Equestria. Manehattan. Battle Carnival. Battle Restaurant. Battle Frontier. Afternoon.
At last, Rainbow Dash has reached the final stage. There, the Frontier Brain Sharon was waiting for her. She was down to just three Pokemon and luckily for her, even though this was a 2 on 2, she was allowed to have a third Pokemon battle. It was only her Braviary, Whirlipede and Luxray that were all left.
The final room was where Sharon could be found with all of the cameras fixated on her. And the second Rainbow Dash entered the room, there was a row of lights that were set up for her, making her arrival rather grand. The pegasus closed her eyes from all the lights as they even reflected a light off her, causing large Rainbow Dash projections to appear on the walls and even the massive curtains hanging from above.
"Well done, Rainbow Dash. You made it through all three Trainers and with just three Pokemon left at the moment." Sharon was currently seated on a luxurious seat. She wasn't alone. Not just because she had the camera crew near her, but also because the three trainers that Rainbow Dash managed to defeat were also present here. Barbe, Hector and Maxime had all shown up at this stage, applauding Rainbow Dash's efforts.
"Congratulations, dearie!" Laundress Barbe would applaud. "It's so nice to see you make it here so soon!"
"Indeed. A shame that I lost even after all that planning. Apologies for that, Lady Sharon." Maxime pouted. "But I swear, if it were the other way around, I-"
"Maxime...Not now." Sharon raised her finger, halting him. "If you really wanted to impress me, you could've refrained from the food."
"I put a lot of work into that though..." Maxime sighed.
"Now that you're here Rainbow Dash, your chance to clear another Frontier Facility is right in front of you. If you can manage it, that is. And it'll all be done with eyes from across the region!" Sharon then waved her arms to the camera, revealing something beyond just a simple Frontier Battle.
"Wait! This is live?!" The pegasus gasped.
"But of course, it's live~!" Sharon winked. "Across Kalos, Johto and other regions, this battle is available for many people to see." Sharon flipped her hair when looking at the camera. And not only that, this room would reveal something else. The curtains above would move aside to reveal a second crowd. There were other people here, cheering for Sharon. A majority of them were all fans of her who came to support their favourite celebrity.
"Geez, that's a lot. They outnumber me." Pinkie Pie scrunched as her support for Rainbow Dash was quickly outnumbered by Sharon's supporters. "But that's fine! I've got all my friends to add it all up. And you kids are big fans of Rainbow Dash too, right?!"
"...Eh." Alas, the students were not that big on Rainbow Dash, even after seeing the past three battles. Only a select few students considered themselves fans.
"Kids these days..." Pinkie Pie grumbled before slumping over.
"...Hehe!" Rainbow Dash put on a bright grin once she realized this was being broadcast to an audience outside of Equestria. Immediately, she got in front of Sharon, making sure she was at the forefront. "Hey, everyone watching! Watch me win this! I'll take down my second Frontier Brain!"
"Ahem!" Placing her hand on the pegasus's face, Sharon pushed her aside. "I believe the opposite will take place. And you're showing off for the camera in the wrong way. Unless this is your first time. You'll see not only an amazing battle, but my amazing celebrity skills kick in."
"Oh, yeah? What if I don't make that happen?" The mare smirked. "I don't mean to brag but I'm kind of a celebrity myself. I'd say a hero's more special than one."
"So you say. But you'll soon find out why heroes only come up here and there and why we celebrities are on everyone's mind, day to day, week to week." Sharon would soon take out her own Poke Ball once she walked to the left side of the stage. "Year to year!"
"Guess I'll be a celebrity myself then. And I'll start by beating you!" Rainbow Dash's Poke Ball was also held out once she entered the right side of the arena.
"Zeraora!" But while the cries of Sharon's supporters were louder than Pinkie Pie's would ever be, there was one major factor in all of this. Zeraora. She would cry out Rainbow Dash's name, prompting the sound of thunder to go off. Not only did it startle some of Sharon's fans, but it also made Zeraora the loudest in the room. Who needs multiple fans when you have Zeraora?
"Thanks, Zeraora." Rainbow Dash was glad to hear Zeraora's supporting cries. "I won't let you down."
"The Challenger Rainbow Dash still has a third Pokemon, meaning this will now become a 3 v 2." The referee explained, laying out an extra rule. "The rest of the rules are the same."
"Prepare yourself for the battle of your life, Rainbow Dash. Appear, my beloved partner! Ninetales!"
"Ninetales!" Out of the Poke Ball emerged her Pokemon. A Kantonian Ninetales.
"I'm counting on you! Luxray!" Out of her Rainbow Dash's Pokemon emerged Luxray. Right as the two Pokemon emerged, the lights from before would act up again. The projections of Ninetales and Luxray were shown on the opposite sides as their names were also displayed underneath. Sharon went out of her way to really make this battle pop.
And right next to the faces of these Pokemon were the respective trainers and their own names. Rainbow Dash was getting a taste of what the Equestria League would be like when she it finally comes around.
"Ready? Battle Start!"
"Let me go first! Luxray! Use Discharge!"
"Ray! Luxray!" Clenching his teeth and letting the electricity within him build up, the Gleam Eyes Pokemon unleashed a titanic flare of lightning.
"Respond, Ninetales! Fire Blast!"
"Nine...Tales!" In response, Ninetales's pupils glowed orange as its whole body was surrounded in a fiery aura. It then fired five blasts of fire from its body right when Luxray's Discharge was unleashed. When seen above, the blast looked like a 大. The two searing attacks met with each other, beginning a mighty clash of elements.
The whip-like movements of the electricity would strike at the intense flames, creating an array of sparks. It looked like Discharge would cut through the attack, only for Fire Blast to combust, enveloping the lightning in its blaze. Neither attack won it, resulting in yet another tie during Rainbow Dash's entire run.
"Here goes! Wild Charge!"
"Ray!" After the Discharge failed, Luxray would go in for an up-close strike, bolting off the floor and giving himself an aura of electricity.
"Hmph. Scorching Sands!"
"Tales!" But Ninetales wouldn't be fooled by the concealed smoke. Instead, it had one attack that was perfect for it. All nine of her tails would rise before being slammed on the floor. By doing so, Ninetales summoned a stream of sand that brought along the ferocity of fire.
"Lux?!" Luxray gasped as the stream soon transformed into a tidal wave. His eyes were raised and his movements came to a halt once he saw what he was encountering. The Scorching Sands crashed down on Luxray, dealing super-effective damage and even carrying him as if he was in an actual tidal wave.
"Oh, no! Luxray!" Rainbow Dash screamed as the Scorching Sands would disperse, spitting Luxray out.
"We aren't done yet! Fire Blast, once more!"
"Tales!" For a second time, Ninetales would unleash a Fire Blast, attempting to follow up from Scorching Sands while Luxray was this vulnerable. Unable to defend himself, Luxray was hit by the attack, finding himself consumed in yet another blazing force. Luxray would tumble on the ground, fairly hard too. Smoke was even leaning his body since he had to deal with Scorching Sands and Fire Blast at the same time.
"L-Lux...! Ray!" And yet, Luxray got back up, still active and able to battle. A super-effective attack and a heavy attack such as those two weren't enough to put this stubborn and resilient Pokemon down. However, there was a problem. The Fire Blast left him with a burn. Flames flared out of Luxray's body.
"Hmph. That's just an addition to my victory." Sharon smiled. "Don't worry, I won't let the burn finish Luxray off. Ninetales will do it herself."
"I wonder about that..." Rainbow Dash grinned. "You've just activated Luxray's ability! Guts!"
"Luxray!" But this was also a positive for the Gleam Eyes Pokemon. With his eyes flashing a crimson light, his ability, Guts, kicked in. The red energy surrounded his body, granting him a boost in strength. Sharon's smile quickly faded upon seeing this power boost.
"Yes! That's why Luxray's Rainbow Dash's hardest-hitting Pokemon!" Scootaloo exclaimed with glee. "Go, Luxray!"
"No good if Luxray doesn't land a hit. That Scorching Sands covered a fairly wide radius." said Luna, thinking about Scorching Sands.
"Get in there, Luxray! Crunch!"
"Luxray!" Luxray would once again bolt off, covering his fangs in darkness.
"Keep him at bay! Energy Ball!"
"Tales!" From her mouth, Ninetales generated a pulsating ball that was tapping into nature itself. Shooting it forward, it was expected to keep Luxray back just so Crunch doesn't land.
But instead, Luxray would use it on Energy Ball. With his mouth wide open, the Electric-Type took a bite down on the Energy Ball. He stopped the attack in its tracks, using his brute force and boosted strength not only to squish the ball to the point where it looked like a stress ball, but completely crushing it afterwards. Ninetales gasped as her attack was erased, just like that. And Luxray wasn't done. He was still approaching with the darkness around his teeth.
"Ray!"
"Quick, Ninetales! Dazzling Gleam!"
"Ninetales!" But in response, Ninetales would generate a beautiful light from her body that allowed her to blind Luxray. The light flashed Luxray's eyes, slowing his movements down and breaking his focus.
"R-Ray?!" Not only that, but the rays of Dazzling Gleam would fly out, rapidly bombarding the Gleam Eyes Pokemon while he wasn't looking. Not that he could look at the moment. The rays all struck Luxray, successfully pushing him away from the Fox Pokemon.
"Hang in there, Luxray! Discharge!"
"Lux...!" Opening his eyes which were still feeling the effects of Dazzling Gleam, he released a quick Discharge from his body. He didn't need to look carefully since Discharge always covers a wide radius.
Ninetales gasped as the electricity blazed through the air, successfully reaching her body and dealing damage. "N-Nine!" Both Ninetales and Luxray slid back, gazing at each other. At the same time, Luxray suffered some Burn damage, having his body twitch as scarlet flames would burst out for a moment.
"Not bad. Not bad at all." Sharon nodded. "Watching all of those battles you took part in already let me know how good you were. But you are quite the tenacious one, aren't you?"
"It's a pegasus thing." Rainbow Dash spoke back. "But you haven't seen anything yet, Sharon." Right when the two of them were speaking to each other, the bell would ring, confirming that the food was about to make an appearance at last.
This might be the final time it shows up. This time, the food would appear from below. The floor would open up, bringing a table in the scene with brand-new dishes. Upon seeing this, a grin graced Rainbow Dash's face as she was more than ready to use this to her advantage. She was completely allowed to have Luxray use his X-Ray vision just to spot the magic inside of each food.
"Luxray." Once more, Luxray used his X-Ray vision to see which food was safe to eat and which one would bring an unfavourable element. There, he saw which one was safe to eat and would bring some benefits.
"Go ahead. Let's see what you get. But I already know that your Luxray can see through it, so it's not too big of a deal." Sharon uttered as Luxray rushed over to the table, knowing which would be the best food to consume. Not only did he know which one was the right one, but it was also the most enticing food yet. All four of them were. Since Rainbow Dash was taking on Sharon, the food all appeared as elite as they could be, much to Luxray's pleasure.
"Lux...Luxray!" Luxray greatly enjoyed the five-star meal in front of him, devouring it like a maniac since it was so thrilling. The scent was very alluring too. But not only that, but the flames around his body would vanish. The effect of Burn was deleted thanks to the effect of this dish, removing the continuous damage from Luxray's body.
"Oh! That was like a Burn Heal! The Burn's completely gone!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed. "And as a bonus, that still means Luxray's Guts are still in effect. So he didn't lose the attack at all."
"He didn't. That much is true. But will it matter in the end?" Sharon wasn't bothered at all. The table dropped back to where it came from, prompting Luxray to run back to the arena.
"We'll see about that. Wild Charge! Go for it!"
"Lux!" Luxray swung back into action, illuminating his body and launching himself at full force. If this Wild Charge lands, it was bound to be a hefty one, even if there was some recoil involved with it.
"Scorching Sands!"
"Tales!" In response, Ninetales would use Scorching Sands to try and stop Luxray's Wild Charge once more, knowing this was an all-purpose move to deal with all of Luxray's attacks.
"How am I gonna get around this?!" However, Rainbow Dash still wasn't sure how to deal with Scorching Sands. It covered a wide radius, much like Discharge. "Just try and power through it, Luxray!"
"Ray!" Luxray would try his best. Charging through this tidal wave was seemingly the best thing he could do. With all of his might, he crashed into the wave of blazing sands, attempting to power through it. It was a strong collision between the two attacks as Luxray put his all into this next assault.
For a moment, it looked like Luxray was about to successfully push through it. But alas, it wasn't enough. The sands overshadowed him, forcing the Gleam Eyes Pokemon back. Luxray was once again carried by the sands, losing his Wild Charge. Being free of the Burn didn't mean anything at all. After all, the second effect of Scorching Sands was a Burn effect. Luxray was right back to where he started.
"One more time!"
Slamming her tails on the floor once more, bringing yet another wave of Scorching Sands. Luxray, unable to defend himself yet again or even properly counter such an attack, was hit with a second Scorching Sands. Sadly, Luxray couldn't handle a double Scorching Sands as the attacks overlayed him. With a snap of Sharon's fingers, the sand would finally disperse with perfect timing.
"Luxray..." Just like that, Luxray had fainted, leaving Rainbow Dash with only two Pokemon, bringing this back to a 2-on-2.
"Luxray is unable to battle! Ninetales wins!" With this victory, Sharon's fans cheered while Zeraora growled, slamming her fist on the seats. But it wasn't over yet. Rainbow Dash still had a chance, having two Pokemon on her side while Ninetales still took damage.
"Thanks, Luxray. You were great." Rainbow Dash thanked him for a stunning battle, throughout the Battle Restaurant. He was brought back to his Poke Ball, getting some well-needed rest. "Up to you! Braviary!" To combat the Scorching Sands, Rainbow Dash chose the one Pokemon who could avoid it with ease. Her Braviary.
"Braviary!"
"Braviary? Just for my Scorching Sands? Oh, I believe this victory is mine then."
"Ninetales took some damage back there, so if Braviary wins this, the next Pokemon that Sharon has will go down pretty quickly. And she'll still have Whirlipede with her." Sweetie Belle uttered. "There's a chance."
"It's only one bit of damage though," Luna replied.
"I've heard about your Braviary, actually. He's your best Pokemon, right? Well, you'll be pleased to hear that Ninetales is my best Pokemon as well. Ever since she was a Vulpix and I was a child, we've grown at the same rate as each other, making us a powerful pair." Sharon crossed her arms. "Our best Pokemon going up against each other."
"Nine!"
"If she's your best, then taking her down here will make things easier for me." Rainbow Dash grinned, still being fully confident in all of this. "Braviary and I, even if we've been friends for only 4 years, way shorter than you, we've had a strong growth as well. I trust him and he trusts me. Which is why even if I win or lose, I don't feel too bad."
"Braviary!"
"Then we'll see whose bond is stronger, even if that Harmony Phenomenon of yours! Energy Ball, Ninetales!"
"Tales!" From her mouth, Ninetales would release a concentrated ball that tapped into nature's brilliance.
"Here we go! Brave Bird!"
"Vi!" Igniting his body in a majestic orange Aura, Braviary spread his wings as wide as he could, ascending higher into the air. The lights reflected off his body, showing multiple projections of him everywhere. Once the Energy Ball was shot, Braviary came crashing down at full force.
With swift movements, Braviary flew underneath the Energy Ball, avoiding it and accelerating through the air at the same time. With Energy Ball missing, Ninetales was struck by Braviary's full-force tackle. "Nine!" The impact would carry Ninetales through the air while Braviary received some recoil in the process.
"Dazzling Gleam!"
"Tales!" While in the air, Ninetales managed to use Dazzling Gleam. Form her body, rays of rainbows came crashing down on Braviary who just suffered recoil damage. He was bombarded by the beautiful rays that attempted to bring him down. But while they dealt damage, Braviary was still airborne.
"Superpower!"
"Viary!" After taking all of those rays, Braviary would envelop his wings in another powerful Aura. He once again accelerated through the air, preparing to absolutely slug Ninetales with a heavy blow.
"Ninetales?!" Ninetales narrowly avoided it by dropping to the floor. The force of Superpower swung over her head, bringing about a strong wind pressure.
"Fire Blast!"
"Nine!" After landing, Ninetales would unleash her blazing attack, shooting upwards.
"Hit it, Braviary!"
"Bravi!" But Braviary wasn't quite done using Superpower. Even though he missed the attack, he was still able to pull it off by swinging his wings down at flames. A direct blow resulted in a powerful explosion when both attacks collided, unfortunately, Braviary took most of it since the attack blew up in his face. "Vi...!" Braviary was sent flying back thanks to the explosion, but he was hanging in there.
"Keep at it! Dazzling Gleam!"
"Charge through with Steel Wing!"
"Viary!" By putting his wings together, he used Steel Wing as a shield. His wings were covered in a silvery light, making them as hard as steel. When descending, Braviary blocked the incoming Rainbow Rays, easily approaching Ninetales. The rays would bounce off his wings. Ninetales gasped as she was smacked in the face by Braviary's wings, finding herself being launched away.
"How's that?!" Rainbow Dash cackled. "There's more where that came from! This isn't Braviary and I's best!"
"Vi!"
"Hmph. Return, for now, Ninetales!" Sharon decided to recall her Ninetales, opting to switch her out. "Alright. You've shown me what you can really do without that phenomenon of yours. Appear! Vespiquen!"
"Vespiquen!" Appearing onto the stage was Vespiquen. The Beehive Pokemon. Once she showed up, her projection would replace Ninetales's.
"We're doing an excellent job giving the crowd what they want, Rainbow Dash. No time to slow down. And I intend to make this as quick as possible. Vespiquen! Use Attack Order!"
"Vesp!" Vespiquen released multiple grubs from her body with a single shout as they came in at a swift rate thanks to their small and almost hard-to-see bodies. The grubs moved so fast that they looked like a windstorm, making them more visible this way.
"Here they come, Braviary! Knock 'em all away with Superpower!"
"Braviary!" By clapping his wings together while they were powered up, he managed to create a thunderclap. This thunderclap was a boosted-up wind pressure which would tear through the windstorm of grubs. The grubs were all scattered by the force of the Superpower, causing them to fly everywhere.
"Now, go! Brave Bird!"
"Viary!" After pushing all of the grubs away, Braviary advanced with a full-throttle Brave Bird. But Vespiquen would be ready for this, knowing that Braviary was super-effective against her.
"All it'll take is one Brave Bird!" Pinkie Pie stood up, raising her hooves and so did Zeraora when cheering for Rainbow Dash and her Pokemon. All the students would cheer both sides on, not really caring who won this, even if there were some rooting for Rainbow Dash.
"Nice! But it's not that easy! Vespiquen! Defend Order!"
"Quen!" The opposite of Attack Order. Those same grubs from before would reappear, but this time, they would defend their Queen. Vespiquen had the grubs surround her body from all sides like a shield, granting her full protection. Braviary crashed right in the Grub Shield, leaving behind a powerful explosion upon impact. While the explosion eclipsed them both, Vespiquen had a better defence thanks to the grubs cushioning most of the blow.
"Bravi...!" Braviary groaned after being blown back by the devastating impact. He barely managed to recover in the air, winded by his own attack. Vespiquen was in the same boat, almost hitting the floor.
"Not yet! Power Gem!"
"Vesp!" Quickly, Vespiquen would disperse the grubs in exchange for beautiful gemstones that were shot out as sparkling rays.
"Block it with Steel Wing!"
"Vi!" At an equal pace, Braviary's steel-clad wings would form as he barely managed to block the incoming gemstones. They would crash into his wings, breaking apart into nothing.
"This is where we finish it!" Rainbow Dash's right eye would flash, prompting Braviary's right eye to also flash. For a split-second, a bit of the Harmony Phenomenon kicked in, attempting to unleash Rainbow-Braviary. But the duo did not tap into that power yet. "Brave Bird, one more time!"
"Braviaray!" A second try at Brave Bird was made. Braviary was going to make this one count. He was moving so fast that he created his own wind pressure that blow all of the curtains. Sharon and Vespiquen knew that if this one lands, Defend Order might not guarantee absolute safety. The impact would just result in the same outcome, gradually weakening Vespiquen.
"Only one thing left to do then..." Sharon said as Vespiquen held her hand out, ready to confront Braviary. "Destiny Bond!"
"Vespiquen!" The ace in the hole and the only way to guarantee that Braviary would fall. As soon as Braviary got close enough, a spectral energy left Vespiquen's body, enveloping her reaching Braviary. The Valiant Pokemon tackled Vespiquen, dealing super-effective damage. That one Brave Bird did seal the deal. All Braviary needed to do was land it once. "V-Vesp..."
Unable to take such an impact, Vespiquen found herself flying back while Braviary suffered recoil. The Beehive Pokemon fell on her back, rather softly despite how hard she was hit. But she wouldn't be the only one to fall. As soon as she touched the floor, Braviary felt something.
Destiny Bond reached him, just as Sharon planned and its crushing effect took place. His pupils would shake before turning white. The sound of a failing heartbeat went through as his body was frozen still.
"Braviary...? Braviary!" Rainbow Dash yelled upon seeing Braviary freeze on the spot to the point where even his wings were completely still. And just like that, once Vespiquen fainted, so did Braviary. Such was the law of Destiny Bond.
"Braviary..."
"Both Braviary and Vespiquen are unable to battle! One Pokemon each!" The referee called out. Using Destiny Bond at the last second was a clever play, even if it made Pinkie Pie, Zeraora and Scootaloo groan.
"Aw! She could've won that!" Scootaloo pulled her mane. "I hate Destiny Bond! Why does something like that even exist?!"
"Zera..."
"So that's what it feels like to be hit by Destiny Bond." Rainbow Dash closed her eyes before returning Braviary. "Glad I didn't use Rainbow-Braviary...Or it would've been way worse. Thanks for doing your best though, Braviary. I won't let your loss go in vain."
"A risky play on my part. I figured that Vespiquen wouldn't get past Braviary, even with Power Gem. So I bet it all on Destiny Bond." Sharon explained. "And it was worth it. Now it's down to our last Pokemon."
"Yeah. it is." Rainbow Dash sighed. "But...even though Braviary's my strongest...he wasn't my first Pokemon."
"Hm?"
"That title goes to him! Whirlipede!" Her first-ever Pokemon was summoned onto the stage. The Curlipede Pokemon. Whirlipede.
"Whirlipede!"
It was all down to Whirlipede and of course, Ninetales. Sharon soon sent out the Fox Pokemon as her last Pokemon, who was very much super-effective against Whirlipede. But Whirlipede was no stranger to facing the Stronger Type. Once Ninetales emerged, the final stretch of this Battle Frontier could come to an end. It was the most exciting one thus far, especially for Rainbow Dash.
In a way, it felt like a slice of the Equestria League and what it had to offer. Multiple Powerful Trainers who would use their all to take her down.
"I'm not gonna lose this one. If I do, it's back to the start and that's not gonna happen." Rainbow Dash said to herself. "I've come too far to lose here. So let's make it this one count, Whirlipede!"
"Pede!"
"I know I can count on you, Ninetales! Be your best and win this!"
"Nine!"
"Let's go, Whirlipede! Rollout!"
"Whirlipede!" As always, Rainbow Dash's Pokemon would go first as seen by how Whirlipede began revving himself up. He spun on the spot, building up a ton of speed and power.
"Fire Blast!"
"Ninetales!" Ninetales would also do some building up for her own. From her mouth, a surge of flames appeared. And the one to unleash their attack first was Ninetales. The Fire Blast was unleashed right as Whirlipede was still building up some speed.
But once he had enough, he took off. And with precision and excellence, he drifted past the Fire Blast, narrowly avoiding its aura. His body grazed a bit of the flames but he managed to avoid any super-effective damage, making his way towards the Fox Pokemon.
Directly into Ninetales, Whirlipede landed the first, dealing super-effective damage that left the Fox Pokemon staggered. Whirlipede would bounce back after his powerful crash. Not only that, thanks to Speed Boost, his speed had increased.
"Dazzling Gleam!"
"Nine!" While sliding back, Ninetales released an onslaught of rainbows at Whilriplede, with some even coming from the sky.
"Roll, Whirlipede! Get away from them!"
"Pede!" Rolling as fast as he could, Whirlipede would flee from the incoming rays, distancing himself from Ninetales. The rays chased him down, moving at high speeds as some would crash into the ground, leaving behind beautiful glitters and sparkles. The eyes of the crowd followed Whirlipede, who was moving as if his life depended on it.
"Rollout, again!"
"Whirl!" Whirlipede then performed a drift, allowing him to turn and avoid some of the rays. But that meant he would be getting closer to the rays by using Rollout. On the bright side, not only was he faster, but his Rollout would grow in strength after being used consecutively. And that was indeed the main goal of Rainbow Dash.
Whirlipede moved as fast he currently could as the rays would fly by him with some nearly hitting their mark. Whirlipede managed to outpace them, finally reaching Ninetales.
"Leap and use Fire Blast!"
"Ninetales!" But all it took was Ninetales leaping through the air, avoiding the incoming Rollout. And after a magnificent leap, Ninetales unleashed a Fire Blast from her mouth, right on top of Whirlipede. The flame came down, almost missing Whirlipede thanks to how fast he was missing. A piece of it managed to land, causing the flames to combust and in turn, enveloping Whirlipede.
"W-Whirl!" A super-effective blow that launched Whirlipede. But it did not knock him off balance.
"Scorcing Sands! I won't let a single move beat me!"
"Ninetales!" Slamming all nine tails yet again, the tidal wave of sand and fire would appear in this battle once more. Only Braviary could've avoided this. But since he was down, Whirlipede was the only one left to deal with it.
"Not this time! This time, we're beating it! Go for it, Whirlipede! Rollout!"
"Whirl!" Whirlipede would engage with the Scorching Sands head-on. Previously, Luxray tried it and failed, so what can Whirlipede possibly do? There was one advantage Whirlipede had over his teammates and it was something he's always been the best at. Once he approached the Scorching Sands, by performing a light hop while rolling, he landed on it as if it was just another surface to casually move on.
Whirlipede was using the attack as a platform. He was a like surfer riding the waves or a vehicle on the road. Either way, he had the answer to such an overwhelming attack.
"What the?!" Sharon was certainly taken aback by this. Se couldn't believe her eyes. Whirlipede was rolling on the Scorching Sands, using his speed to protect him.
"This is all thanks to Brawly! I made sure to learn from my teachers! Go for it, Whirlipede!" Rainbow Dash took this method from Brawly, who was all about surfing. Since they were good friends, this was only natural.
"Stop him, Ninetales! Dazzling Gleam!"
"Nine! Ninetales!" Ninetales definitely had to stop this attack. She unleashed a barrage of rainbows which flew over the tidal wave of blazing sands. Whirlipede had even better motion control on the sands than he did on the floor since they were constantly moving, allowing the Curlipede Pokemon to really find his groove.
This was shown by how he could evade the incoming rays with swift movements by zipping and drifting with excellence. The rays would miss Whirlipede, piercing through the sands and failing to hit their target.
"He's getting closer! Cover him with another Scorching Sands!"
"Tales!" Ninetales would summon another wave of sand just to try and cover Whirlipede in it. However, before the second wave could even land, Whirlipede had reached a good enough speed to get even closer to Ninetales. Not only did he outpace the second Scorching Sands before it could land, but he also crashed into the Fox Pokemon for super-effective damage. "Nine!" But it wasn't over yet.
Whirlipede kept going. He spun his body more and more, keeping it on Ninetales body as he was pushing her away. Ninetales was currently being dragged through the stage by the Bug-Poison-Type while taking continuous super-effective damage.
"Fire Blast! Quick!"
"N-Nine!" Ninetales unleashed a Fire Blast, but there was one problem. She couldn't reach Whirlipede. Her neck and head were over him, causing Fire Blast to miss. Truly, a compromising position for her.
"In that case...Dazzling Gleam!"
"Nine!" There was one move that was sure to land. Dazzling Gleam. The light was already beginning to shine from her body, ready to envelop the Curlipede Pokemon.
"Go, Whirlipede!"
"Pede!" Whirlipede cried out as he could see the bright light of the Dazzling Gleam approaching. In response, he would unleash a strong burst of energy that caused him to launch off Ninetales's body with a full power Rollout. A shockwave struck Ninetales's body, interrupting the Dazzling Gleam. Both Pokemon were sent flying, but Ninetales certainly flew at a faster rate.
Not only that, but she hit the walls of the stage, fairly hard. And even before that, the table that was meant to summon the food was about to rise up, only to be crushed by Ninetales's body, unable to be used. The table crumbled and the lights would flicker as some of them took damage thanks to Ninetales crashing into them.
"Ninetales..." With such a heavy crash, Ninetales had fainted at last.
"Ninetales is unable to battle! Whirlipede wins! Which means the winner of this Frontier Run is Rainbow Dash!" It was over. The Battle Restaurant run was over, with Rainbow Dash emerging as the victor. Four hard-fought battles and she came out on top. Truly, she was a stronger trainer than before and it showed.
"Haaah! Yes!" Sitting down, Rainbow Dash was relieved. "Man...Is it just me...or have thee battles been getting more and more stressful? I never got this tired before. But who cares?! I won! We did it, Whirlipede!"
"Whirl."
"Zeraora!" Now Zeraora truly had an excuse to enter the stage. The battle was over, prompting her to jump off the crowd seats, immediately hugging the multi-coloured maned mare. "Zera!"
"Ow-ow! Zeraora!"
Sharon's fans were gutted that she lost, but they still enjoyed themselves. And the students certainly loved every bit of it. Truly, the best trip yet and a look into what the role of a Frontier Brain entailed. Cozy Glow, who meddled in this Frontier Facility for a moment, did pay attention to it all and was certainly impressed. Her jaw was dropped, showing her the kind of enemies she and Daybreaker's alliance were truly going up against.
"Oh, we might be in trouble..." She thought to herself.
"We did our best. Thank you, Ninetales." Sharon walked over to her partner, helping her up.
"Ninetales."
"Thanks for the battle, Sharon!" Rainbow Dash shouted. "That was awesome! Had me scared there, honestly."
"Congratulations, Rainbow Dash." Sharon had to clap for her. And so did her servants, who showed Rainbow Dash all of their respect. "I believe someone is deserving of the Silver Taste Symbol with this victory."
"You know it!" Rainbow Dash has conquered yet another Frontier Brain.
And on her first try this time. Her appetite was satisfied and yet she wanted to rest either way. With the brightest smile on her face, followed by another powerful hug from Zeraora which quickly ripped that smile away, the future for this Trainer from Cloudsdale was looking bright. As the journey continues.
Chapter 357 End.