Taking Flight for an Aerial Fight
"ALRIGHT!" Flash yelled as he stood in the Pokémon Center's garden. After much anticipated waiting, Flash was now going to get the chance to face-off against Spitfire and her ferocious flock of Flying-types. "Today's the day!" He added as he looked down at his Pokémon, all of them lined up and ready for battle. "The day we get our sixth Equestria League Badge! You guys ready to win?!"
"RIO!" Springer cheered.
"GUST!" Skyler squawked.
"TORE!" Riptide continued, giving Flash a thumbs up.
"LEAF!" Prongs neighed, kicking his front legs up and down.
"CAR!" Viper hissed.
"SKEIDRAN!" Hopper exclaimed, spreading out his wings and waving its arms around.
Flash couldn't help but laugh at them, the rest of friends doing the same as they sat to the side enjoying their breakfast. "He sure is pumped," Spike commented before stuffing another sandwich into his face.
"Can you blame him?" Doc added as he polished his Lairon's armor, the rest of his Pokémon all super shiny after enjoying the same treatment. "After seeing Rainbow's battle against Spitfire and training for it for so long, I'm surprised he isn't exploding in anticipation."
Twilight nodded in agreement, "And with all the training he's been doing, he and his Pokémon are all on top form."
"Indeed," Cloud finished, "But that doesn't mean beating Spitfire will be easy." She turned to her grandson, "Flash will need to pull out every trick in his book if he wants to win this."
"Hey!" They turned to see Rainbow and Fluttershy walking up before staring at Flash and his Pokémon, "You ready to battle the toughest Gym Leader in Equestria?"
"Yup," Flash replied with a big grin, "But first I gotta beat Spitfire."
Everyone laughed at this, Fluttershy turning to Flash's Pokémon. "Everyone's looking amazing." She glanced back at Flash, "Do you know who you're gonna be using?"
"I have an idea," Flash responded while crossing his arms, "I know Spitfire has Wondor and Tornavian, and I got a good look at their abilities during her battle with Rainbow. But she was probably holding something back, like what Pokémon she'll be using aside from those two."
Twilight nodded as she walked over to them, "And depending on how the battle turns out, you could end up changing who you think is the best match for the battle."
"Yeah," Flash sighed before turning to his Riolu, "But I think it might be better if Springer sits this one out." The Riolu's ears went down, Flash frowning as he kneeled down and patted his shoulder. "Sorry bud, but against Wondor and Tornavian, you'd have a hard time landing a hit on them."
"Ri..." he whined, slumping over.
"So I'm gonna need you up in the stands, cheering me on! Alright?"
"RIOLU!" Springer barked back, a smile trying to form on his face. The rest of his Pokémon cheered as well, Flash soon returning them before the group headed for the Gym. They managed to catch some taxis and arrived at the airfield quickly, where Flash sprinted over to the gym.
"Here it is," Flash said as he stared up at the hanger-like building. "Time for the sixth Gym Battle." With that, he pushed the doors open before stepping inside. "Hello?!" he called out while moving to the center of the field, "I challenge you to a battle!"
"And I accept!" He spun around to see Spitfire on the ledge above the door, the pole just above her. She leapt off and grabbed a ring connected to the pole, sliding down before flying off the end, doing several flips through the air till she landed perfectly in her trainer section with her back to the group. The gym leader grabbed the shoulder of her aviator jacket spun around, throwing the jacket off as Fleetfoot appeared in the middle of the battlefield and caught the jacket before retreating to the side. Shining the biggest grin, Spitfire spun around while adjusting her goggles.
"Welcome to the Cloudsdale Gym!" she exclaimed as the others walked up to Flash. "Are you ready to test your limits and soar to new heights of battling skill, or crash and burn when overwhelmed by my Flying-type's might?!"
"I'm ready," Flash replied, "And I won't be crashing or burning today." He pointed at the Gym Leader. "I'm gonna win and earn myself a badge! Mark my words!"
"I like that attitude!" Spitfire laughed, "Then let's get battling!" With that, everyone took their positions. Springer joined the others when they climbed the staircase and walked onto the balcony overlooking the battleground. The Riolu had to jump up to look over the barrier until Fluttershy picked him up, allowing him to see as his trainer stepped up onto his podium.
Flash turned to stare Spitfire down, the redheaded women smirking back. The pole she had slid down on retracted into the wall before the roof began to open, allowing free range for their Flying-types. Fleetfoot then began to announce the rules.
"The Gym battle between the challenger Flash, and Spitfire the Gym Leader, will now begin! Each side may use up to three Pokémon, and the battle will be over when all three of either sides' Pokémon are unable to fight. in addition, only the challenger may be allowed to substitute Pokémon." She glanced at the two trainers, "Is that understood?" Both nodded. "Then trainers, reveal your first Pokémon."
Spitfire smirked as she took out a Pokeball. "You've already seen the power my Tornavian and Wondor, and have likely been training to face off against them." She enlarged the ball, "So let's see how well you do against an unknown! Flitanium, wings up!"
With that, she threw the ball and in a flash of red light, a large metal bird appeared. "FLY!" It roared, unfurling its wings and taking to the air.
"So she's got a Flitanium," Doc whispered.
"And it looks just as strong as yours," Twilight added.
"Maybe stronger," Cloud continued, before turning to Flash. "Who will you pick for this?"
"Viper," he held out his Pokeball, "I choose you!" He threw the Pokeball, the fire serpent now appearing.
"Hacker!" He hissed before landing.
"Huh. Going for type advantage. Alright. Let's see how well you do." Spitfire turned to Fleetfoot, signalling her to start the battle.
"Anahakka versus Flitanium. Are both trainers ready to begin?" They nodded and she raised her arms, "Then let the battle...BEGIN!"
Spitfire turned to Flash, "You can have the first move."
"Then let's start things strong," Flash pointed at Flitanium. "Use Flamethrower!"
"Hack...CARRR!" Viper unleashed a powerful burst of fire out of its mouth.
"Drill Peck!" Flitanium charged as it pulled its wings before spinning, creating an air drill that flew into the flames. The drill carved through the fire, the heat still hurting before it flew through and struck Hacker head-on.
"Car!" He cried as he was knocked back, Flitanium breaking out of the drill as Spitfire gave her next order.
"Steel Wing!" Flitanium unfurled its wings, both glowing as it sliced into Viper's stomach with a quick slash.
"Not good," Flash whispered as Viper was thrown back, only for Flitanium to fly up next. "Flamethrower!" Viper fired another stream of fire at Flitanium, only for Spitfire to point at her Pokémon.
"Air Slash!" Flitanium's wings glowed as it swung them around, the light shooting off and morphing into a series of saw-like blades of air that struck the Flamethrower. This dispersed the flames, allowing Flitanium to fly down as Spitfire gave her next order.
"Iron Head!" It retracted its wings as its helmet glowed, allowing it to smash into Viper before he could react.
"Fly/Car!" They cried upon impact, Flitanium unfurling its wings and taking off again as Viper rolled on the ground before steadying himself.
"Jump up, then use Flame Wheel!" Viper curled his tail like a spring before launching himself into the air.
"Hack!" He bit into his own tail and began to spin, flames appearing around him. The flaming wheel slammed into Flitanium, pushing the bird toward the ground.
"Tay!" It screamed on impact, the fire wheel hopping off before Viper broke out.
"Now Flamethrower!" Viper fired another stream right at Flitanium, the bird just now picking itself up.
"Block it with Steel Wing!" The Steel Flying-type thrust its shining wings into the flames, cutting them and preventing the rest of its body from getting hit. But when the flames died down, everyone saw its wings were now glowing red hot.
"That looks painful," Fluttershy muttered.
"I doubt it'll be able to fly with them like that," Doc added. "This might be just the opening Flash needs."
"Flame Wheel!" Viper morphing into a blazing wheel again, charging right at Flitanium.
"Dodge it!" Spitfire yelled, Flitanium now side-stepping since it couldn't fly. But as it dodged the attack, Viper just turned around and spun into him again, only for Flitanium to dodge it once more.
"Flamethrower!" Viper broke out of the flames and spat another stream of fire right at Flitanium, the bird backpedaling at the incoming attack.
"Air Slash!" Flitanium's wings glowed before it launched the air saws at Viper, hitting him dead on.
"Car!" Viper was thrown back, Flitanium now flapping his wings to cool them down. It then flared them, taking a small leap before going to the air again.
"You're not getting away that easily!" Flash yelled, "Viper, use Flamethrower on the ground!"
"Hack!" Viper took a deep breath before looking downward, "CARRRRR!" He unleashed a powerful stream of fire that pushed him upward, shocking both Spitfire and Flitanium, along with the group. That is, except his friends who were used to Flash's tenancy to do insane things like this.
Once Viper was at the same height as Flitanium, he stopped his attack and turned before hearing Flash call out. "Bite!" Viper lunched his head forward, chomping down on Flitanium's wing. He then coiled his tail until it was around Flitanium's neck, preventing it from properly flying.
"Fly!" It cried out, trying to free itself, only to find itself falling like a rock. And seconds before they were about to crash, Viper released Flitanium and hopped off the bird. "TANIUM!" It crashed into the dirt, Viper pointing his head at it next.
"FLAMETHROWER!" Viper let out a mighty roar as he unleashed a burst of fire right down on Flitanium, who squawked as pain surged through his body. Viper's attack pushed the snake back, smoke now covering Flitanium before the flames vanished to reveal Flitanium with swirls in his eyes.
"Flitanium is unable to battle!" Fleetfoot announced. "Anahakka is the winner!"
"Yes!" Flash cheered while the others applauded.
"Way to go!" Rainbow added.
"That's what I'm talking about!" Spike yelled.
"You did amazing Viper," Fluttershy told the fire snake.
"Flash can't get cocky yet," Cloud finished as Spitfire returned Flitanium. "This battle's only getting started."
"Excellent work," she commented as the metal bird was in its Pokeball. She turned to Flash as she replaced the ball, "This kid is good." She enlarged it, "But I don't go down so easy. Tornavian, wings up!" She threw the ball up, the giant bird soon appearing.
Flash grimaced at the sight, remembering how powerful that thing had been when he watched its battle against Rainbow. "We've gotta be careful Viper," he told his Anahakka. "This one's strong."
"Car," he nodded as Tornavian spread its wings and took off.
Fleetfoot glanced between the two of them. "Anahakka versus Tornavian. Are both trainers ready?" They nodded as she raised her arms. "Then let the battle...BEGIN!"
"Flamethrower!" Viper launched his fire attack as soon as Flash gave the order, but Tornavian just barrel rolled to avoid the attack.
"Razor Wind!" Tornavian beat its wings, unleashed fine blades of air that struck the area around Viper, kicking up a dust cloud that forced him to stop using Flamethrower. "Now, Aerial Ace!" Viper looked up as the dust began to fade, only to see Tornavian dive down at him.
"Car!" He cried out as the bird slammed into him, knocking him back as Tornavian flew upward again. The Anahakka didn't let that stop him though, quickly shooting his tail forward and wrapping around Tornavian's leg, causing him to be pulled up into the air with it.
"That's the way!" Flash cheered, "Time for Poison Fang!" Viper pulled himself up and bit into Tornavian's other leg, injecting venom into it.
"TORE!" It cried in pain as its leg began to go numb.
"Revenge!" Spitfire ordered, causing Tornavian to spin around and flick Viper off of it.
"CAR!" He yelped as he crashed into the ground, giving Tornavian the opening it needed.
"Tornado Burst!" Tornavian flew down and started spinning, causing the wind to wrap around it and form a drill of air. It got closer as Viper picked himself up, the snake seeing the incoming attack.
"Flamethrower!" Viper unleashed a burst of fire that the tornado flew into, cutting through it while the heat made it flinch. But when it exploded out of the tornado, the wind erupted out, extinguishing the flames as Tornavian accelerated forward and slammed into Viper.
"CAR!" It screamed at the impact, Flash flinching before calling out a command.
"Bite!" Viper reacted quickly and wrapped himself around Tornavian's neck, biting into its back as it tried to get as tight a grip as it could. This made Tornavian flinch, causing its wing to clip the ground, soon hitting the dirt.
"Tore!" It cried, rolling on the ground as Viper continued to bite into it.
"Now, Poison Fang!" Viper's fangs glowed purple as he started injecting as much venom into his opponent as he could, making Tornavian flinch.
"Fly up, then Tornado Burst!" Tornavian zipped back into the air before it began to spin around, faster and faster as Viper's grip on the bird started to slowly weaken. And as the tornado formed around the two, he finally lost grip and was forced to let go.
"Car!" He flew out of the tornado and hit the ground, "Hack!" At this moment, the tornado curved around and headed toward Viper. And as he picked himself up, Tornavian shot out and slammed into Tornavian at an intense speed. "HACKER!" He was thrown far across the field, Tornavian now flying out of harm's way.
But as it did, purple lightning sparked around it. "TORE!" It cried in shock, feeling its energy be drained away.
"What's happening?" Rainbow asked.
"Viper's Poison Fang must have poisoned it," Twilight added. "That's good."
"But will it be enough?" Cloud asked before they heard Flash called out.
"Flamethrower!" Viper pushed himself up before firing another stream of fire, but Tornavian's increased speed allowed him to easily dodge the flames and fly out of the range.
"Razor Wind!" Tornavian beat its wings, unleashing the air blades that struck the ground around Viper again. This caused Viper to stop unleashing his attack, only for Tornavian to be zapped by its poison.
"Tore!"
"Stay strong!" Spitfire told it. "Use Tornado Burst!" Tornavian began to spin, the tornado forming as it flew down at Viper.
"Meet it head-on!" Flash told his Anahakka, "Flame Wheel!" Viper bit his tail before rolling forward, his body igniting into a flaming steamroller. He rolled along the ground as the tornado curved so it was just above the ground before exploding, Tornavian charging at the snake at an intense speed.
"TORE/CAR!" They cried as they collided, creating an explosion that shook the room around them. Everyone flinched as the smoke filled the battlefield, only for Tornavian to fly out of the smoke, causing it to be blown away and reveal Viper on the ground with spirals in his eyes. "Hacker..."
"Anahakka is unable to battle," Fleetfoot announced. "Tornavian is the winner."
Everyone sighed. "Too bad," Rainbow commented, "At least he managed to poison Tornavian."
"That should help," Twilight added as Flash returned Viper.
"You did great," he said once he was back in his Pokeball. He then looked up at Tornavian as it circled the stadium before taking out a ball, "Alright...Skyler, I choose you!" He threw the ball up, revealing the smaller bird, who flew up to the same height as Tornavian and circled the Gym with it until they stopped and hovered above their trainers.
"Gust!" He squawked while staring down his opponent, the bird simply smirking at him.
"What's he doing?" Spike asked, "Skyler's not as strong as Tornavian."
"Don't be so sure," Cloud added. "Being evolved doesn't make it stronger. Besides, there are other factors to take into account in this. Strength is only one of them."
"Wingust versus Tornavian. Are both trainers ready?" Fleetfoot asked, getting a nod from the two and their Pokémon. "Then battle...BEGIN!"
"Air Cutter!" Flash yelled, Skyler beginning to beat his wings fast and launching blades of wind at Tornavian.
"Razor Wind!" Spitfire responded, Tornavian beating its own wings as well, sending out its own air blades. The two attacks collided and exploded, sending out a blast of wind in each direction. Skyler was pushed away by the wind, but Tornavian didn't seem phased at all.
That is, till the poison shot through its body, the purple lightning sparking all around it and making it flinch in pain. "Tore!" It cried, its wings going up and down.
"Now's our chance!" Flash told Skyler, "Use Steel Wing!"
"Wing!" Skyler corrected himself midair before charging with glowing wings. And as Tornavian recovered from the poison, it saw Skyler coming, unable to move as the bird got up close.
"Navian!" It cried in pain as Skyler shot past him, slashing him with his wings.
"Revenge!" Spitfire yelled, Tornavian spinning around and swinging its wing at Skyler before he could get away.
"Gust!" He cried in pain as the wing struck him, knocking him back as Tornavian spun upward.
"Now, Aerial Ace!" Tornavian circled around before dive-bombing toward Skyler, the bird managing to re-orient himself seconds before Tornavian struck him.
"GUST!" He cried upon the impact, sending him flying back again before flaring his wings to stop himself.
"Time for some aerial maneuvers," Flash told Skyler, the bird nodding back before flying straight up, Tornavian hot on his tail as they both flew out of the Gym. "Double Team!" In a flash, the sky was filled with Wingusts. Tornavian quickly found himself surrounded, unable to tell which Skyler was the real one, giving its pre-evolved form the opening it needed. "Air Cutter!"
"WINGUST!" The real Skyler appeared behind Tornavian, unleashing a wind barrage. And as Tornavian turned toward the correct one, he got struck by the wind.
"Tore!" It cried as the wind sliced into him, doing critical damage. No sooner had that pain hit, the poison flared up once again, making it cry out in more pain. "Navian!"
"Alright!" Flash cheered, "You've got it now!"
"Don't be so sure," Spitfire barked back, "Tornavian, Tornado Burst!" Tornavian's eyes shot open, quickly spinning while flying upward, the wind spiralling around it to form another tornado.
"Not good," Flash gulped before remembering the Double Team was still in play. "Don't let it find you! Mix into the others!" Skyler nodded and flew back into the flock, he and the copies flying around one another until it was impossible to tell which was the real one.
"That won't save you!" Spitfire told him. "Do it Tornavian!" With that, the giant bird shot out of the tornado at incredible speed. The action sent out a burst of wind that struck the flock, only one of the Wingust now appearing to be bothered by it. "There you are!"
"Tore!" Tornavian roared as he smashed into Skyler.
"GUST!" He cried as he was knocked flying down, Tornavian spreading its wings as Spitfire gave her next order.
"Razor Wind!" It beat its wings as it unleashed several bursts of air, all of them striking Skyler as it prevented him from correcting himself. Everyone gasped as the wind pushed Skyler toward the ground, Flash beginning to worry this would be it.
"Wing!" He cried in pain, only to hit the dirt like a rock. "GUST!"
Tornavian smirked at the sight, only for the poison to flare up again. "TORE!"
"Skyler!" Flash yelled as the dust cleared to show his Wingust picking himself up, "You okay?!"
"Wingust," Skyler hissed in pain as he did a small nod before taking to the air, Tornavian gliding down to his level.
"We're not done yet," Flash barked back, "Use Double Team!" Skyler squawked as he flew up, a flash of light signalling the creation of his many clones. "Now, use Steel Wing, back to back!"
"Wingust!" The clones all squawked as they flew around Tornavian, only for one of them to shoot out like a bullet, striking the other bird with its glowing wings. "Gust!"
"Tore!" Tornavian cried at the blow, turning toward the one that had done it, only to see already rejoin the group and was practically invisible. Seconds later, it was struck by another Steel Wing. "Tore!" He yelped, only for the bird to get struck again and again. "Tornavian!"
"This is getting annoying," Spitfire growled just as Tornavian was once again jolted by the poison. As this happened, Skyler had to come to a stop, catching his breath. As the Double Team vanished, both birds began to pant. "I'm ending this now. Tornado Burst!" Tornavian shot straight up and started spinning, forming the tornado around it before turning to aim it straight at Skyler.
"Oh no...." Flash gulped before pointing at the tornado. "Air Cutter!" Skyler quickly started beating his wings, unleashing blades of air at the tornado. It managed to pierce through the tornado, striking Tornavian, but the bird didn't stop as it keep swooping down, not even remotely slowing down.
"TORNAVIAN!" It roared as it exploded out of the tornado, hitting Skyler like an intense battering ram, knocking the bird downward yet again.
"Skyler!" Flash yelped as he saw his Pokémon get knocked down. "You gotta get out of there! Use Aerial Ace!" Skyler's eyes shot open and seconds before he hit the ground, he managed to spread his wings and pull up inches from the ground. He then shot straight up and struck Tornavian, making it cry out.
"TORE!" It yelled, only to hear its trainer's yell.
"Revenge!" Tornavian's eyes shot open and it managed to grab Skyler in its talons before spinning around and throwing him downward.
"GUST!" He screamed as he was slammed into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
"Skyler!" Flash yelled, Spitfire smirking before looking up at Tornavian….and her smile vanished.
"Tore," it cried as it suddenly fell out of the sky, crashing into the dirt. At the same time, the dust around Skyler fading before both Pokémon were revealed to have swirls in their eyes.
"Wingust and Tornavian are both unable to battle!" Fleetfoot announced. "This match is a draw!"
The outcome made everyone go wide-eyed, even the trainers. "No way..." Spike whispered.
"Now they've only got one Pokémon each," Twilight added. "That's really not good."
Cloud nodded in agreement. "Indeed. And Spitfire still has her strongest Pokémon to use." She turned to her grandson as he returned Skyler to his Pokeball, "Who will you choose to end this with?"
"Ri..."
"Way to go Skyler," Flash told the Wingust once it was back it his ball.
"Excellent work Tornavian," Spitfire did the same before turning her focus back on Flash. "You should be very proud of how well you've raised your Wingust. It might not have defeated Tornavian, but it didn't lose either. And considering it's the pre-evolved form, that's still quite an accomplishment."
"Thanks," Flash replied as he watched Spitfire take out another Pokeball.
"However," she enlarged the ball, "Don't think this means you've won this battle. Now you have to face off against my best Pokémon! Wondor," she threw the ball up, "Wings up!" The ball opened and in a flash of red, the giant blue and yellow bird appeared.
"WONDOR!" It squawked before it flew around and landed in front of Spitfire.
Flash gulped. "There it is."
"This might be his toughest battle ever," Rainbow commented while crossing her arms. "That thing took out two of my Pokémon, and gave Tank a serious run for his money."
Doc sighed and shook his head, "I guess it all depends on what Flash chooses to use against it." As he said this, Flash took out a Pokeball. He had made his choice, and everyone was anxiously waiting to see who he had chosen.
"Hopper," he threw the ball, "I choose you!" The ball opened, now revealing the Proto-Dragon Pokémon as it landed in front of him.
"Hopper?" Spike yelped. "Why him?!"
"Looks like he wants to level the playing field," Cloud replied. "With Skyler down, Hopper was his only choice if he wanted to fight in the air."
"I guess that makes sense," Twilight nodded. "Plus, his other three Pokémon wouldn't really do well against Wondor. Even so, this is Hopper's first Gym Battle, and he's going up against Spitfire's ace."
"Oh dear..." Fluttershy gulped, "I hope he'll be alright."
"He will," Rainbow replied, "Flash isn't dumb. He wouldn't have picked Hopper if he didn't have faith in him."
Flash smiled at Hopper, though he could tell the Skeidran was nervous. "Hopper," he looked back at his trainer, "I trust you. And win or lose, I'll be proud no matter what." Hopper nodded before turning back to Wondor.
"Sky!" It roared, putting itself into a fighting stance.
"Skeidran versus Wondor. Are both trainers ready?" Fleetfoot asked, getting a nod from them and their Pokémon. "Then let the battle...BEGIN!"
Spitfire chuckled at the sight of Flash's friend, "First, let's see how well your little friend does in the air. Wondor, take off!" Wondor shot into the air, flying right out of the gym.
"After it!" Flash barked back, Hopper spreading his wings and flying after Wondor. The two began an aerial display, Hopper following after Wondor and turning at every direction it did. He barely managed to keep up, but was able to match it turn for turn.
"Very impressive," Spitfire commented, "Alright, time for the real battle. Wondor, Aerial Ace!" Wondor suddenly flew straight up and circled around until it was zipped behind Hopper.
"Dran?" He tried to find the bird as Wondor's eyes shrank, focusing like a laser on the Skeidran.
"DOR!" It suddenly shot at him with intense speed, hitting Hopper head-on and knocking him back.
"SKY!" Hopper spiralled toward the ground, shocking his friends until his eyes shot open and he re-positioned himself before spreading his wings. "Skeidran!"
"That's the way! Our turn, Extreme Speed!" Hopper began to be surrounded by blue light before he suddenly vanished, shocking Wondor until it saw Hopper appear right in front of him before disappearing again.
"DRAN!" Hopper suddenly appeared behind it, slamming his foot into its back. The blow made it cry out as it fell downward, its body going back into the Gym. But as it got into the building, it spread its wings to cut its fall short.
"Superpower!" Spitfire yelled as Wondor's talons began to glow orange before shooting upward.
"Deflect it with Steel Wing!" Hopper's wings shined as Wondor slashed at him, blocked the blow as he barely felt a thing before pushing the Wondor away. "Now hit it!" Hopper zipped up to the bird, ready to slash at Wondor with his wings.
"Feather Dance!" Wondor beat its wings, creating a cloud of feathers around them. Hopper slashed at the feathers before hitting Wondor with the attack. Most of the impact had been absorbed by the cushion, but Hopper was now able to push Wondor back before flying away. Seeing this, Spitfire growled, "Now, Brave Bird!"
"Wondor!" It roared as its body exploded into flames before circling around and charging down at Hopper.
"Counter with Dragon Tail!" Flash yelled, Hopper's tail glowing green as he spun around. Dragon Tail and Brave Bird collided, creating an explosion that knocked the two back. Both then flared their wings, quickly keeping themselves in the air, though the two were reeling from the impact. Wondor was also suffering the recoil of Brave Bird, but the bird was just getting started.
"Talk about power," Spike commented, "I know Hopper got stronger when he evolved, but being able to counter Brave Bird like that....I can't believe it."
"And he used a move he didn't have STAB with," Rainbow added.
"That's where you're wrong," Doc chuckled, "Hopper might not be the same type as Dragon Tail, but the power of that move is increased."
The others turned with raised eyebrows before Twilight spoke up, "Its Dragon Heart, the ability of Skeidran."
Cloud nodded in agreement, "That ability increases the power of any Dragon-type move the user wields."
"Really?!" Spike gasped, getting another nod in return.
"Yes. That's why Skeidran are considered one of the strongest Dragon-types, even if it isn't one. It has all of their strengths and none of their weaknesses."
"Well..." Twilight added while adjusting her glasses, "It does have one Dragon-type weakness, but I doubt Wondor will pull an Ice-type move out of its hat."
"Superpower!" Spitfire yelled, Wondor charging at Hopper with glowing talons.
"Dodge, then use Crunch!" Hopper quickly barrel-rolled, dodging the attack before zipping around and tackling Wondor in the back.
"Dran!" He roared, clutching it with his hands before sinking its teeth into Wondor's shoulder.
"WONDOR!" It cried in pain, the added weight also pushing it downward.
"Shake it off before it pins you to the ground!" Spitfire yelled, Wondor now beginning to beat its wings, doing its best to knock Hopper off. But the Skeidran simply kept biting down on its shoulder, the bird unable to get him off until they reached the ground. It was here that he spun around, slammed Hopper into the ground.
"DRAN!" He yelped, letting go of Wondor before rolling on the dirt before hopping away.
"Dor!" It cried, still feeling the pain in its shoulder.
"Use Superpower before it recovers!" Wondor leapt up with glowing talons, slamming them into Hopper's stomach.
"Skeidran!" He screamed with each strike, eventually managing to roll away after the sixth hit before jumping back to his feet.
"Are you okay?" Flash asked Hopper, the Pokémon nodding back. "Alright, then use Extreme Speed!" Hopper leapt up as his body glowed, only to start warping around the gym.
"Ascend!" Spitfire told Wondor, the bird shooting straight up. Hopper quickly zipped up to him, only to miss as Wondor flew right out of the Gym.
"Stay on Wondor's tail!" Flash yelled, Hopper beating his wings to fly after his opponent. He flew out of the gym, managing to catch up to Wondor, the two circling around one another without using any attacks.
"You know Wondor's not trying to get away," Spitfire chuckled, "Wondor, circle around and then use Brave Bird!"
"Wondor!" The bird repeated what it did earlier, quickly getting behind Hopper as its body exploded, the flames turning blue as it charged and struck Hopper head-on.
"Sky!" He cried in pain as he was blasted away by the explosion, only to stabilize himself with a quick flare of the wings before staring back at his opponent. "Skeidran!"
"Brave Bird, one more time!" Wondor circled around again, its body still burning with blue flames.
"Fly up!" Flash told Hopper, the Pokémon going straight up as Wondor tried to follow, but couldn't seem to keep up, its body still burning.
"Not bad," Spitfire commented, "You've got speed alright, but what about technique? Wondor, show them why you're king of the skies!" At this moment, Hopper couldn't fly any higher and was forced to go back down. As he did this, Wondor was about to strike, Hopper flapping his wings to get away. The Skeidran did a quick spin as the flaming bird got close, barely dodging his attack.
The two then returned to the Gym, flying close to the ground as Hopper glided just above the floor with Wondor right behind him. He flew up next, skimming along the surface of the wall while Wondor was still on his tail.
"Alright!" Spitfire yelled as they flew back to the center of the field and circled around one another. "Now this is a true Flying-type battle." The two Flying-types continued to fly around, both swinging wings and claws at the other, only to dodge each attack with ease. Those watching couldn't take their eyes of the battle, not wanting to miss a second given how quickly the two's movements were.
"Dragon Tail!" Flash yelled, Hopper's tail glowing as he collided it into the Brave Bird attack, causing an explosion that knocked them both back. Hopper fell to the ground, only to hop onto his feet, his form sliding along the dirt until it stopped in front of Flash while Wondor managed to remain in the air.
"GO!" Both trainers commanded as their Pokémon charged at one another, both focusing on each other entirely.
"Aerial Ace!" Spitfire roared as Wondor increased its speed, a slipstream appearing around it.
"Extreme Speed!" Hopper glowed blue, and as Wondor tried to strike him, he evaded the attack, only to zip past him and soar higher above the bird. "Keep up the Extreme Speed! Get as fast as you can!" Hopper did so, pushing his flying speed to the absolute limit as Wondor circled around and flew back up.
"Brave Bird!" Its body exploded, the flames quickly turning blue while Hopper began to fly down.
"Keep up the Extreme Speed until the last minute, then Dragon Tail!"
"Sky!" he roared as his tail glowed green. He and Wondor charged at each other, as they got close enough for contact, Hopper pulled in his wings and spun around. Doing so allowed him to evade the attack, getting beneath Wondor before spreading his wings. The speed from his last attack allowed him to react before Wondor could turn around, the Pokémon quickly hopping above the bird. "SKEIDRAN!" He screeched at the top of his voice as he spun around and slammed his glowing tail into Wondor, the impact so great that it created a shockwave that everyone felt.
"WONDOR!" It cried as it was blasted into the ground, kicking up a dust cloud that blocked Wondor from view.
Hopper panted as he lazily glided toward Flash, landing in front of him before focusing on the cloud. And when it faded to reveal Wondor, laid out on the ground with spirals in its eyes.
Cut the music
"Wondor is unable to battle!" Fleetfoot announced. "The winner is Flash Sentry!"
"YES!" Flash screamed at the top of his lungs, his friends all cheering as Hopper turned to his trainer. "You did it!" Flash ran over and threw his arms around Hopper, hugging him as Hopper rubbed his head against Flash's. "You're the best!" He said once he pulled away. "Thank you so much!"
At this point, the others had left the balcony, Rainbow calling out first, "Flash! I can't believe it! You beat Spitfire!"
Flash blushed and patted his Skeidran's head, "Thanks, but it was really Hopper's hard work that did it." Hopper purred as Fluttershy and Spike reached out to stroke him.
"Maybe..." Twilight added, "But he wouldn't have known what to do if you hadn't been guiding him." Flash smiled back before turning to Spitfire, who returned Wondor as Cloud walked over to her.
"Excellent work old friend," she told the bird once it was back in its ball before turning to Cloud, "Quite a grandson you raised."
"Don't I know it," Cloud chuckled, "But you sure didn't make it easy for him."
"Of course!" Spitfire replied with a big grin, "I wouldn't be a true gym leader if I didn't!"
A little later...
Everyone was now outside of the gym, Spitfire holding out her hand to Flash. "Great work kid. You keep battling the way you just did and nobody will stop you."
Flash nodded back as he shook her hand, his Pokémon all cheering. "Thanks. I really enjoyed our battle."
"So did I." They let go as Spitfire turned to Fleetfoot, who was holding a tray. "It's my pleasure to present you with this." She picked up something off the tray and showed it to Flash. It was a badge shaped like a thunderbolt with two wings coming out of it. "Proof that you've won here at the Cloudsdale City Gym. The Flight Badge."
Flash shined a huge grin as he took the badge, now holding it up for all to see. "Alright! I just won...THE FLIGHT BADGE!"
"RIOLU/WINGUST/ANAHAKKA/SKEIDRAN!" His Pokémon cheered as everyone else began clapping again, Flash now putting it in his badge case.
"Just two more," Flash chuckled, "Just two more badges and I'm in the league."
"Indeed," Cloud nodded in agreement. "The question is, where will you get those last two badges?"
Flash showed a slight frown at the question before turning to Twilight, the girl pulling out her journal, "Well, there doesn't seem to be any Gym that's particularly close to us." She turned to him. "Since we're literally at an airport, we could see if any of these planes are headed anywhere near a gym."
"I might have a better idea," Spitfire chimed in, the group turning to her as she smiled at him, "During my delivery, I heard that the Hoofington Battle Tournament is taking place in a few days."
"Hoofington Battle Tournament?" Rainbow asked, Twilight looking it up.
"It's in Hoofington City," she replied, "It says here the tournament's a yearly event. It's not as big as the Pokémon League, but many noteworthy trainers have made a name for themselves in this tournament."
This caught both Flash and Rainbow's attention, the others seeing their excitement as Flash exclaimed, "Oh, I am so there!"
"Me too!" Rainbow added, "I might not have won my Gym Match, but this'll be great training!"
"I wouldn't mind winning another tournament," Doc chuckled while remembering his victory at the Hoof Cup.
"I think I'd like to enter too," Fluttershy softly said.
"Don't think you're leaving me out of it either." Twilight commented before looking back at the journal. "But Hoofington City's a good distance away. We might not get there before it starts."
"Don't worry, I'll fly you there." Spitfire laughed, "There's an airstrip not to far from the city. I can fly you there and as long as you don't waste any time, and then you should arrive there just in time to enter."
"Awesome!" Flash hollered, "Thanks Spitfire." The others gave their thanks, each looking forward to the upcoming tournament.
The next day...
As soon as the sun was up, our heroes made their way over to the airfield. There they found Spitfire standing next small passenger plane. "You guys ready?" She asked, everyone nodding.
Flash turned to Cloud while Rainbow and Fluttershy turned to their parents. "Alright," Cloud responded, "I'll be sure to watch your progress in the tournament."
"Thanks gran," Flash replied before they pulled one another into a hug. Rainbow and Fluttershy did the same with their parents before they climbed into the plane. Once everyone and their Pokémon were buckled up, Spitfire started the engine and the plane took off.
They waved goodbye to those on the airstrip until the city was out of view, all soon turning their attention to their destination, each both nervous and excited for the challengers they would face in the Hoofington Battle Tournament. As the journey continues.
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Oh yeah, that was awesome! Looks like the team I predicted Flash would use was right on the money. I feel like every single matchup was perfect and well fought on both sides. The best part was definitely Hopper getting the final win for Flash. Going from just watching on the sidelines to winning his first battle in a Gym, Hopper really is amazing.
So, we’re going to close this story with another tournament arc just like last time? I admit I didn’t see that coming. The last one took nine chapters to get through, and there are about ten chapters in the story left, if it lasts as long as the first story did, so this should be good. I just hope it has a better ending than the last one did, or at the very least more satisfying.
Shut up Doc.
Way to go Viper and Hopper!... if you think about it both are actually dragons, the dragon's fire breath is rooted in a serpent's venom... so a fire-breathing serpent and a drake... yes, Flash wins thanks to two dragons...
...
not another one
The Gym Battle was amazing! All of Flash's team proved themselves in that match, especially Hopper. And now another Tournament Arc will happen. I'm betting we'll get quite a few things happening in there. We'll likely meet up with the other Mane 7 and even some other rivals. It'll be a nice way to end this fic and move onto the next one later.
Hmm, I thought you said that Hopper was too inexperienced to take on Spitfire's best Pokemon.
Then again, you could have just said that in order to mislead your readers again. I'm not upset about it this time though. I got that cool Hopper moment that I wanted and more. 
Gee, you've still got 9 chapters to go if you're trying to hit 50 chapters like your last Pokemon story. Why am I getting a feeling that the next chapter could be about the gang surviving a plane crash? I don't know. Vehicles crashing or malfunctioning seems to happen a lot in Pokemon.
10475451
10 chapters to go actually. One chapter is the “opening” and another is a “trailer”, putting the true current chapter total at 40.
10475451 I said that because at the time, it was true. If Flash had gotten to battle Spitfire instead of Rainbow on that day, he wouldn't have used Hopper. But since he didn't face Spitfire and saw how strong she was, he got the chance to train Hopper some more. And don't forget Hopper caught trained by Cloud.
10475482
Technicalities, you gotta love 'em.
Not only is this easily the best Gym Battle in this story, I call it the second best of the whole series! We knew since the previous story Spitfire was going to be an important opponent on Flash's journey, since she was his grandmother's former protégé and successor. Each of Flash's Pokémon were outstanding and were key to his victory, but Hopper stole the show with his final battle against Wondor.