Chapter 8 Rainbow Dash vs ...
Rainbow Dash didn’t expect birdbrain to suddenly become her friend. She guessed he wouldn’t be easily tamed like Mimi, and she was ready to do whatever it took. She was not prepared for the hurricane.
When she declared her intentions to befriend the bird, his response was immediate. The half-lidded eyes and frowning face practically screamed, “Yeah, I don’t think so, Stinky.” His wings pounded, generating a powerful gust of wind. Dash snorted. She flapped her wings a bit harder, compensating for the air current. His wind passed her like a road bump. Going over the current gave her a moment of fun but it was ultimately a nuisance.
“What should I call you?” Dash folded her hooves across her chest. “Maybe Condor or Eagle? How about Squawky?”
The bird’s expression changed only a little. His frown had deepened and his eyes narrowed as a scowl formed on his face, as if to say, “How about not?” A flap of his wings sent him higher into the clouds. He glided across the currents, away from the annoying mare. No meal was worth suffering this lunatic. Under the cover of the clouds, he sped away into the unknown. In a minute, his speed already passed the sound barrier, putting the ponies long behind him.
A new sound pierced the wind: the sound of another breaching the sound barrier and approaching him. Pidgeott’s head perked. Had another of his kind found him? He angled his wings to catch the breeze. He glided to a halt, and shifted to face this intruder. Indeed, something was coming. It blazed through the clouds, leaving a rainbow trail. Pidgeott glanced closer at the bird, only to realize it was no bird. The blue pegasus skidded to a halt a dozen meters from Pidgeott.
“Nice try, birdbrain,” the Rainbow Dash shooed a cloud that hung to her shoulder. “But only one of us can be the fastest flier in Equestria. Fly as fast as you want. I’ll still catch up. And I won’t leave until you’re my partner.”
Pidgeott’s eyes became thunderous with frustration. He wanted nothing to do with this smelly, loudmouthed, obnoxious brat. Every other word from her rancid mouth screeched on his ears. Her only volume settings seemed to be loud and louder. He turned around and zipped away.
“Oh, it is on,” Dash exclaimed, fires of competitive spirit blazing in her heart. She bolted after the bird, overtaking it with ease. His wings kept to a pattern of two long strokes up and down and then gliding on the wind. At his size, a bird like him only needed a few wing flaps to stay airborne. Dash stared at his brimming brown feathers, his crimson and golden plumage, and those untamable wild eyes. The smile on her face was unconscious and unstoppable. The fires in her heart grew into an inferno. This was the one. She had to have him.
Pidgeott spotted Dash flying on his right side. Two emotions clashed in his mind: fury that this brat would dare pursue him and appreciation birthed from the surprise that she could even keep up with him. Her wings beat faster than his, pumping up and down at least five times before gliding on the wind. He tipped his pink beak to the ground and divebombed into the forest. Despite his cumbersome wingspan, he navigated the twisting branches, thick tree trunks, and dense foliage with ease. He darted between the mossy tree trunks, shifting left then right and then rotating his body 180 degrees to squeeze between two massive trees. She tailed him, bolting through every obstacle. He tucked in his wings and bulleted through a gap in a patch of ivy. She found her own opening in the ivy wall and caught up to him on the other side.
He rose above the forest into the clouds. She was no longer flying by his side. He relaxed and turned his gaze forward. His face went cold with shock as he braked to a hasty stop. The pegasus floated in midair a few feet in front of him. Somehow, she took the lead and passed him with such alarming speed that not even he could track her movements. Rainbow Dash had folded her fore hooves across her chest. She put a hoof over her mouth and unleashed a fake yawn.
“Not that I’m getting bored, but I think it’s time you gave up. Cause this wouldn’t even count as a warm-up.”
His eyes narrowed. A hostile grumble emerged from his beak. His wings beat the air with ferocity, creating a screeching, roaring hurricane. It sucked Dash inside the swirling vortex. She floundered, her hooves flying over her head as she spiraled out of control. But this only lasted a moment. She regained her balance, righting herself. Her wings pumped, sending her in the opposite direction of the hurricane’s wind current. As she built up momentum, a new hurricane formed from Dash’s trail. The hurricane she made cancelled out Pidgeott’s hurricane. Freed from the storm, she took a moment to breathe. Not only was this bird fast, it could make hurricanes whenever it wanted. Dash beamed. This bird got cooler every second.
Pidgeott’s body trembled. An unfamiliar lump ran down his throat. She was strong, fast, and determined. Alien sensations rained through his mind, a dangerous inferno of irritation and glowing warmth of appreciation. He bolted at her, extending his wide wings to crash into her. He came a foot within striking range, when she dropped. Her wings stopped flapping, and she fell a meter out of his broad wings. She dipped out of his attack. He lifted his right wing up and lowered his left wing to make a full rotation back. With Dash in sight, he dived with a second wing attack. She flipped over his head, tapping his plumage with a playful, “Tag, you’re it!” Pidgeott shifted his weight to his other wing and turned.
Dash lost her smile. Pidgeott was not extending his wings for another full body tackle. He vanished. The space he occupied was empty. Dash’s eyes darted across the sky. He reappeared and rammed her. Dash took full brunt of the attack, but steadied herself. Pidgeott vanished again. Dash focused where she last saw him. He reappeared like a flash of lightning and barreled into her. The pegasus’ vision dimmed as she fumbled to regain control. He disappeared. He raced for the final blow, but hit empty air. A massive bulldozing hoof slammed into the back of his head. He could not right himself. His body went tumbling to the ground. He readied for a painful impact when he noticed a blue figure racing after him. Dash moved the clouds, creating a spring. Pidgeott bounced back into the air. He regained control. The pegasus gazed at him expectantly, waiting for him to swear loyalty to her for saving his life.
Pidgeott flew away.
“Oh come on!” Rainbow Dash groaned. “I saved your life. Doesn’t that mean anything to you?”
She pursued Pidgeott, beating her wings to catch up. As she closed the distance, she sensed the bird was about to show his real speed. He lifted his wings. In a single stroke, he broke the sound barrier. In the next stroke, he soared through the air at double the speed of sound. The airwaves generated from his wings sent Rainbow Dash tumbling, a kite struggling against competing air currents. Thanks to her Wonderbolt training, she righted herself. She dragged a hoof across her mouth, wiping some cloud from her lips.
“Not bad, birdbrain,” Dash cracked her neck muscles and rolled her shoulder blades. “But you’ve got a lot to learn about flying.”
She took a deep breath, and exhaled. A single flap of her wings sent her rocketing after the bird. Her wings pumped, a white cone formed around her face and her eyes watered from the velocity. The bird came into view. She was nowhere near his speed. But then, she unleashed a Sonic Rainboom.
Pidgeott heard her approaching but could not believe her speed. Her rainbow explosion almost sent him off balance. A rainbow beam bolted towards him. As he lifted his wings, the beam darted beneath his outstretched wing. Startled, he tried to brake his momentum. The beam lost speed and evaporated into the blue sky, leaving the blue pegasus flapping in midair, just a few feet from his face. Pidgeott felt sweat trailing down his neck as Rainbow Dash stared through half-lidded eyes with a slight grin. It was a challenge; she dared him to try escaping. He could not outfly her. None of his attacks seemed to affect her. All this time that he was fighting, every second of it, was just a game to Rainbow Dash.
“Look, pal. If you’re hungry, I can get you some chow back in Ponyville. All you have to do is leave Karp alone and be my awesome partner.”
His eyes glinted daggers, but he did not try to escape or fight. She simply had him outclassed in speed and experience. The aches of three days without food clawed his belly. But he had no desire to become this brat’s partner. His soul belonged to the sky, not some selfish pony. He glanced at her tiny wings, wondered how much stamina she had left. Her smaller wings should not be able to sustain high speeds longer than his massive wings. He would have to exhaust her. Pidgeott relaxed and lightened his body to increase his speed.
A chuckle from Dash startled him.
“You never give up. I love it! Come on. I’m ready for round two.”
His face grew cold with apprehensive realization. All that flying, that speed, and she wasn’t tired. There was not a single trace of sweat on her fur. Her heart pounded, but from excitement rather than fatigue. He couldn’t outlast her. His body felt sore, depleted after their race. He refused to bow his head in defeat.
“Hey, don’t push yourself,” Dash lifted a hoof in concern. “I don’t want you hurting yourself.”
He released the tension from his muscles and lightened his body to increase his limberness.
Dash frowned. This was no good. He was going to kill himself, just to get rid of her. All this time she saw this as a game, but he saw this as life or death. She pursed her lips. He was so close to his limits. Soon, she could make him her partner. But, Dash realized as she gazed at the ragged bird, this isn’t fair. He hadn’t eaten in days, so he flew at less than his maximum speed. If she beat him by wearing him out, then she was putting him through more torture. A sigh escaped her mouth.
“Oh, forget it,” she said. Pidgeott blinked, wondering what she meant. The blue pegasus turned around and headed back home. She stopped, sparing him a sidelong glance. “I gotta beat you at your best. Not like this. And I’m not pushing you anymore. Just go do your bird stuff or whatever.”
She shook her head, trying to forget his luscious feathers and plumage. Rainbow Dash headed back to Ponyville without a partner. The town came into view. Her friends waved at her. All of them except Scootaloo and Karp were standing at the obstacle course. Lighting onto the grass, Dash ignored their questions about the bird and trotted to a tree. She leaned against the trunk and closed her eyes.
“Hey Dash,” Spike’s voice called through the dark.
“Yes, I know I don’t have a partner. Don’t rub it in.”
“Actually, I was going to ask why that bird followed you.”
“What bird?” Dash opened an eye.
Spike gestured with his thumb behind his shoulder, where the bird she chased now stood in the clearing. His face remained impassive and solemn, pinched in an eternal scowl even as the other Pokémon watched him with unease. Dash took a few tentative steps towards the bird, until they were a few feet apart. Her mouth went dry as the bird acknowledged her.
“Why’d you follow me?”
He did not answer. He turned his face away as his cheeks flushed. He grumbled a few notes, too low and disgruntled for an ordinary bird. Fluttershy chuckled.
“What? What did he say?”
“He says he’ll be your partner. But only until he can get back home.”
Her eyes widened with disbelief.
“Do you mean it?”
He chirped sounds that resembled muttering.
“He said ‘Yeah, whatever. Just don’t call me birdbrain or get huggy with me. I don’t do hugs.’”
Dash’s heart ignited like a firework. She almost raced over to give him a hug, when she remembered his warning and stopped herself.
“Can I at least give you a nickname?”
He chirped.
Fluttershy said, “He wants to know why?”
“Well, everyone else gave their partner a name. Plus it’ll be easier on both of us.”
Pidgeott made a gesture with his wings that almost resembled a shrug.
“He said you can give him a nickname but it can’t be lame.”
“No problem,” Dash grinned. She gazed over him once again. Her eyes returned to his brilliant red and yellow crest, “How about Blaze?”
He snorted.
“Does that mean no?” Dash asked Fluttershy.
“It means fine, just give me some food.”
Dash zoomed off and returned with a carton of birdseed and a carton of apples. Blaze knelt over and inspected the food with distain. Without waiting another second, he dug into the food, devouring entire apples whole.
Twilight called them all to attention, “Princess Celestia is making a list of all the places with rogue Pokémon. Until she contacts me again, I’d like to continue our training.”
“So Blaze,” Dash smirked at him as he finished the last apple, “you ready for some high-flying training?”
He raised a single eyebrow. Dash never spoke bird, but she could almost hear him respond, “Try and catch me, Stinky Dash.” He bolted into the air, and Dash soared after him.
“When I get you, you’re gonna eat those words!” Dash exclaimed, waving her hoof at the bird as they disappeared beyond the clouds.
“As if one flying maniac wasn’t enough,” Starlight sighed before walking to the obstacle course’s starting line with Foxy.
Every pony split up with partners, heading to various workout stations. Twilight was about to go back lifting boulders with Wiz, when she sensed someone tugging on her hind leg. Sweetie Belle reached out a hoof to tap Twilight’s shoulder, hoping to catch her attention. She stared into the alicorn’s purple eyes. Her face had a faint trace of red that puzzled Twilight. She opened her mouth to speak, but found her tongue failed to move. She shook her head, berating herself for thinking such a childish question. She frowned, wondering why she should apologize to herself for wanting to ask an innocent little question. She pursed her lower lip, doubting she had any right to ask this favor of Twilight.
“Is something wrong?” Twilight asked at last.
“Well, no but,” Sweetie bounced on her hooves with evident discomfort. Twilight waited with patience. Sweetie glanced around. Ponies were too wrapped up in their individual exercises to pay any attention to her. Still, she asked Twilight if they could talk somewhere out of earshot.
“This might sound weird but I was wondering if you could do me a favor.”
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This Chapter was good but...
apparently Dash's partner lost an evolution
8116863
I thought Pokemon Sun and Moon didn't have an Elite Four. If Mimikyu was voiced, what would it sound like?
I think i se wat you are gowing too do with karp will hit his evo form
wen the dragon's hit ponyville butt dat's my looking in wat's two comming
But still Pidgeott for
as partner is u good one
Have good day
8226436 Dang it. I really need to look over my stuff before I post it. Thanks for pointing it out.