Racing Towards Your True Potential
"Tackle!"
"Hop!" Hopper roared as he slammed into Shine, knocking her back. The Galarian Ponyta grunted as she pushed her hooves into the ground, coming to a skidding halt as she glared back at her opponent, now seeing him and his trainer run down the road.
"Come on Shine!" Twilight called as she ran past her.
"Nee!" Shine replied as she continued to gallop forward, trying to catch up to the two. Behind them, Springer, Doc, Spike and Peewee were following at a lighter pace. The group were continuing their journey to Dodge Junction and at the moment, Flash and Twilight were getting their two newest teammates a little battle experience as they headed down the road. Both being fairly newly hatched, they were the perfect training partners.
"Mystical Fire!" Twilight ordered, Shine unleashing a fireball at the retreating Hoppin. The Pokémon easily dodged the flames, hopping around as Flash pointed at the Ponyta.
"Bite!" Hopper leapt at Shine, only for her to spin around, making Hopper sink his teeth into her overly soft tail.
"Nee!" Shine cheered as she began to spin like a top, making Hopper to quickly let go, flying up before Flash caught him. He then had moving spirals in his eyes, making everyone laugh.
"Alright, I think that's enough. We're almost at the town now." Doc announced as everyone turned to see the next town just down the road, all nodding as Flash put the recovering Hopper back on the ground. "Those two are getting better."
"Yeah, they are." Twilight knelt down to pat Shine's head. "That move with your tail was ingenious. Just remember to think outside the box." Shine nodded with a happy cheer.
"I'm surprised that Bite attack didn't hurt," Spike said as they continued walking down the road with Shine and Hopper running off ahead.
Twilight then reached down and pinched the tip of his hair. "Does that hurt?"
"No."
"Well that's pretty much what happened to Shine. If Hopper had tried to pull on her tail, then it would have hurt. All Hopper did was get a taste of Ponyta tail hair."
"Huh. Wonder what that tastes like?" Flash asked, humming as he stared at her rainbow tail, "Sure looks like cotton candy..."
Twilight gave him a deadpan glare, "Don't."
Flash rolled his eyes, "I was joking."
Shine heard this and also began to wonder, Hopper raising an eyebrow as he watched Shine begin to run in a circle, doing five rotations before stopping to show her tail in her mouth. Hopper then asked how she did that in their language, Shine replying with the word, 'talent'.
Hopper laughed before trying to do the same, soon spinning around before falling over in dizziness, making Shine laugh. She then turned to see that the town's entrance was just up ahead, letting out a happy neigh before running ahead. Hopper followed quickly, the world already stopped spinning for him.
"Don't go too far you two," Twilight called out.
Flash turned to his partner, "Springer, you mind keeping an eye on them?"
"Ri!" Springer nodded as he ran off after them.
As he ran, the Pokémon got to the town, quickly finding themselves under a crowd of people. About to get lost, Hopper grabbed Shine's tail, soon finding himself pulled along as she danced into the group of legs. At the same time, Springer got to the crowd...only to lose both as he felt a barrage of auras from the crowd cover the duo.
"Nee!" Shine cheered as she kept dancing around, only to bonk into something. She let out a yelp as she fell onto her flank, "Taa!" Hopper was dislodged from her tail from the blow, making him stumble as she used her hoof to rub her head before looking up at what she had hit.
It was a large blue and yellow wolf Pokémon, which turned and growled at her. The Ponyta's eyes went wide, now noticing she had hit the Pokémon with her horn, now remembering Twilight telling her to be careful with it while running.
"Trick!" The wolf barked, slowly getting closer as she shuffled back on her flank.
But as this happened, Hopper jumped between the two, "Hop!" he roared, "Hop, hoppin!" The two were now inches from one another's face, lightning sparking between them.
"Manectric!" They all turned to a new voice, all soon seeing a boy with light blue skin and dark purple hair that had a light purple streak running from one temple to the other. He was wearing a purple sports top and dark blue running shorts. He then stomped his foot at Hopper, "What are you two doing with my racer?!"
"Shine!" yelled another voice, making them turn again, this time seeing their friends running up to them.
Flash was at the front of the pack, calling out, "Hopper! Is something the matter?"
The teen pointed at him. "Yes, actually. Your Pokémon attacked mine! What, trying to take me out before the race even starts?! That's low!"
Everyone raised an eyebrow at him, Twilight trying to speak up, "Look, I don't know what happened, but I'm sure Shine and Hopper didn't try and hurt your Manectric on purpose." She turned to Shine, "Is that right?" Shine nodded, "See?"
"Yeah, likely story. Look, if you wanna win, why not get a real racer instead of trying sabotage!"
"We have zero idea what you're talking about," Doc replied with a deadpan stare, "If we want to win what?"
The teen raised an eyebrow, only to respond, "So, you're not here for the race?" He stared down at Hopper and laughed, "Makes sense. No way anyone could win with a dinky little shrimp like that on their team."
"What did you just say?!" Flash barked back, the teen shrugging back with a huge smirk.
"That's enough Track!" yelled another voice, everyone turning to see a late aged man walking up. He had orange skin and bright red skullet with yellow streaks along with an red goatee hanging down from his chin. An equally old looking Arcanine was walking beside him, glaring at Manectric. "Don't go causing any trouble before the big race. You wouldn't want to do something that would get you kicked out, would you?"
Track rolled his eyes, "Whatever." He turned around, "See you around losers. Maybe you'll wanna come over tomorrow. Then you can see what a real Pokémon looks like in action." With that, he marched off, Manectric giving Hopper a smrik before fainting a bite that made Hopper leap back. He then laughed and ran off after his trainer.
"What a jerk," Spike said once they were both gone.
The old man sighed and shook his head, "Unfortunately, he has the skills to warrant that cocky attitude."
"Skills for what? We have no idea what he was even talking about." Doc asked, making the man raise an eyebrow.
"So you really don't know?" They all nodded, "Then I'll explain. First of, my name's Speed Demon." He pointed his walking stick at Arcanine, "And this here's my trusty companion." Arcanine let out a mighty howl.
"I'm Flash," he waved before pointing to his Pokémon. "And this is Springer and Hopper."
"My name's Twilight and this is Shine," she neighed as her trainer pointed to the youngest member of their group. "And this is my brother."
"Spike," he gestured to the Terragon on his shoulder, "And this is Peewee."
"And you can call me Doc." Speed nodded before directing them through the town, eventually arriving at his house. Inside, they found the walls covered in shelves that held large trophies and photos, most showing a younger Speed with either a Growlithe or a younger Arcanine, the two standing on a podium holding the trophies.
"Wow...you won all these?!"
Speed nodded in response, "Back in my youth, Arcanine and I were the best Shoot Racers in Equestria."
"Shoot Racer?" Flash asked as they all sat down, Speed beginning to make drinks.
"A Shoot Race is when a Pokémon races around a course with a laser strapped to its back. The trainer controls the laser and uses it to hit targets that decrease their final time. I was a top notch racer, travelling all around the Equestria Region to hold my title. Mine is still the longest undefeated streak of all time: Fifty back to back wins. Seemed a good number to retire on."
"That's awesome!" Spike cheered, the others all nodding in agreement as Speed brought their drinks over.
"So that guy, he was a racer too?"
"Yes," Speed sighed as he sat down, "Track Starr. A very skilled young man. His Manectric is probably one of the fastest of its species. Together, they've won forty nine Shoot Races back to back."
"Forty nine?" Twilight asked, "So he's just one win away from matching your record?"
"Yes," Speed got back up before moving over to a window. "And this town's having a race tomorrow. The course is a little outside the town, and it's gonna be quite a challenging one. He's purposely waited for this race so I can be there to watch him win and take my record."
"What a jerk," Spike commented while Speed shrugged.
"Oh, nothing lasts forever. My record's stood for fifteen years. No doubt I'll have a place set aside for me when someone has the brilliant idea to make a Shoot Racing hall of fame."
Hopper's eyes went wide at this, remembering Track's words about him. He growled at the memory, Shine turning and nudging him, "Nee?" He glanced at Shine, seeing a worried look on her face, only for Springer and the others to also notice.
"What's up Hopper?" Flash asked, Hopper turning to him before narrowing his eyes.
"Hop!" Hopper jumped into his lap and stared right into his eyes.
Flash saw a blaze of fire in those eyes, "Wait...do you...wanna race?" Hopper nodded vigorously, the others going wide-eyed at this. "Are you sure? If this is about what Track said, you should just ignore him."
"I agree," Twilight added, "You don't need to prove anything to him. You're an amazing Pokémon."
"HOP!" Hoppin roared back, growling at their words. Flash stared at his Pokémon, now seeing what he meant. He knew Hopper was having problems recently, unable to learn many moves except Bite from the Piedoom fight, which didn't amount to much. He even struggled against other baby Pokémon, including Shine who could already take on more experienced Pokémon thanks to the last camp battle.
"Hop! Hoppin!" He pushed into Flash's chest, the trainer chuckling at the determination in his eyes.
"You really want to do this, don't you?" He nodded again, "Alright." He stood up, holding Hopper up above his head. "If that's what you want, then I'm in. Tomorrow, we're taking down Track's high score."
Everyone shared a glance, knowing where this was going as Doc added, "Welp, if that's what you're gonna do, we'll help any way we can."
Twilight nodded in agreement, "I already have an idea. I'm sure if we go over the track, we'll be able to find a way to help Hopper make up for his lack of speed."
"There is," Speed said next, everyone turning to him, "The track isn't just a race course, it's an obstacle course as well. Speed isn't the only factor, and don't forget about the targets. With them, you don't have to be the fastest to be first."
Flash blinked at this, "Say Speed, you think you could help us train for the race tomorrow?"
Speed let out a laugh, "Of course. I'm always happy to help anyone who's interested in the sport." He moved over to the door, "Let's get started."
A little later...
As the soon as the sun began to set, Track and Manectric were now heading to the Pokémon Center after their last big training session before tomorrow, "This is it Manectric. Everything we've been working for comes down to tomorrow. You ready?"
"Trick!" The lightning wolf barked as the two passed by Speed's house.
Track shined a big malicious grin, "Just wait old man. Tomorrow, your legacy ends." But as he said that, his ears now heard a volley of noise around the back of the house. "What the?" They moved around the building, now seeing several familiar people.
"That's it!" Speed yelled as Hopper dodged one of Riptide's Water Guns, "Always be aware of your surroundings." Hopper jumped up to avoid an Energy Ball from Prongs, only to get slammed by Skyler's Steel Wing.
"Hop!" He cried as he hit the ground, rolling away to avoid Shine's Psybeam before jumping back as Viper's Flamethrower hit the ground.
"That's the way Hopper!" Flash cheered, "Keep this up and we'll win that race tomorrow no problem!"
The others all cheered as well as Track glared at the sight, Manetric following him as he started to walk away, "So, that little twerp is competing tomorrow after all." Manectric growled at this, "Relax. There's no way they could beat us. We've been training for years, and they're just a bunch of scrubs. No doubt we'll cream them."
"NET!" Manectric howled, "Net trick!"
The next morning...
The entire town was almost deserted, everyone now at the racetrack just outside the village. It was a large dirt path with one area on either side, one side being a large bleacher, where the audience were all sitting to wait for the start of the race. Twilight, Shine, Doc, Spike, Speed and all of Flash's Pokémon were sitting there, ready to watch the race.
On the other side of the path was a fenced off section, this one showing off multiple square booths, each racer standing in front of them. There was also a megascreen there, multiple drones flying around to capture the action. "There we go," Flash said as he finished strapping what looked like a laser tag gun on a stick to Hopper's back. "How's that feel?" Hopper did a few test movements before nodding, "Good."
Flash then turned to see the rest of the competition, now seeing a Persian, Granbull, Delcatty, Glameow, Blitzle and many more Pokémon. There was even a Forretress. The group were all wearing the same laser device he was, everyone stretching themselves in preparation.
"Well well well." They turned to see Track and Manectric marching over to them, Manectric wearing the device on his back. "I thought you weren't racing?"
"We weren't," Flash replied while shrugging, "But Hopper decided he wanted to after hearing about it."
"He must like getting humiliated then. With those stubby little legs, I'd be surprised if he even crossed the finish line before the sun sets." Flash glared at him as he walked off, Manectric giving Hopper a smug look before following.
Flash looked down at Hopper, who was staring at his legs. He knelt down and patted his head, "Hey, don't listen to him. Remember what Speed said. You don't need to be fast to be first." Hopper smiled and nodded back. "Good. Now, let's get ready to race, alright?"
In that moment, the megascreen switched on to show the face of a familiar looking man wearing a leather jacket and shades. "What's up my peeps! Present Mic here to give you the full shooting race rundown! Time to take a look at the course!" The screen changed to show four different areas. The first was a path filled with rocks, the second being a lake, while the third was a small gorge and the last one was the same as the first. "Our racing Pokémon will be working their way through these harsh environments and along the way, their trainers will be blasting at over forty targets that cover the track. For every target they hit, five seconds will be removed from their final time. To win this, both trainer and Pokémon must be fast, sharp and ready for whatever comes. And for the one that manages to get across the finish line first or hit enough targets to lower you time, your prize will be this!"
The screen changed to show a pyramid of boxes, "A year's supply of high quality Pokémon food!" The Pokémon all seeing this licked their lips, tons of tails wagging at the sight.
And as they cheered at the food, the screen changed back to Mic, "Now trainers, time to get in your booths. YEAH!"
The trainers all walked inside their booths, finding a chair in front of a computer with a joystick between the two. Flash moved up to the chair, seeing a strange looking visor sitting on it. (Imagine the Hacker's Memory visor) He sat down while putting it on, the machine activating as it connected to the camera on Hopper's laser. The visor now showed the back of Hopper's head, a microphone coming down from the side. "You hear me Hopper? I can see what you see, but I need to know if you can hear me. Turn to your right if you can hear me." Hopper did so, "Perfect."
As they tested the equipment, Spike and the others started to cheer, "Come on Hopper!"
"Do your best out there!" Twilight added.
"This won't be easy," Speed told them. "Almost all of his opponents are fast footed Pokémon."
Doc shook his head, "Maybe, but it's like you said before. He doesn't need to be the fastest to be first." Speed nodded in agreement, Shine and the rest of Flash's Pokémon beginning to cheer.
Hopper could feel nervous drips of sweat go down his face, not helping that Manectric was right next to him. But as he stood there, he tried to steel his nerves, ready to win as Present Mic spoke up.
Mic: "Looks like everyone's ready to rock! YEAAAAH! So let's get this party started. In three."
Audience: "Two!"
All: "ONE!"
Mic: "GOOOOOO!!!"
A loud beeping sound echoed through the arena, the Pokémon all blasting off the starting line as it went.
Mic: "And they're off! It looks like Manectric has taken an early lead, but Blitzle and Delcatty aren't far behind. Bringing up the rear are Hoppin and Forretress!"
Up on the megascreen, it showed Hopper and Forretress at the back of the pack. The others all grimacing at the growing gap between the two and the rest of the group. "Don't worry," Speed told them. "This race has only just started."
Back at the race, Hopper was bouncing as fast as he could, but he was quickly showing it was gonna be difficult. However, he wasn't the slowest racer.
"For...tress. For...tress," the steel bug panted as it bounced along the ground. It wasn't able to bounce as far as Hopper, so it was falling behind.
Mic: "It looks like Manectric is gonna be the first to reach the first obstacle: The rock field! Getting around them at high speed will be tricky, but let's not forget the first round of targets is in there. Will they slow down to allow the trainer to hit them?"
Manectric strode down the road with a large cloud of dust behind it, only to slow down as it saw boulders of varying sizes cover the ground, blocking the way. "Trick..."
"My time to shine," Track smirked as he put his hand on the joystick. He carefully turned it from left to right, making the laser and camera turn with it. "There!" He saw the first target and fired, hitting a bullseye. He laughed as he lifted his visor, looking at the computer to see his name move to the top of the leader-board. "Aw yeah!" he put it back on and started firing at more targets as the other Pokémon entered the field.
The others were now slowing down as well, mainly to keep themselves from crashing into the rocks as their trainers started shooting the targets. This allowed Hopper and Forretress to catch up, both leaping up onto the closest tall rocks before bouncing over to another one.
Mic: "Wow! Those two sure are making up the distance. Ingenious!"
"Yeah!" Spike cheered while the others clapped.
"I told you," Speed added, "Hopper might not be fast on his feet, but his jumping ability will make getting over the obstacles easy." To show his point, Hopper reached the other Pokémon right as Manectric got close to the end of the field. "Now it's up to Flash."
Back in the booth...
"I should have played more video games," Flash grumbled as he tried to fire at the targets, his laser barely hitting two targets while missing the rest. "Dang it!" Flash then saw that Hopper was now at the end of the field, getting to second place with Forretress right behind him.
Manectric still held the lead, now halfway towards the second obstacle. Track smirked, seeing his was still at the top of the points board, "At this rate, victory is mine." He then looked at the screen and saw Hopper and Forretress leave the rock field, "You gotta be kidding me! How could that little twerp be in second place?!"
It was here that Manectric reached the second obstacle, the lake. It was about eighteen meters wide, being covered in stone pillars that came up above the water to act as a crossings. There were also ten wooden platforms spread out across the lake, each one having a target on it. "Trick!" Manectric yelled as it jumped onto the closest platform before leaping over to another, only to suddenly find itself wobbling from side to side.
Mic: "Uh oh, looks like Manectric's found out the hard way that not every platform is stable."
Manectric equally spread its weight and used its claws to dig into the rock, allowing the platform to balance. But as it did this, it became unable to move a muscle in fear of falling into the drink. Hopper smirked at the sight, he and Forretress getting in view of the lake. However, this quickly changed when Blitzle and Persian shot past them, Glameow being next with Granbull behind it as they all passed Hopper and Forretress.
Manectric was still stuck, unable to properly move unless he wanted to sink. Track growled at the sight, spotting a target float by before firing. The lightning wolf's hesitation allowed the others the chance to get ahead of him, Blitzle jumping onto another platform only for it to dip under the water, making him slip and dip his back half into the lake whilst holding onto the rock with its front hooves. Seeing this made Persian hesitate, Glameow doing the same as Granbull found his weight making balance difficult.
But as this happened, Hopper didn't have any issue. "Hoppin!" He cheered as he bounced onto an unstable platform, only for it to barely move due to his little weight.
Mic: "AMAZING! Hoppin's really showing some skill, hopping from one platform to another with ease. He's taken the lead!"
This made Hopper's friends all scream in joy, waving flags around with his face on it with some doing a little dance.
"YES!" Flash cheered as he hit the fifth target they passed. Three more and they would pass Track's score. "Great work Hopper!"
"Hop!" He responded back, Manectric growling at the sight as it watched Hopper get away. The rest of the group were slowly beginning to get their balance as well, Forretress needing to cross at a much slower pace.
Mic: "As Hoppin reaches the other side of the lake, Flash is just one point away from leveling-there it is! Flash is now equal with Track's points and Hoppin has cleared the lake! He's now heading to the third obstacle, the canyon."
Track was growling now, seeing Manectric was now in last place while the others were halfway across. "Manectric, if you don't-" A bulb shattered in his mind, "I got an idea. Manectric, use Charge Beam. Aim for the platforms around you." Manectric did as instructed, launching the thunderbolt out of its mouth. This made the platforms rock side to side, making Track grumble, "Not that one."
Mic: "Of course! Manectric is using its Charge Beam to see which platform's safe to stand on."
Twilight turned to Speed, "Is that allowed?"
"As long as he doesn't hit one of the other racers, yes." They all watched as Manectric now leapt onto another platform, Forretress reaching the other side of the lake before following after Hopper. "Hopefully, his lead will be enough to help him win this."
Mic: "Now at the front of the pack, Hoppin has reached the canyon!"
"Hop, pin. Hop, pin. Hop, pin. Hop, pin," Hopper panted as he bounced along the ground, now arriving at the canyon. It was more of an underground tunnel, which had a large crack running along the top to let in the light. A large hole lead to a small slope leading into the canyon. "Pin..." he gulped at the encroaching darkness.
"Don't worry Hopper, I'll be with you the hole time. This camera's supposed to have night vision, so I'll see what you can't."
"Hop," Hopper nodded before heading down the slope into the cave, the darkness already covering his vision. As for Flash, he now saw that the targets were all hanging from the ceiling.
Mic: "In the canyon, racers will need to get up high for their trainers to get in range of the targets."
"No problem!" Flash said as Hopper bounced into the darkness, the visor switching to show night vision. "Alright, the first target's right ahead of you. There's a large rock under it that you can use."
"HOP!" He yelled, leaping onto the rock before bouncing into the air. Once at the top of his arc, he heard the laser move before Flash fired.
"Got it! Nice one Hopper!" He added as Hopper landed, Flash now giving him directions as they continued.
But despite being in first, Flash knew they were far from being victorious. Every time Flash's points increased, Track's points went up as well. He had stayed at the lake to build points, believing his Pokémon had the speed to catch up later. And as Hopper reached the halfway mark of the canyon, Forretress arrived at the entrance and carefully slid down until it reached the bottom. There, it started jumping up and down so its trainer could hit the targets. But as about a minute passed, the rest of the pack arrived and ran inside the tunnel.
Then it happened.
Forretress was a third of the way inside, leaping up again so its trainer could hit the target. But as it flew down, it didn't notice Blitzle and Delcatty in the cave's darkness, landing onto both and pinning them into the dirt. Delcatty let out a high-pitched meow while Blitzle neighed out in pain, the lightning bolt shaped horn on its head suddenly beginning to glow. Before they could react, Blitzle unleashed a Discharge attack, zapping Forretress, Delcatty and a few other Pokémon that had been unlucky enough to get too close.
"FOR!" Forretress cried in pain, only to start glowing as well. The light filled the canyon, catching every non-zapped Pokémon's attention as they realized what was about to happen.
"MOVE!" Flash told Hopper, the little one double-timing it toward the exit as they decided to forget about the targets. He just reached the slope leading up to the cave mouth when-
KABOOM!
Everyone gasped at the sight, now seeing the cave completely collapse in on itself.
Mic: "HOLY MAGIKARP! Forretress's explosion attack has caused a cave-in, burying the racers!"
Hopper's friends all went wide-eyed, jaw-dropping as they saw a blast of smoke cover the canyon area. Shine began to whimper out as Twilight held her close, everyone staring at the megascreen as they saw the smoke begin to clear. But as it did this, one Pokémon emerged from the fog.
"YES!" They all cheered, seeing Hopper bouncing along the road again. It appeared that the force of the explosion had thrown Hopper out of the cave.
Mic: "Looks like the little guy is safe and ready to win. And don't worry about the rest of the racers folks, their equipment all have monitors to show us their conditions. They're all fine, if a little bruised. But it looks like Hoppin's now running unopposed-WAIT! What's that?!"
Everyone watched as the screen changed back to the caved-in canyon. Running at high speed atop the rocks that were once the canyon's roof, Manectric was zooming ahead.
Mic: "Now that's what I'm talking about! The race is back on, as it looks like Manectric's previous fall behind was a blessing in disguise! It was saved from being buried, and is now making up the distance. But with the targets all buried, it won't be able to get any more points this round."
"That's fine," Track said from within his booth, glancing at the board to see he was one point ahead of Flash. "If that little twerp is the only one left, this race is mine."
As he said this, Hopper was starting to pant as he continued down the road, his little legs now feeling some scrapes and scratches from the explosion. He could feel true pressure in his feet now, sweat dripping down his head. But as he continued to hop along, a burst of speed suddenly shot past him.
"Hop?!" he yelped, only to see Manectric run ahead.
"Later loser!" Manectric said in its own language before adding an extra burst of speed, a gust of wind flying out from the charge, smacking Hopper in the face with enough force to send him flying back.
"HOP!" He cried as he hit the dirt with his back, making him bounce back before slumping to a stop. He felt his exhaustion consume him, making him let out a weak whine, "Hop..."
"Hopper, you okay?" Flash asked as he saw Hoppin slowly begin to pick himself up, seeing the fleeing image of his opponent get further away. Once he was back on his feet, Hopper started to run again, bouncing as hard as he could...only to see he could not catch up to Manectric now. The sight made Flash frown, taking a deep breath before slowly saying into the microphone, "Hopper, it's okay. You don't have to push yourself. You've already done more than anyone expected of you. No matter what, you've made me proud."
Back on the track, Hopper shined the biggest smile at those words. Happiness was showing on his face as he yelled out, "Hoppin!" He then began to hop more and more, feeling his physical limits fade away as the memories of his friends made him forget his aching muscles and lack of breath. He knew they would always be there for him, his efforts not going to waste as he roared, "HOP!"
Mic: "Now that's a thing of beauty. Despite knowing he has almost no hope of victory, Hoppin refuses to call it quits. A true sportsmon!"
Flash pulled his visor off and stared at the screen, seeing the drone lock on Hopper. He saw the look on his face, one he had learned from Flash, Springer and the rest of their team. The look that said, 'I'll never give up'.
It was here that he remembered something he had said back at the summer camp. 'Win or lose, both are better than giving up before it's over'. Flash shined a huge grin at this, glad Hopper had taken that to heart. "Go bud! Keep going until you win!"
And as those words left Flash's mouth, his friends were cheering the same statements.
"You can do it!" Twilight almost screamed.
"WIN THIS!" Spike yelled.
"We believe in you!" Doc added.
Speed nodded in agreement, "Dig deep and find the strength you need!"
"RIO/GUST/TORE/LEAF/CARRR/WAGON/TAA!"
Despite being well out of earshot, Hopper could hear his friends' cries of support. His body tightened as he felt the feeling of not giving up, knowing that no matter what, he wouldn't lose. He wouldn't let his friends down. "HOPPIN!" Hopper screamed before his body was suddenly consumed by a white light.
Everyone gasped at the sight, Hopper's glowing body slowly beginning to shift and morph as he bounced along. Halfway through the change, the hopping stopped as the new figure began running on a pair of newly grown legs. And as this happened, the light faded to show a new being. This new Pokémon was like a small T-Rex covered in purple and white fur. Its nose, hands, feet, chest and the tip of its fuzzy tail were white while the rest of it was light purple. The Pokémon also had a pair of pointed ears that had two black stripes on them and ended with a black tip. On its back were a pair of tiny black bat-wings, far to small to allow it flight, and on its forehead was the dragon marking Hopper previously had. The new Pokémon opened its eyes, which were now laser-focused, "RUSH!"
Twilight gasped as she muttered out, "Hopper just-"
"Evolved into Velocirush!" Speed finished.
Mic: "WOW! Can you believe it!? Hoppin has evolved into Velocirush, right in the middle of the race!"
In his booth, Flash almost dropped his visor as he stared at the image on his screen before taking out his Pokedex.
Name: Velocirush
Category: High-Speed Pokémon
Type: Normal
Info: The evolved form of Hoppin. Its powerful leg muscles allow it to reach speeds of sixty miles per hour. The wings on its back are too small for flight, and are instead used to make turning at high speed easier.
"Awesome!" Flash cheered before putting his visor back on, the laser now back online and attached to Hopper's back. "Hopper, you're amazing!"
"Rush!" He heard Hopper roar, turning to focus on Manectric.
"That's my partner! Let's win this!"
"VELOCIRUSH!" Hopper exclaimed, suddenly going from zero to sixty in the blink of an eye. His new legs blasted him ahead, his body morphing into a purple blur with a trail of dust shooting out behind him.
Mic: "Holy Tauros! Talk about acceleration! Velocirush is tearing down the track, quickly closing the distance between it and Manectric!"
"That is fast!" Spike added, the Pokémon all cheering Hopper on.
Doc shook his head, "That's not just his natural speed Spike. Seems evolving has made Hopper learn Quick Attack."
Speed nodded again, "This is match just got a whole lot closer."
In his booth, Track turned his scanner around. He then saw Hopper coming up fast, making him growl, "I won't lose this." He spun around, now seeing the final load of targets coming up, then looked at the points board one more time. "I'm one ahead. I get 'em all, I win!"
And when they reached the target area, Hopper was only a few feet behind them. Track spotted the first target and fired, only for Flash to hit it as well. The two began to hitting every target, staying at the same numbers as Manectric held the lead.
But then they drew close to a tight turn. Manectric growled at this, making it slow down to avoid losing control. And as it did this, it looked to see Hopper do the same...only for Hopper's wings to twitch and shift. The sight made Manectric yelp, "Trick?" He now saw Hopper move like a mighty ostrich, his wings stabilizing him as he curved around the corner.
The two Pokémon were now neck and neck as they entered another long stretch of road, Manectric accelerating as soon as it cleared the bend, only to find It was unable to retake the lead. Instead, they were side by side, now seeing another rock field ahead. Flash and Track quickly directed their Pokémon to take different approaches for the boulders, Manectric slowing down as Hopper simply leapt up and hopped up onto the rocks with ease as his wings helped him stay level.
Mic: "AMAZING! Both Pokémon are getting through the obstacles in their own unique way, but which one will prove the superior technique?!"
The two continued to make their way through and as they reached the end, Flash and Track both spotting the final target atop the very last rock. Both Pokémon quickly made their way, the trainers' screen shaking rapidly as they took aim. And as they got in range and leapt past it, they fired.
Lasers flew at the target as the Pokémon zipped by, only for one to find its mark. Flash and Track turned to the score, both going wide-eyed as they saw only one had changed. And they weren't the only ones noticing this.
Mic: "YOW! Track missed while Flash got it. Now their points are all tied up and twenty-nine a piece. It's up to the Pokémon now, the first one cross the line is taking the win!"
Flash and Track both pulled off their visors and ran out their pods, running over to the track as they went over to the divider. It was here that they turned to see a pair of dust clouds approaching.
"Come on!" Flash yelled.
"Get the lead out!" Track roared.
Hopper and Manectric were still neck and neck, both using Quick Attack to push their bodies to the limit. The goal got closer and closer, the race only seconds from ending. Everyone around the two was in slow motion, the cheers sounding deep and slow as a lot of the audience were hovering in an air mid-jump.
Hopper took this moment to look over at Flash, seeing the biggest grin he had ever seen on his face. He then glanced over at his friends, seeing all of them smiling with pride. It was at this moment that he knew what it meant to be Flash's Pokémon. No matter what happened now, Hopper wouldn't be ashamed. He took one final moment to glance at Menectric, who was also staring at him, before focusing back on the finish line.
Back in real-time, everyone watched as the two Pokémon blasted past them and through the finish line before both coming to a skidding halt.
Mic: "IT'S OVER! A photo finish!"
"So who won?!" Track screamed, "Tell us!"
Everyone stared at the megascreen as it showed the frozen image of Hopper and Manectric from above. They were only a few inches away from the finish line, the video moving one frame a second as the two got closer. It then zoomed up on the two's snouts as they got within inches of the line, only to show one of them going over it.
Mic: "WE HAVE A WINNER! Taking first place in this year's Shoot Race, HOPPER!"
"YES!" Flash roared as he jumped up into the air, his friends all cheering at the top of their voices. At the same time, Track slumped over, completely devastated at the event.
As this happened, Hopper stared at the image of him on screen, the word 'winner' now underneath him. "Vel..." he whispered.
"HOPPER!" He turned to see his trainer jump over the barrier, running over to him. "You won!" He screamed in his mad dash.
Hopper couldn't help but smile at his trainer's smile, breaking out into tears as he ran to him. "RUSH!" Hopper leapt into Flash's arms, pulling him into a hug.
"You're amazing." He pulled away and put him on the ground, giving him a proper look over. "And you evolved! You look so cool now." Hopper blushed at the compliment, his tail wagging as Flash began to hug him again.
While this happened, Track moved over to Manectric. The lightning wolf looked sad at its loss, Track placing a hand on his head. "You did great buddy. They were just a little faster, that's all." Manectric went up and nuzzled into his trainer's chest, Track patting his head now, "Its okay, I'm not mad." Track then turned to Flash and Hopper, the two glancing at him, "You were great," he moved over and held out a hand. "I'm not so arrogant that I can't admit someone's a worthy foe."
Flash shook the hand with a smile, "Same." Hopper then walked over to Manectric, the Electric-type expecting him to gloat. But instead, Hopper held out one of his new hands, Manectric blinking at it before deciding to shake it. The two former foes now felt true mutual respect for the other, formed from going all out against one another.
"FLASH!" They turned to see Flash's friends running up, the Pokémon gathering around Hopper while the others moved over to Flash. "YOU WERE AWESOME!" Spike yelled, stars sparkling in his eyes.
"I can't believe Hopper evolved," Twilight added. "And so quickly after hatching."
Flash shined a huge grin, turning to see the rest of his Pokémon cheering on Hopper over his evolution. Shine then became fascinated with his tail, Hopper smirking before spinning around and getting it in his mouth. Shine cheered at this, clapping her front hooves together.
Speed laughed at the sight, "It seems to me that he was drawing from a different source of strength, which allowed him to evolve."
"A different source?" Doc asked, Speed chuckling at their confusion.
"Legends speak of Hoppin and their evolved forms. It's said that they can draw power from those around them. The more friends they have, the faster they can grow in strength in order to protect them."
Everyone looked back at Hopper, about to wonder about what that meant about Hopper, only for Present Mic to rush over with several reporters. They grabbed Flash and Hopper, pulling them to the winner's circle to be presented a trophy and a year's supply of Pokémon food. They felt a little cheated when they saw the amount and realized the year's supply only covered one Pokémon, but it would sure put less strain on their wallets for a while.
And after many photos, questions and even a few offers for endorsements, everyone left the race area. The group were now at the outskirts of town, Speed, Track and their Pokémon there to see them off. "Well," Speed commented as he used his walking stick to point down the road, "This path should lead you straight to Dodge Junction."
"Thanks. Well, we'd better be off then."
"Sure," Track nodded before turning to Flash and Hopper. "But you two better be here next year. I'm gonna settle the score."
Flash pumped his fists, "You can count on us."
"Rush!" Hopper barked in agreement.
Speed laughed back, "You know, you two have a lot of promise as racers. Ever considered making a career out of it?"
Flash shook his head, "Thanks, but no thanks. Maybe someday I'll take more interest in the sport, but right now I just wanna focus on being the strongest trainer I can be."
"Rush," Hopper added, wagging his tail in agreement.
"If that's what you want," Speed replied before doing a small nod, "But if you ever change your mind, I'll be here waiting to help train you." The others nodded back before heading off, Manectric and Arcanine howling as they walked off while waving back at the town.
What was meant to be a quick pitstop evolved into a high speed race that resulted in Hopper's further growth. Now a Velocirush, one can only wonder what'll happen next for the no longer tiny Pokémon. As the journey continues.
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Oh my gosh!
That was so stinkin' CUTE! 
Ooooooh! I sure hope this doesn't mean that he's going to be leaving soon. Yeah, Flash isn't big on video games in my headcanon either.
Yes, yes, YES! Hopper won the race! I’m so proud of him!!!
*Rereads the blog about the Equestrian Pokémon*, Hopper's only half way there. But glad to see the little guy earn some respect. Now that leaves Skyler to evolve... but he's already in his second stage... so that leaves Springer, but odd are the rest will have reached their third stage before Springer...
Then's Twilight's team... but Terragons can't evolve, so Owlicious and Shine will evolve... most likely Owlicious is up.
As for Doc's team... well Higear requires trading, Tockwork can't evolve, and Steeledge is already in his middle stage...
Well looking forward to Flash's next gym battle... but wait what about Sombra and those Dragon Riders?
That was amazing! Way better than the last racing chapter at Camp Everfree. I honestly did not expect Hopper to evolve so soon, that was incredible! Not only did he win the race, he got even stronger now and is only one stage away from his final evolution.
Though with the Dragon Riders still out there it will just be that much more heartbreaking if he and Flash need to say goodbye now, especially after they have bonded so much.
This race was amazing! Hopper did awesome! I bet those Dragon Trainers will learn of the race and head off to find the gang. Until then, let's see if Hopper can help out in the next Gym. Given the inspiration of Hopper's species, I bet that he'll learn a Steel-type attack or something that let's him shoot out something like a cannonball.
10119911
That would be pretty cool. Though since Hopper apparently has a connection of some kind to Dragon types I would think it would also be cool if he learned at least one Dragon type move, like Dragon Rage or Dragon Claw or something.
10119668
I highly doubt that the two will split. I can image a scene (well a basic outline):
(Some time later after Hopper reached his final form and the group is found by the Dragon Riders)
Leader (just as they surround Flash and co): Give us the Pokemom!
Flash: No can do, Hopper is family.
Dragon Rider goon 1: You bastard, how dare you give the father of dragons such a pedestrian name! I will have your tongue!
Leader: Stay yourself! (Turns back to Flash) you don't seem to understand. Perhaps once you learn the truth. (Exposition dump about a prophecy.) (Flash is somewhat shaken but)Twilight: Well that was about as vague as Spike's excuse to not take a bath last night. (She turns to Flash) please tell me you don't believe that.
Flash: What about the thing with Ecpixie
Twilight: The sunrises ever morning, the moon waxes every night, the seasons change every year, that was just another cycle.
Hopper tugs at Flash's shirt and nuzzles into him, as if to say 'To make me go, Dad.'
Flash looks to the rest of his Pokemon and they all stand around their little brother as if to say ' you gotta come through us first.' He sees Doc's and Twilight's pokemon do more or less the same thing. He turns to the leader head held high: If you want him that bad, come and claim him. RIPTIDE USE WATER GUN, VIPER FLAMETHROWER PRONGS VINE.
And they send the dragons blasting off again Team Rocket style
Now I can only wonder if you will be taking him down the alphamon line or the dorugoramon line.
10120348 He only goes up to Dorugamon.
10120352
Aww. Oh well still my favorite line.
10120366 It's one of my favourites too. Right after the Veemon line. I even use a Dorugoramon in my Cyber Sleuth game.
10120370
Cool. I have the Cyber Sleuth Complete Story on Nintendo Switch, which has Hacker's Memory, so I knew what you meant by the visor in the chapter. I bet if you gave a Mega Evolution for Hopper's final form, it would resemble one of the Digivolutions after. In any case, it'll be fun to see what happens with Hopper later.
10120067
Yeah, Dragon Rage or Dragon Rush would make sense.
10120455
Let's not forget Z-Moves and Gigantamax
It's a bit odd in retrospect that Hopper is the only member of Flash's team who managed to evolve without ever completing a proper battle in his previous stage. Still though, I loved this chapter for being the true start to his development and becoming a key member of Flash's team.
Wait. Is Hopper's line based on Dorumon?