//------------------------------// // Cosmic Ace in the Hole // Story: My Little Pokémon: Grander World // by Amarvax //------------------------------// Equestria. Ponyville. The Pokemon House. Afternoon. Continuing their battle here at the new and improved Pokemon House, Rainbow Dash and Lightning Dust continued to be at odds with each other. Right now, Lightning Dust was down to just 3 Pokemon while Rainbow Dash was standing strong with 5. So far, things were looking good for Rainbow Dash and even after Lightning Dust revealed what was driving her, it didn't throw the multicoloured-maned mare off her game. "Alright, Zeraora! Let's finish this quick! Rush in with Close Combat!" "Ora!" Zeraora would strike the ground before taking off at full speed, approaching the Clay Doll Pokemon while making the sound of thunder thanks to her take-off. "Claydol! Use Psychic!" "Dol!" Claydol's eyes glowed blue, the Clay Doll Pokemon using its psychic powers. "Ze!" Zeraora grunted, the Thunderclap Pokemon being lifted up. Her paw was right in front of Claydol's face, nearly landing but failing thanks to Psychic. After being lifted up, Claydol would slam her back into the ground, the impact creating a small crater. "Zeraora!" Rainbow Dash cried out. "Now, use Earth Power!" "Claydol!" Claydol's body was surrounded by a bright, yellow aura. The ground beneath Zeraora would glow the same colour as a fearsome eruption of earthy energy would arise. "Raa...!" Zeraora grunted, the Thunderclap Pokemon unable to dodge. "Zeraora!" Rainbow Dash cried out as Zeraora was sent flying by the fearsome explosion of earth which even made some rocks rise due to the devastating impact. "Catch her with Psychic!" "Clay...!" Instead of letting Zeraora hit the ground, Claydol would lift her up once more, the Thunderclap Pokemon's body glowing blue. "Zeraora..." Zeraora groaned, the Electric-Type's eyes slowly opening. "Hehe! Take her for a ride! Slam her around!" "Claydol!" Claydol would swing her around, the Thunderclap Pokemon being slammed into the ground. "Zeraora!" Zeraora cried out, the Thunderclap Pokemon's body skidding across the ground. "And again!" "Claydol!" Claydol would slam her into the ground once more, the Thunderclap Pokemon crying out. Claydol would repeat this process multiple times, slamming her into the ground over and over. "Zeraora...!" Rainbow Dash growled, seeing the aggressive display. "Claydol!" Once more, Claydol would try and slam her into the ground, only for Rainbow Dash to think of something. "Punch the ground, Zeraora! Quick!" "O-Ora!" Zeraora's eyes widened as she would swiftly react to such a command, tightening her paw as she would "Claydol!" Claydol would attempt to slam her into the ground, only for her to punch the ground. The sheer force of the blow was enough to send her upwards, the Thunderclap Pokemon breaking free from Claydol's grasp as the shockwaves shattered the Psychic hold. "What?!" Lightning Dust gasped, not expecting that. "Now, rush in with Close Combat!" "Ora!" Zeraora would then land on the ground with full balance, raising her head and locking onto the Ground-Psychic-Type. Wasting no time, she would run towards her opponent, ready to unleash an onslaught on it. "Psychic, one more time!" "Clay! Claydol!" Once more, Claydol would try and stop Zeraora's advances, only for Zeraora to anticipate it this time. In a flash, she would zip to the side, avoiding the invisible energy of Claydol's Psychic. After dodging it by anticipating its movements, the Electric-Type lunged in, her arms pulled back as she would unleash a flurry of punches. "Ora! Ora! Ora! Ora! Ora! Ora!" Zeraora yelled, the Thunderclap Pokemon punching Claydol with all her might. Each punch was swift and heavy, the Electric-Type not holding back. "Claydol!" Claydol was being absolutely battered by these blows. While they weren't very effective, the consecutive hits kept coming, piling up more and more. With each blow, Zeraora was pushing Claydol back, keeping the pressure up. "Yeah! This is great! You've got this, Zeraora!" Rainbow Dash cheered. "As if! Use Gyro Ball, Claydol!" "Clay!" Claydol's body was surrounded by a silver, metallic aura. To counter this onslaught, it would use its own variation of speed that depended on its slowness. However, this had more power behind it than speed. "Ora!" Zeraora was about to punch Claydol once more, only for the Ground-Psychic-Type to spin rapidly, interrupting the strong flow of Zeraora's barrage. "Ze?!" "Dol!" Claydol spun fast, the momentum of the attack causing her to push Zeraora away. "Zera?! Ora!" Zeraora was pushed back, the Thunderclap Pokemon skidding across the ground. "Now, follow it up with Earth Power!" "Claydol!" Claydol's body was surrounded by a bright, yellow aura. "Jump, Zeroara!" "Ora!" With a close-call, Zeraora would leap into the air, avoiding the fearsome eruption of earth. Zeraora eyed down Claydol from above while Claydol would do the same, the two anticipating each other's moves. "Strike down, Zeraora! Use Blaze Kick!" "Ora!" Zeraora would come crashing down with her foot out, surrounded in flames as she was moving as if she were a meteor. "Psychic, quick!" "Clay!" By a hair, Claydol managed to unleash its Psychic hold onto Zeraora as the Blaze Kick almost met with its face. It was stopped right before it could connect, the force of the halt sending a searing energy across the area and a bit of wind pressure. "Urgh...!" Rainbow Dash grunted, the sheer force of the wind blowing her mane back. "Hah! We've got you right where we want you!" Lightning Dust grinned, ready to capitalise on this. "Gyro Ball! Now!" "Claydol!" While Zeraora was restrained, Claydol began spinning its body right onto her while she was stuck in the place. Zeraora's body was being scraped repeatedly by the spinning Ground-Psychic-Type, the Thunderclap Pokemon's cries echoing. And since her body was stuck in midair, she was unable to be launched back or anything. "Zeraora!" Rainbow Dash cried out, seeing her partner was being beaten up. "So much for a Mythical Pokemon! This is my big break, right here!" Lightning Dust exclaimed, her eyes lighting up. "Finish her off, Claydol! Do it now!" "I don't think so! Zeraora! Now or never! Hold onto Claydol!" "Rrrr!" Zerora closed her eyes, using all of her might to try and move her arms while being battered. She was able to grab onto Claydol by shattering a bit of Psychic Field with brute force. "What the?! What are you doing?!" Lightning Dust questioned. Zeraora would hold onto Claydol while it was still spinning, tightening her grip. Zeraora was still taking damage, however, there was a plan. "Plasma Fists won't work on Claydol and Hyper Beam is still Disabled. So we've only got one shot at this! Tighten your grip, Zeraora!" "Ora!" Zeraora tightened her grip, the Thunderclap Pokemon's claws digging into Claydol's body. "Claydol!" Claydol was struggling, the Ground-Psychic-Type trying to break free. It was a heavy struggle, but Zeraora was managing to slow down Claydol this way, even though her arms were being burnt by all this spinning. The pain was immense for her as steam was even shown rising from her arms as she grit her teeth. "Her arms look like they're about to fall off!" Dawn put her hands over her mouth, shocked by what she was seeing. "She's putting herself through a lot of pain, but she's not giving up. She's not gonna let go." Ash observed, knowing that Zeraora won't loosen her grip for even a moment. "Come on, Zeraora! You can do it!" Rainbow Dash cheered. "You've gotta be kidding me! Break free, Claydol!" Lightning Dust barked. "Claydol!" Claydol was struggling, the Ground-Psychic-Type trying its best to continue its strong momentum. But no matter how hard it tried, Zeraora's grip was too strong. Zeraora was actually managing to slow Claydol down while severely harming herself. "That's enough! Use Earth Power! Beneath you!" "Dol!" Claydol managed to summon an orange energy underneath it and Zeraora, the ground beneath them glowing. It would soon erupt, engulfing the both of them. The result was an orange outburst that dealt damage to both of them. Rainbow Dash closed her eyes from the explosion, feeling the pressure. As the dust settled, the outcome was revealed. With Zeraora having taken those super-effective blows and having her arms in immense pain and with Claydol having taken an insane onslaught, both failed to continue any further. Both were sent flying, the two crashing into the ground as they had fainted. "Zeraora..." "Claydol..." "Oh my..." Both Pokemon are unable to battle!" Fluttershy announced. "Kh..." This frustrated her a bit. It was a necessary sacrifice to have Claydol go down with its own attack, but now that just left her with two Pokemon even though she managed to defeat Zeraora. "R-Return." "Hah..." Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash had a relieved sigh, that portion of the battle really made her heart pump. "Return, Zeraora. You did awesome out there. That was a great first battle for you" "She only has to take down two more Pokemon and she'll win!" May spoke, realizing the stark advantage Rainbow Dash still had even with Zeraora being down. "..." Lightning Dust had her Poke Ball out, staring at it. So far, Rainbow Dash was in the lead, having more Pokemon than her at the moment. It was looking rough for Lightning Dust as the level of growth she feared from Rainbow Dash was very much real. She was seemingly surpassing her, even if she was able to down some of her Pokemon. But just then, her frown transformed into a smirk. She had something in store and in her mind, based on everything that's happened right now, it was high-time she used her ace in the hole. "Alright, I've had enough of this. It's time to end this." Lightning Dust said, throwing her next Poke Ball. "You're up again, Incineroar!" "Incineroar!" Returning to the battle was Incineroar, the Heel Pokemon. And once he was out, Lightning Dust would once again dig into her mane, pulling out an unexpected item that she's been holding out on. Something far more important than the Dynamax Band. It was something that shouldn't have been hidden in the first place since it let out a glow, but now, it had been revealed once removed and it shocked everyone. In her hooves, she held a stone that was made out of Rift Energy. "?!" Rainbow Dash's eyes widened, recognizing the light radiating from the stone. No doubt about it, it was another Rift-related thing. "W-What is that?!" May gasped, her first time being exposed to a Rift-related item like this. "She's got some kind of Rift Stone?!" Ash exclaimed. But it just seemed like an average stone compared to all the other things related to the Rift. However, Ash knew not to underestimate such things. "Where'd you get that?!" Rainbow Dash questioned, her eyes locked onto the stone. "This? Oh, I found it a few weeks ago. Ya know, it's not that hard to find something related to the Rift nowadays and some stone is no different. I've been holding onto it, waiting for the right moment to use it. And I think now is the perfect time. These days, a lot of folks have their own Rift thing. Your friend Fluttershy over there has a Fate-Changing Bayleef because of the Rift Energy, Twilight Sparkle's got some of that in her now, there's a whole sea of it somewhere in Unova and so on. So, I figured...why shouldn't I have one of my own? And this is it." "A stone though...? Pretty lame if you ask me." Rainbow Dash shook her head. "I figured you would have something way cooler than that." "Oh, you'll see what I can do with this beauty." Lightning Dust's smirk turned into a grin. Rainbow Dash soon got serious, knowing that Rift Energy was nothing to scoff at. It can get out of hand fast with its unpredictable effects. "Then...I'll beat your last two Pokemon before that can happen! Go! Altaria!" The next Pokemon was unleashed, revealing Altaria. "Altaria!" "I've heard a lot about what the Rift is capable of." Zoey spoke. "I've even seen some stuff of it. If she has that, who knows what she can do?" "Isn't she cheating? Can she even use that?" May had to wonder if that counts at all, looking over at Fluttershy. "Umm..." Fluttershy was unsure, not knowing the rules of this battle. It technically wasn't illegal since Pokemon that have been affected by Rift Energy have battled multiple times before but this was a different case. "Don't worry about thinking about the rules." said Lightning Dust. "After this, you're gonna wish it was illegal." "I don't like this one bit..." Rainbow Dash was actually nervous, worried about what might come from this. Lightning Dust could do anything with that stone and it could really throw her game off. To make sure that doesn't happen, she was going all-out right away. She immediately tapped on the Mega Stone inside of her Aviator Goggles, activating the transformation. "Altaria! Mega Evolve!" "Taria!" In a flash, Altaria was engulfed in a bright, blue light. Her body was surrounded by a white aura, the Hummin Pokemon's form changing. "Mega Altaria!" Once the light died down, the Mega Altaria was revealed, the Dragon-Fairy-Type letting out a cry. "Now, use Moonblast!" "Alta!" Altaria's wings were spread wide as she started gathering immense power from the Moon itself, forming a pink sphere of energy. "Incineroar! Use Darkest Lariat!" "Roar!" Incineroar's arms were covered in a black, fiery aura. His body would spiral rapidly as Altaria unleashed the Moon-powered attack. The two moves collided as Incineroar managed to knock the Moonblast away, sending it flying as it passed by Altaria. "Get up there with Cross Chop!" "Cineroar!" By putting his hands together in an X-Shape, Incineroar would generate a bright energy as he leapt into the air, ready to strike the Humming Pokemon. "Dragon Pulse!" "Al...Taria!" Holding her breath in, Altaria would generate a dragon-shaped beam that was unleashed from her mouth. The attack met with Incineroar's Cross Chop, resulting in yet another clash. However, Incineroar managed to push through the attack, gradually slicing it in half. "Incineroar!" Incineroar would swing his arms, the attack cutting through the Dragon-Type move. "Altaria!" Altaria was soon struck by Incineroar's Cross Chop, crying out as she was knocked back, hurtling through the air even with her impressive defence. "Now, follow it up with a Fire Punch!" "Incin!" While still in the air, Incineroar ignited his claws, the Heel Pokemon rushing towards the Humming Pokemon while in the air. Altaria gasped as a blazing fist was brought down onto her, the impact causing a fierce explosion. "Altaria!" Rainbow Dash cried out. "Taria!" Altaria was soon brought down to the ground, crashing into it. "And now, finish it off with Darkest Lariat!" "Incineroar!" Incineroar's arms were engulfed in a black, fiery aura. He would then spin rapidly, charging at Altaria. "Altaria! Dodge it!" "Taria!" Altaria tried to get up, only for Incineroar to reach her before she could. The Heel Pokemon would smash his fists right into her stomach, the impact creating a fierce explosion. "Altaria!" Rainbow Dash cried out, seeing her Pokemon was sent flying. "Taria!" Altaria grunted, the Humming Pokemon skidding across the ground. "Alright! Now, let's end this!" Lightning Dust called out. "Come crashing down!" "Incineroar!" Incineroar would leap into the air, his body surrounded by a black, fiery aura. "Altaria! Get up!" "Taria!" Altaria struggled to get up, but she managed to do so. She looked up, seeing Incineroar coming down on her. And while he was descending, his body would start emanating a cosmic energy, most likely from the Rift Stone. Rainbow Dash had to wonder if he was using the power of the stone right now, however, nothing has alluded to that yet.Altaria just barely managed to roll the side, avoiding Incineroar's attack, the kick leaving a crater in the ground from the sheer force of its strength. "He's easily overpowering a Mega Evolved Pokemon!" Zoey was in disbelief. "Do you think he's using the stone?!" "I don't know..." Ash shook his head, not sure what to make of this. "Incineroar!" Incineroar turned around, ready to strike Altaria once more. "Altaria! Use Dragon Pulse!" "Tari!" Altaria would once again unleash Dragon Pulse, this time in a quick burst. "Darkest Lariat!" "Incineroar!" Incineroar's arms were engulfed in a black, fiery aura. He would then spin rapidly, charging at Altaria. The two moves collided as Incineroar managed to knock the Dragon-Type move away, sending it flying. The attack was even sent right back at Altaria as she was struck by her own move. However, she was thankfully immune due to her Mega Form granting her the Fairy-Typing. "What's going on...? He's easily overpowering her without breaking a sweat? Is the stone doing this or what?!" "Heh! I guess I should've told you this too! I didn't just pick up one stone...but two! One for me and one for Incineroar! Right now, Incineroar has a Rift Stone within him and just like Mega Stones, the two react to each other. Or in this case, they also react to other things. The second you Mega Evoled your Altaria, it kicked in. Right now, all of Incineroar's moves have been boosted big time!" "W-What?!" Rainbow Dash gasped, not expecting that. "And that's not all! Since Incineroar is holding a Rift Stone, he can use the power of the Rift to his advantage! And that means he can unleash a special move that'll be able to take down any opponent! No matter how strong they are!" "A move that can take down anyone...?" Ash raised an eyebrow, wondering what kind of move that could be. "Now, let's see what you're made of! Incineroar! Use Rift Inferno!" Lightning Dust called out. "Incin...!" It was at that moment that Incineroar revealed a move only he could use. A unique attack that was only possible with the power of the Rift Stone. From his entire body, a blazing cosmic energy would start building up. His eyes glowed bright red as the flames of his body grew stronger. "Roar!" Incineroar roared as he would unleash a fearsome blast of fire that was mixed with the cosmic energy of the Rift. The attack was so powerful that it created a fierce explosion upon impact, the sheer force of the wind pressure blowing everyone back. "Whoa, man!" Ash exclaimed, shielding himself from the wind. "P-Pikaaa!" "This is what she was waiting to use?!" Zoey cried out, seeing the devastating power of the attack. "Altaria!" Altaria grunted, the Humming Pokemon struggling to stand her ground. She was being pushed back by the sheer force of the attack, the Dragon-Fairy-Type narrowing her eyes. The explosion would then fly towards Altaria, ready to engulf her. "Counter it with Sky Attack!" "Taria!" Altaria's body was surrounded by a golden aura as she flew into the air, attempting to avoid the explosion. But it was just too massive. The size of it was so great that Altaria felt like she was looking at space itself. The attack was just that big. Altaria tried fighting back against it, flying at her best speed and full power. She became a golden streak of light as her body clashed with the Rift Inferno. But only for a moment as it would fully engulf her. Rainbow Dash gasped once she saw her Pokemon enter this fearsome attack. "Altaria!" Rainbow Dash cried out, seeing her Pokemon was trapped in this fearsome attack. "Hah! This is it! You're done for!" Lightning Dust laughed. "There's no way you can get out of this one!" "..." Rainbow Dash gritted her teeth, not sure what to do. She couldn't even see Altaria anymore. All she could see was the fearsome explosion that was still going on. Inside the explosion, Altaria saw that she was in a space of pure Cosmic Fire. It was like she was inside of a star. The heat was immense, the flames were everywhere, and the cosmic energy was overwhelming. She was stuck in this place, unable to escape. That was when something emerged within this space. Or rather, someone. In a fierce eruption, a gigantic Astral Fire Avatar of Incineroar had manifested before her. It was a giant version of Incineroar made out of cosmic fire. It was so large that it was able to look down on Altaria. The Humming Pokemon's eyes widened, seeing the fearsome form of this creature. "Incineroar...!" The Astral Fire Incineroar roared, the flames of its body growing stronger. "Altaria!" Altaria cried out, the Humming Pokemon trying to fly away. However, the Astral Fire Incineroar would grab onto her, holding her in place. "Roar!" The Astral Fire Incineroar would then bring Altaria closer to him, the Dragon-Fairy-Type struggling to break free. "T-Tari! Taria!" Altaria cried out, the Humming Pokemon being held in place. "Incin!" The Astral Fire Incineroar would then unleash a fearsome blast of fire that was mixed with the cosmic energy of the Rift. From the outside, the explosion would finally subside, revealing the aftermath. The flames died down, leaving behind cosmic stardust that would fly off in the distance as the raging Rift Inferno came to an end. For a first showing, it did not disappoint at all with how intense it was and poor Altaria got to experience the full force of it. "Altaria..." Altaria was knocked out, the Humming Pokemon having been defeated by the fearsome attack. "Altaria is unable to battle... Incineroar wins..." Fluttershy announced, unsure of what to make of that sequence of events. "Yes! Yes! That's why you're my ace, Incineroar!" Lightning Dust cheered. "Incineroar!" Incineroar pumped his fist with stellar joy. "Just what was that...?" Dawn questioned, never seeing anything like that before. "It was so wild and terrifying." "Thanks to the power of the stone, I was able to give Incineroar his own unique attack. It only works with the stone but it's just what I need to show just how strong I am. It's like a Z-Move and I don't have the right Z-Crystal for Incineroar yet." Lightning Dust explained. "Return, Altaria..." Rainbow Dash closed her eyes before returning Altaria to her Poke Ball. "You did great out there. Take a good rest." "This is where my turnaround starts, Rainbow Dash. You had a great run beating four of my Pokemon, but that's as lucky as you were ever going to get, I promise you." "Kh...!" Rainbow Dash grit her teeth before quickly throwing her next Poke Ball into the air, summoning her Mienshao. "Whatever! Go, Mienshao!" "Mienshao!" "As if I care about you using the power of the Rift! I can beat you even with that!" Rainbow Dash declared. "Mienshao and I are gonna make sure of that!" "I don't think so...Cause there's one more neat thing Rift Inferno does. Check this out." Lighting Dust had a cocky smirk on her face as the Cosmic Energy from before would return, this time gently wrapping around Incineroar's body. The Fire-Dark-Type took this all in, feeling the energies soothe his body. Incineroar felt revitalized, his strength returning to him. He was back at full health, the Rift Stone having healed him. "What?!" Rainbow Dash gasped, not expecting that. "Heh! That's right! Rift Inferno has the ability to heal Incineroar after he uses it! So, no matter how much damage he takes, he'll always be able to recover! And now, he's back to full health!" "That's insane!" Zoey exclaimed. "How?!" "Since I found the stone, it picked out the best possible thing for me and Incineroar. After all, everything about the Rift is about what you think of! And I wanna win! Win more than anyone! So, what do you say? Ready to give up?" Lightning Dust asked. "So, what do you say? Ready to give up?" Lightning Dust asked. "No way! We're still in this! Mienshao! Use Aura Sphere!" "Mien!" In her paws, Mienshao formed a sphere of blue energy, channelling her Aura as the Fighting-Type launched it towards Incineroar. "Incineroar! Cross Chop!" "Roar!" Incineroar's arms were covered in a bright, white aura. He would then slash the Aura Sphere in half with ease, the two halves flying past him. After cutting the attack, he continued advancing towards Mienshao with Cross Chop. "Close Combat, Mienshao!" "Mien!" Mienshao pulled her arm back, her fist surrounded by a white aura. She would rush forward, meeting Incineroar halfway. The two would clash, their fists colliding with each other. However, Incineroar was able to overpower Mienshao, pushing her back. "Mien!" Mienshao grunted, the Martial Arts Pokemon being pushed back, however, she rushed back in, unleashing a flurry of punches. "Incineroar!" Incineroar cried out, the Heel Pokemon taking the blows. He was managing to block most of them, but some were getting through. Mienshao still had the advantage in swift strikes. Incineroar would sway his body, dodging one of the strikes before being met with a backhand from Miensohao. "Great! Mienshao's still the faster Pokemon in terms of combat speed! She won't lose in that category!" Dawn said with elated eyes. "That gives her a great edge! The Rift Stone doesn't look like it's helping Incineroar at all right now!" Zoey nodded in response. "Roar!" Incineroar was knocked back, the Heel Pokemon skidding across the ground. "Yes! Keep up that momentum, Mienshao!" Rainbow Dash cheered as Mienshao would try and put the pressure on Incineroar, going for an uppercut. "Incineroar! Use Darkest Lariat!" "Roar!" Incineroar's arms were engulfed in a black, fiery aura. He would then spin rapidly, charging at Mienshao. The two moves collided, forming a mighty shockwave. "M-Mien...Shao!" Mienshao grunted, the Martial Arts Pokemon struggling to push through. "Keep it up, Mienshao! You've got this!" Rainbow Dash encouraged. "Incineroar! Use Fire Punch!" "Roar!" Incineroar's fist was ignited, the Heel Pokemon punching Mienshao right in the face as he bypassed her strength. "Mien!" A direct hit that made Mienshao grimace. Searing and staggering. Mienshao was sent flying like a slingshot, the Martial Arts Pokemon crashing into the ground as she would also roll. "Now, follow it up with Cross Chop!" "Incineroar!" Incineroar would then leap into the air, bringing his arms down onto Mienshao in an X-Position for a devastating follow-up. "Shao!" Mienshao managed to kick herself up, clashing her feet with Incineroar for a momentary clash. With all of her might, she managed to push Incineroar back into the air. Incineroar would land safely on his feet as cats do, but he wasn't done yet. The Fire-Dark-Type went back in for another Cross Chop. "Not this time! Acrobatics!" "Mienshao!" Mienshao would dodge the Cross Chop by leaping over Incineroar, landing behind him. She would then rush forward, her body surrounded by a blue aura. She would strike Incineroar with a fierce blow, the impact creating a powerful explosion. "Incineroar!" Incineroar cried out, the Heel Pokemon being pushed back. "And now, use Close Combat!" "Mienshao!"Mienshao would then attack from behind, attempting to unleash another onslaught. However, that was when the Rift Stone's power activated once more. A cosmic flash occurred as an afterimage of Incineroar was left behind, causing Mienshao's fists to go through. "Shao!?" "What now?!" "Cine." Incineroar smirked as he was waiting to use this. He suddenly started fizzling in and out of existence, leaving cosmic stardust behind each time, moving from place to place. "He's teleporting?!" Zoey exclaimed. But it didn't look like simple teleportation based on the way he was moving. "I call this one the Star Step! Neat, ain't it? Thanks to the power of the stone, Incineroar can phase in and out around the battlefield! And that means you won't be able to hit him!" Lightning Dust explained. "He's travelling through space even faster than what Phantom Force does!" "Mienshao! Try to keep up!" "Mien!" Mienshao nodded, trying to anticipate where Incineroar would appear next. But it was hard to tell since he was constantly disappearing and reappearing. It was like he was everywhere at once. "Use Fire Punch!" "Incineroar!" Incineroar's fist was ignited, the Heel Pokemon appearing behind Mienshao. The Fighting-Type gaped as she was too late to turn around, the attack landing. An explosion of fire happened right afterwards, sending Mienshao flying forward, but Incineroar wasn't done. He would disappear from existence yet again before reappearing right in front of Mienshao while she was still being sent flying. He would then strike at her again, continuing this process. Once Mienshao was sent flying in another direction, Incineroar would repeat this process, striking her multiple times. "Mien...!" Mienshao grunted, the Martial Arts Pokemon being battered by these blows. She had no way of counterattacking or recovering, staying in the air and flying from place to place constantly. "Incineroar!" Incineroar yelled, the Heel Pokemon finishing off his combo with a fierce uppercut. The impact created a powerful explosion, the force of it sending Mienshao high into the sky. "No!" Mienshao!" Rainbow Dash cried out, seeing her Pokemon had fainted while in midair. Her eyes went white with her pupils fading away as she fell to the ground. "Mienshao..." "Mienshao is unable to battle! Incineroar wins!" Fluttershy announced. "Heh. That's that." Lightning Dust shrugged. "Another one down. This is my first time really using the Rift Stone's power and it is amazing! I can totally win this!" "Return, Mienshao..." Rainbow Dash closed her eyes, returning Mienshao to her Poke Ball. "Sorry about what happened there. Get some rest, please." "Incineroar...!" Incineroar would grin, elated by the power he was wielding. It was truly something special, allowing him to do all of these amazing things. In fact, it was so amazing that his body kept radiating cosmic energy as it were a raging inferno, showing no signs of dying down. Ash noticed how the energy was getting wilder and wilder each passing moment. It did so during those fierce exchanges against Mienshao and was now burning bright. Now, Rainbow Dash was down to 3 Pokemon while Lightning Dust had 2 left. While she may have the advantage with one Pokemon extra, that Rift Stone was proving to be troublesome. "I gotta find a way to overcome that stone...I just have to." She said to herself before looking inside of her saddlebag. Flying out of it was her next Pokemon, Castform, who nodded in understanding. "Form! Castform!" The Weather Pokemon exclaimed. "I understand, Castform. You might not last long against him thanks to that stone. But if there's a way we can mess him up, we've gotta find it. I'm counting on you, buddy." "Cast!" "This isn't looking too good." Dawn bit her fingernails, worried for Rainbow Dash. "What else can that stone do?!" "Come on, Fluttershy! You've gotta at least call foul on this!" May looked over at the pegasus. "I um..." Fluttershy twiddled her hooves. "I don't know if I can. I don't want it to look like I'm playing favourites either." "Don't worry about it." Suddenly, Rainbow Dash would reply, coming to her own conclusion." Stone or not, I'll do what I can to win this. I won't let anything stop me from winning this!" "If you say so." Lightning Dust saw that as the wrong response. "That Castform of yours is gonna go down quicker than the rest, so I'll save you the struggle." "Don't you ever underestimate Castform! Use Hurricane!" "Castform!" Castform's body was surrounded by a fierce wind, the Weather Pokemon unleashing a powerful gust of wind. "Incineroar! Use Darkest Lariat!" "Roar!" Incineroar would start spinning, forming his own turbulent wind. The two winds clashed, creating a mighty shockwave. However, Incineroar's wind was stronger, pushing through Castform's Hurricane as an array of stars would fly out. Castform's Hurricane was then dispersed as Incineroar approached him. "Not gonna go down that easily! Weather Ball!" "Cast!" Castform formed a sphere of energy, launching it towards Incineroar. "Fire Punch!" "Incineroar!" Incineroar quickly retaliated, the Heel Pokemon punching the Weather Ball. The attack was sent flying back, only for Castform to form another one and launch it. This process repeated itself multiple times, the Weather Ball being punched away each time. "Castform! Keep it up!" "Cast!" Castform nodded, continuing to form more Weather Balls. "Heh! You're wasting your time! Cross Chop!" "Incineroar!" Incineroar's arms were covered in a bright, white aura. He would rush forward, ready to strike Castform. "Here goes! use Reflect Type!" "Cast!" Castform would glare at Incineroar as his radioactive cells would start acting up. His body would glow red as his cells allowed him to unleash a fierce burst of fire that flew towards Incineroar while also changing him into his Sunny Form. "Cine?!" Incineroar gasped as he was knocked back by the flames, the Heel Pokemon skidding across the ground. "Now, follow it up Hurricane! Go!" "Castform!" Castform's body was surrounded by a fierce wind, the Weather Pokemon moving forward while being the Hurricane itself. Lightning Dust was actually surprise by the raw power Castform was letting out despite his size. "Not bad. But nothing the Rift Stone can't handle. Watch this. Darkest Lariat, one more time!" "In...!" Incineroar would go for another Darkest Lariat. But this time, the power of the Rift Stone would be used once more. Darkest Lariat not only grew in size but had stardust flying out of it, battering against the Hurricane. Everyone felt these two great forces collide, kicking up quite the windstorm. It was like they were in the middle of a hurricane themselves. Fluttershy held onto Audino while Dawn and May held onto each other. Other Pokemon and ponies would do the same, holding onto each other or something sturdy. Ash and Zoey were able to hold their ground, seeing the clash between the two moves. They could see the sheer force of the wind and how it was affecting everything around them. The grass was being blown back, the trees were swaying, and the sky was getting darker. Eventually, Incineroar's Darkest Lariat defeated the Hurricane, the attack flying towards Castform. The Weather Pokemon cried out as he was engulfed by the attack, but not out. Castform managed to withstand it, his body recovering in midair. But he was certainly winded from the devastating attack, no doubt about it. "C-Cast...!" "Heh! Told ya it was nothing the stone can't handle! Victory is within my sights!" Lightning Dust laughed at the top of her lungs. "With these next hits, you'll be down one Pokemon and I'll win! Let's go for it, Incineroar! Time to-" "Incine..." Just then, Incineroar started grunting aggressively. He was hunched over, his eyes looking at the ground as his focus was away from the battle. "Huh?" Lightning Dust looked over at Incineroar, seeing that he was struggling. His body was still radiating cosmic energy, but it was starting to get wilder. It was like it was going out of control. "Roar!" Incineroar roared, the Heel Pokemon clutching his head. His eyes would start flashing aggressively as the energy around him was acting like a firestorm. "What's wrong with him?!" Rainbow Dash questioned. "I don't know! What's happening?!" Lightning Dust exclaimed, not sure what was going on. She squinted her eyes at the sight of this out of control energy. "I knew that looked wrong!" Ash stepped forward, recognizing something like this. "It's just like with everyone else who uses Rift Energy. Using way too much of it will cause your body to go haywire. Lightning Dust. You said that this was your first time testing out the full power of the stone?" "W-Well, yeah! I only used it once but for a short time!" Lighting Dust admitted before coming to a realization. She has already exceeded the amount of of power Incineroar could use the stone for and now the consequences were coming in hard. "INCINEROAR!" Incineroar screamed at the top of his lungs as the Cosmic Energy erupted into a pillar, unleashing a sound that was louder than thunder itself. The sheer force of it caused everyone to cover their ears and made a good chunk of them flinch. Lightning Dust looked over in shock as she did not anticipate this. She had no idea what this would mean for Incineroar at all. Never before has Rift Energy gone this out of control with someone using it as this was the first of its kind. And Ash and the others could only fear what this could mean. As the journey continues. Chapter 506 End.