipede would then slowly turn around, facing Sirfetch'd's back, seemingly having more to offer. But with Sirfetch'd turning his eye, the outcome was decided. Another double knockout. Both Pokemon tied at the end of it all. Sirfetch'd's strength was enough to take Whirlipede out but Whirlipede's ever-increasing strength and speed allowed him to also defeat Sirfetch'd. "Whirlipede and Sirfetch'd are unable to battle!" "Another one?" Fluttershy commented. "That doesn't usually happen in these battles, right?" "Nope." Applejack shook her head. "But there's a first for everything. And ain't this a good sign?" "A good sign that Rainbow Dash is catching up. But now she's down to her last Pokemon. I think she's just about done catching up." Twilight responded, fearing that Rainbow Dash wouldn't be able to take down whoever could come next. But she was hoping that Rainbow Dash could prove her wrong. "Thanks. Take a rest, buddy." Ash and Rainbow Dash returned Sirfetch'd and Whirlipede, thanking them both for their hard efforts. "Well...This is it." Rainbow Dash passed Whirlipede's Poke Ball to Princess Luna before looking at Braviary's Poke Ball. "I did my best but...a bit short, huh?" "Even when this battle ends, it was an amazing battle from start to finish," Luna said, proud of Rainbow Dash for her hard work. "You're the type of trainer that I want to face when I eventually become Equestria's first and only Pokemon Champion." "Rainbow Dash," Ash called out her name. "Even if this is the final stretch...don't lose hope that you can make a difference. In a Pokemon battle, you've always gotta know what you can do to hang in there. And I know you won't ever lose hope." "I know, Ash. I'm glad I got to have this battle with you. Not just to get stronger but to have the most fun I can have with my friend. I already said it but..you're not just a friend but also an inspiration to me and many others. Watching you battle all the time is why I'm here. I'm not sure I would've made it this far had it not been for you. You're the best friend and mentor a trainer could ever ask for." "I've got something similar too, Dash. This world...everything in it...I love it. It's because of you and everyone else that I've come to love Equestria so much. I'm glad I could inspire you all and I'm also glad that I've got all this time to be around you all. And I wouldn't have it any other way. Well, except for when everything's together, but, ya know..." "Love to hear it!" Rainbow Dash laughed before holding out her last Poke Ball into the air. "Okay! We'll finish this battle! Let's go! Braviary!" "Braviary!" With the light from the Poke Ball shooting into the sky, the Valiant Pokemon made his entrance, shining beautifully under the sun. "Dragonite, I choose you!" "Dragonite!" And for his final Pokemon, Ash sent out Dragonite at last, who also end up in the air with Braviary. Everyone would buckle up and get comfortable for this final clash between two Flying-Types. One of Ash's mightiest Pokemon versus Rainbow Dash's strongest Pokemon. And very soon, the time for them to climb the stairway would come. This entire battle was being recorded by Goh thanks to his Rotom Phone as well as Roxie. No one would want to miss out on this. "I'm using everything from the start! Let's go, Braviary!" Rainbow Dash chose to unleash the full power of Braviary now that he was out and the final Pokemon. She would yell as a rainbow aura would fly out of her body and soon Braviary's body. "Braaaa!" A pillar of rainbows would crash down, enveloping the Valiant Pokemon as the time for Rainbow-Braviary had come. With an explosion of rainbows, out came the unity of Rainbow Dash and Braviary. Rainbow-Braviary. "Viary!" "Let's go! Use Dragon Claw!" "Dragonite!" Dragonite's claws glow emanated a beautiful light-green aura that formed extra claws for her to use. The Dragon Pokemon would be the first to advance. "Use Aerial Ace!" Rainbow Dash flapped her wings to mimic the motion of Aerial Ace's attack. "Braviary!" Braviary would vanish for a second, leaving behind a white flash. He would then reappear in front of Dragonite, going for a slash with his aura-covered wings, only to clash with Dragonite. The Flying-Types would fight for a strength advantage, pushing against each other. "Push through with Brave Bird!" "Bravia....!" Braviary would switch his attack on the spot as his body becomes surrounded by red fire. He would overpower Dragonite's Dragon Claw with this switch-up, crashing into the Dragon-Flying-Type with an explosive flare of rainbows flying out. Of course, he would suffer recoil damage as well as Rainbow Dash. "D-Dra...!" "Hyper Beam!" "Go...Nite!" But right after being tackled y the power of Brave Bird, Dragonite would jerk her head forward, retaliating with Hyper Beam. The massive beam of Infinity Energy was close due to how quickly Dragonite recovered. "Steel Wing!" Rainbow Dash would cover herself with her wings which would prompt Rainbow Dash to do the same. "Vi!" Braviary ended up shielding himself by hardening his wings, using them to reduce the damage. But the attack was still fierce as it completely engulfed him. "B-Bravi...!" "Ugh...!" Rainbow Dash would feel the intensity of Hyper Beam, withstanding it with all her might. "Now! Superpower!" "Viary!" After withstanding Hyper Beam, Braviary would light up his wings and talons with bombastic energy while Dragonite had to recharge. This left her wide open, allowing Rainbow-Braviary to smash his wings into her chest. Dragonite would find herself being carried downwards. "Go!" Dragonite cried out before being dragged across the ground by the Valiant Pokemon who would keep his talon there, raising his wings for a second Superpower strike. "Hurricane!" "Dra!" But once Dragonite finished recharging, even when she was on the ground, the mere bellow of her roar was enough to cause a strong wind pressure. This immediately forced Braviary off, sending him upwards. Once free, Dragonite would unleash the real deal, flapping her wings to throw out a massive tornado. The tornado would drag Braviary in, repeatedly beating against him while also spiralling his unified body. Poor Rainbow Dash would feel this turbulent ride in the process, making her dizzy. "I don't think so! Superpower! Clap your wings!" "Bra...Vi...Ary!" But even within the Hurricane, Braviary could still retaliate. By clapping his wings together, he made a shockwave so strong that it blew away the Hurricane around him. The clouds would part as the pressure even reached the crowd, knocking over some of the smaller Pokemon and foals. "Steel Wing!" Bra! Braviary! With hardened wings, Braviary would advance after blowing away the Hurricane, spinning through the air to make his own tornado. "Dragon Claw!" "Dra!" Dragonite responded in kind with Dragon Claw. Once Braviary got close, Dragon Claw and Steel Wing would collide. It ended up being a back-and-forth clash of attacks as the sound of metal and claws could be heard in the skies. Sparks would fly from their fierce clash. They would even trade blows from how fierce their aerial confrontation was. Rainbow Dash felt every bit of it, staggering and stumbling. But even so, she would persist, doing her best to stand strong. "Braviary! Aerial Ace!" "Braviary!" Braviary would end the clash, vanishing and reappearing higher in the sky where he was with the clouds themselves. He would then attempt to dive down at full force to bring the Dragon Pokemon with him. "Use Draco Meteor!" "Draaaaaa!" With a mighty howl, Dragonite would manipulate the cloud themselves, swirling and connecting them as a purple aura flashed out of them. Through the clouds, massive draconic meteors would fall. Braviary looked behind him to see the meteors dropping as he was in a dangerous position right now, evading the ones that were nearby. The meteors would continuously fall, crashing into the marble floor while also pursuing Braviary. Braviary evaded as much as he could but there were too many meteors to avoid. "Go all in! Brave Bird!" "Braviary!" It would be a full assault Brave Bird instead of Aerial Ace. The aura of Brave Bird would change in response to Rainbow Dash's spirit. He would gain a Rainbow Aura instead, causing a Sonic Rainboom in the process. "Hyper Beam!" "Drago...Nite!" Dragonite would unleash Hyper Beam while the meteors were still falling, combining two moves in one. It would be Hyper Beam and Draco Meteor against the Rainbow Brave Bird. Another direct collision. A paroxysm of rainbows emerged once the attacks all collided. The explosion was so large that all the remaining meteors would be engulfed and eradicated in the process. The clouds gained a beautiful rainbow colouring while also being separated once more to give way to the Sun. Everyone gazed in wonder as a rainbow had been formed in the distance because of this impact. The rainbow smoke would then slowly fizzle out with the remainder of rocks from Draco Meteor dropping. And speaking of dropping, out of the clouds and smoke, Braviary would appear, gracefully falling as his eyes were closed. His transformation was even seen to expend. "Gh...!" Suddenly, Rainbow Dash would sit down, falling weak on her knees as she twitched. At the same time, Braviary hit the ground while Dragonite was up in the air, still active. "That's it for me..." "Braviary is unable to battle! Dragonite wins! Thus the winner of this battle is Ash!" It was over. The victor was Ash. Four Pokemon to all six Pokemon. One would call this a blowout but most saw this as a valiant effort. Fitting as Braviary was the Valiant Pokemon and Rainbow Dash perfectly represented her partner. Everyone respected Rainbow Dash to a whole new level now. Showers of cheers, praises and applause would come through for her, celebrating her efforts. She lost but gained something greater in response. Rainbow Dash gently smiled before helping up the Valiant Pokemon who would also receive this praise, much like how his teammates earned so much respect. "Well, we tried our best, buddy. But Ash is still just too strong for us." "Bravi..." "Awesome battle, Dash." Ash, Pikachu and Dragonite would approach her. "Looks like this friendly battle became a spectacle for everyone else here, huh? That shows how awesome it was!" "Yeah! It was awesome!" Rainbow Dash agreed as Dragonite would hug Braviary, attempting to make him feel better. "Dra!" "B-Bravi?!" "Let's battle again some other time. Apart from our training sessions. I wanna reach my absolute best one day and then we can have our second battle, Ash. And that's when I'll become the Equestrian Champion!" "You got it. Whether I become the World Champion in time, we'll slug it out once more." Ash gave a thumbs up which was followed up by a fist bump with Rainbow Dash's wings. "Those two battle-hungry brutes...I love them!" Rarity exclaimed with tears of joy flying out. "Encore! Battle again!" Apple Bloom roared, wanting another battle after witnessing this one. Celestia, who loved this battle as much as everyone, could see that this brief talk between the two of them would only come true under one possibility. Jirachi's Wish. And with the battle over, the time to reach the stairway had come. The time to unify everything and grant everyone a brighter future that was brighter than the Sun itself was nigh. As the journey continues. Chapter 999 End.