Pokémon: Equestrian Adventures

by Banshee531

Spectrum Smack Down

Mic: "Welcome back to the Hoofington Battle Tournament! I hope you're not too exhausted from watching that last action packed battle, because we have another one about to start right now!"

In that moment, Flash and Rainbow walked out onto the battlefield. The two kept their eyes on one another as they made their towards their podiums, the field Twilight and Lightning had battled on now retracting into the ground. Flash stepped onto the blue podium while Rainbow stood on the red one, the two smiling as Flash spoke up. "I gotta admit, I'm looking forward to this."

"Same here," Rainbow replied, "This'll be our first serious battle. Not the fun one we had on the day we met, or the practice battles he had at camp. Today, it's an all out fight, and I'm gonna win!"

Flash smirked at this as a certain thought went through his head, 'Sorry Dash, but I can't lose.' His eyes shifted over to Grand in the commentator's box before going to Lightning. 'I've got a promise to keep.'

And as they waited for the announcer, their friends started talking, "So who do you think'll be winning this one?" Applejack asked first.

"Hard to say," Doc hummed. "In the battles they've had and actually finished, Rainbow's won. But they've both grown a lot stronger since then."

"There are too many factors to take in," Sunset added, "The terrain they'll be on, which Pokémon they'll be using and the mental state they're in."

"This battle could go either way." The others turned to see Twilight holding Springer in her arms. "But knowing those two, it'll probably end up being a battle of guts."

The group all nodded in agreement at this, turning back to the battle.

---

Up above the rest of the stands, leaning against a column, Lightning glared down at the battlefield. "You'd better not lose,." he growled to himself, "I can't wait to show that old geezer the truth. The only thing that matters in this world is power."

In that moment, the field was lifted into view as the announcers spoke up.

Mic: "It's time to see what kind of battlefield our competitors will be competing on!"

When the field stopped, it was revealed to be covered entirely with sand. Flash and Rainbow guessed it was a giant sandbox, most likely a few feet deep for moves like dig or earthquake.

Mic: "Looks like a sandy field. Hope the trainers brought their flip flops and beach towels!"

Luna: "A field like this can cause a variety of problems if you don't use it right. Blinding the opponent, getting stuck in the sand, and who knows what else."

Celestia: "That what makes this a good challenge. To see if the contestants have what it takes to adapt to the situation."

Grand: "It's all going to come down to which Pokémon the trainers use."

"Well then," Mic exclaimed, "I say it's time to find out who those Pokémon are! Everybody, please turn your attention to the megascreen!" They did so as the wheel appeared between Flash and Rainbow's images. "Time to find out who'll be selecting their Pokémon first!" With that, the light wheel began spinning, soon stopping on the blue section, "It's blue, so Flash Sentry will be the first to select his Pokémon! Show us what you got!"

"Gladly. Hopper, I choose you!" He threw the ball up, revealing his Skeidran.

"SKY!" It roared, the crowd clapping at the sight of such a mighty creature.

"Hopper, huh? He was able to beat Spitfire's Wondor, so I'm gonna need something good to stop it." She then pulled out a Pokeball, "Fletchinder, wings up!" She threw the ball, unleashing the fire bird.

"Fletch!" it screeched before landing, both Pokémon staring each other down.

---

Meanwhile, in another city of Equestria...

In an open area with megascreen billboards, a crowd of people were watching the battle on the screens.

At that moment, a girl stepped into the area. She had snow-white skin with sky blue hair and was wearing a headband with wings on the side similar to the head wings of a Dragonair. She was walking though the crowd, not even focusing on the megascreen until she heard the familiar roar of a Skeidran.

"What?" She looked up, only to go wide-eyed at the sight of Hopper and the mark on his head, "It can't be....can it?"

---

Mic: "Skeidran verses Fletchinder! This is sure to be an interesting battle."

Grand: "Fletchinder should have the speed advantage, while Skeidran has the power."

Celestia: "Not to mention Skeidran's ability give it three types of moves it gets STAB with."

"That might be true," Doc added, "But the problem is Hopper only knows two moves he has STAB with."

"But the other two moves he has aren't exactly weak," Twilight pointed out.

Mic: "Alright! I think it's time we get this battle underway. In three!"

"TWO!" Almost everyone in the stadium yelled, "ONE!"

Mic: "BATTLE BEGIN!"

"FLAME CHARGE!" Rainbow yelled as Fletchinder shot forward, its entire body igniting at the same time.

"Dodge it!" Hopper up and took flight, Fletchinder flying under him as Flash gave another command, "Now, Extreme Speed!" Hopper roared as he began to glow before zipping down, Fletchinder turning to try and counter...only for Hopper to suddenly vanish.

"Fletch?"

"DRAN!" It spun around just in time to see Hopper behind it, the Proto-Dragon slamming his tail into the fire bird. It squawked as it was sent flying back, only flare his wings as Rainbow called out.

"Another Flame Charge!" Fletchinder's body exploded again, his speed increasing as he did this.

Celestia: "Smart. The more Fletchinder uses Flame Charge, the faster it'll get."

Hopper dodged the flaming avian using Extreme Speed again, Fletchinder following after him as it started to close the gap. But as he was about to hit Hopper, Flash yelled, "Use Steel Wing!" Hopper spun around and charged at Fletchinder with glowing wings.

"Dodge it!" Rainbow responded as Fletchinder spun around, avoiding the Steel Wing before circling around and slamming its burning body into Hopper's back.

"DRAN!" He cried as he was pushed downward, but managed to use his tail to whip Fletchinder off of him before they could crash. Hopper then spread his wings and broke his fall, gliding along the sandy surface while Fletchinder's flames went out.

"Use Crunch before it's too late!" Flash ordered as Hopper spun around and grabbed Fletchinder by the wings, his mouth slamming down into its shoulder.

"FLETCH!" It cried, Rainbow gasping at the sight.

"Get it off of you with Flame Charge!" Fletchinder tried to ignite its body, but Hopper bit down harder, making its flames smother. "Dang it!" Rainbow growled, "Grr...use Steel Wing!" Fletchinder's wings slowly began to glow, increasing its physical strength.

"FLETCH!" It screeched before slamming the wing into Hopper's head, making him cry out and release his hold on it. "Fletchinder!" It beat its wings at this, quickly trying to take flight.

"Nice! Now use Razor Wind!" Fletchinder's wings kept beating, unleashing a barrage of wind blades.

"Dodge them!" Flash ordered, Hopper taking to the sky as he avoided them, only getting nicked. "Keep pushing through! Extreme Speed!" Hopper then shot forward while glowing, attempting to slam into Fletchinder, only for the bird to dodge it in the last second. "What?!"

Luna: "All those Flame Charges has made Fletchinder so fast that it can even keep up with Extreme Speed."

"Aerial Ace!" Fletchinder circled around before diving at Hopper, the Skeidran using his Extreme Speed to evade the move. But as Fletchinder shot past him, it suddenly did a V-turn and slammed into him.

"DRAN!" He cried as he was sent crashing into the ground, sliding through the sand before rolling back onto his feet. "Skeidran."

"Not good," Flash whispered to himself, "Fletchinder's too fast. How are we supposed to fight against something with that much speed that can also set itself on fire?" As he said this, his brain clicked over a certain memory, "Wait..." he stared at the ground as Rainbow gave her order.

"Flame Charge!" Fletchinder flew down at incredible speed, its body igniting as it prepared to tackle Hopper.

The Skeidran spread his wings, ready to take off. "No Hopper! Just stay right there." Hopper raised an eyebrow at this, the rest of the stadium doing the same.

"Huh?! What are you up to now?!" Rainbow asked before seeing Flash smirk as Fletchinder got close.

"NOW, use Dragon Tail on the ground!" The crowd stared at the Pokémon now, Hopper smiling at the order.

"Dran!" He roared as he smashed his tail into the sand covered battlefield. The force caused a huge cloud of sand to explode, covering the air between Hopper and Fletchinder.

"Fletch?" The fire bird questioned, the Pokémon moving too fast to pull up before hitting the cloud. "Fletchinder!" It cried while coughing, unable to see as the flames on his body were smothered.

"Yes!" Flash cheered while the crowd applauded.

"How'd he do that?" Pinkie asked as Twilight, Doc and Spike all smiled at the sight.

"That's how he beat Braeburn at the Appaloosa Gym," Twilight replied, "I can't believe he remembered that."

"Leave it to Flash," Doc added as his friend gave Hopper his next attack order.

"Extreme Speed!" Flash yelled as Hopper began to glow, Fletchinder flying around awkwardly as he tried to get sand out of its eyes. He then shot around, disappearing and reappearing all around Fletchinder until he suddenly stomped his foot into the bird's back at high velocity.

"FLETCH!" It cried as it was slammed into the dirt, Hopper then leaping off as everyone saw the bird's eyes were replaced by spirals.

Mic: "Fletchinder's KO'd! The winner is Skeidran!"

"Way to go Hopper!" Flash cheered as Hopper landed in front of him.

"Dran..." Hopper began to speak before his entire body exploded with flames. "SKEIDRAN!" He screamed while those watching gasped.

Mic: "Ouch! Looks like Fletchinder left a parting gift!"

Celestia: "Flame Body. Fletchinder's ability, which may burn a Pokémon if they make contact with it."

Rainbow smirked as she returned Fletchinder. "Great work. That burn status will come in real handy." She took out another Pokeball and enlarged it. "Gliscor, wings up!" She threw the ball, soon revealing the gliding scorpion.

"Gly!" It roared as it landed on its tail and snapped its claws, "Gly, Gliscor!"

Mic: "A Gliscor. A very interesting choice."

Celestia: "Its a tricky Pokémon, with a few...restrictions to its fighting style."

"Well, he's still awesome!" Rainbow barked back before pointing at Hopper. "Use X-Scissor!" Gliscor used its tail as a spring at the command, bouncing straight for with glowing claws.

"Steel Wing!" Hopper's wings shined as he spun around right as Gliscor slashed it claws in an X formation. The two attacks collided, causing a powerful burst of wind that knocked Gliscor into the air.

it didn't seem worried or scared however, instead simply smiling as Rainbow gave her next order. "Sludge Bomb!" Gliscor took a deep breath before spitting out a large ball of brown gunk.

"Dran!" Hopper cried as the ball hit his face, staggering back before leaping back into the air.

"Dragon Tail!" Hopper shot up, slamming his glowing tail into Gliscor, making him cry out as he was thrown downward.

"GLY!" It yelped before crashing into the battlefield, the sand somewhat cushioning its landing. As this happened, Hopper's body suddenly ignited.

"DRAN!" Flash's eyes went wide in shock as Hopper began to lose flight, slowly falling at this.

Mic: "Looks like Skeidran's not taking that burn well."

Luna: "Rainbow won't even have to deal any damage at this rate. She can just run the clock until the burn catches up with him."

Grand: "I don't think that's Rainbow's style."

"Too right," Rainbow added as Hopper kept trying to sustain his flight. He then hit the ground, sliding to a stop as the flames began to fade. "Slash!" Using its tail, Gliscor shot forward while swinging his claws, slashing Hopper in the chest before flying past him.

"Crunch!" Hopper spun around and thrust his head forward, biting into Gliscor's tail with a mighty chomp.

"Dran!" Hopper then swung Gliscor around with a pull of his neck, slamming him into the sand.

"Scor!" Gliscor cried as Hopper retook to the sky.

"Steel Wing!" Skeidran circled around before dive-bombing with glowing wings.

"Counter with your own Steel Wing." Gliscor jumped up with its own shining wings, both charging until another collision struck.

"DRAN/SCOR!" They screamed as their wings connected, pushing both back. Hopper was able to hit harder, Gliscor being pushed back before his burn flared again, "DRAN!" He cried, allowing Gliscor to push him back.

"Sludge Bomb!" Gliscor roared before firing the poison ball at Hopper, hitting him dead-on.

"Hopper!" Flash yelled as his Skeidran was thrown into the sand, landing with a thud. "You okay?" He waited a few seconds until Hopper rolled over, pushing back to his feet while holding his head high.

"Sky!"

"Alright!" He pointed upward, "Then back in the air!" Hopper nodded and spread his wings, quickly flying above Gliscor. "Get above it!" He told him, making everyone blink as Rainbow grimaced at his words.

"Don't tell me..."

"I figured it out," Flash responded, "Gliscor can't actually fly. It can glide, but it can't actually control how high it flies. It has to leap into the air, and it can't get any higher after that." The look on Rainbow's face told him he was right. "Let's go Hopper! Use Extreme Speed and circle around Gliscor!"

"Dran!" Hopper shot forward as he glowed, moving faster and faster as he flew around Gliscor. The wind from the move began to push Gliscor around, causing him to spin out of control.

"GLY!" It yelped, starting to go dizzy at the pushing wind.

"Use Sludge Bomb!" Rainbow yelled, Gliscor quickly firing the slime out of its mouth with rapid fury. And as it did this, it hit Hopper in the wing.

"Dran!" He cried, the blow freeing Gliscor from the cyclone before the burn flared again. "DRAN!"

"Quickly! Use X-Scissor before it recovers!" Gliscor quickly charged while pulling its claws back, swiping with a mighty swing as the flames vanished.

"Dran/Scor!" They yelled as the impact occurred, knocking Hopper to the ground again.

"Hopper!" Flash yelped as they drew closer to the ground, but Hopper flared his wings. This stopped their descent, causing Gliscor to slam into Hopper and bounce off. "Crunch!" Once again, Hopper bit down on its tail, spinning around before flinging him into the dirt.

"SCOR!" It crashed with a thud, sliding through the sand as Hopper flew down as well.

"Finish this! Dragon Tail!"

As Gliscor picked itself up, Hopper swung his tail down, slamming it straight into Gliscor's head. The force of the attack smacked him into the ground, Hopper leaping back next before the burn blasted him again. "DRAN!" Was all he could say before falling over, spirals appearing in its eyes.

"Hopper!" Flash cried before seeing Gliscor pick itself up. It smiled at its downed opponent, only to fall back with spirals in his eyes as well.

Mic: "DOUBLE KO!"

The crowd cheered as the two returned their Pokémon. "Thanks Hopper," Flashw whispered as he put the ball away. "You did great."

Rainbow smirked at this as she put Gliscor's Pokeball away, "Don't think you've won just because you're one Pokémon ahead of me."

"Except it puts her at a major disadvantage," Sunset pointed out.

"She'll be fine," Fluttershy instantly replied, "It'll take more than being at a disadvantage to knock Rainbow off her game." She watched as Rainbow took out her Pokeball. "Just watch, she'll surprise you."

"Tank, take flight!" Rainbow threw the ball, opening to reveal the Soartoise, who began flying around he field and did a complete circle of it before landing in front of his trainer.

"Soar!"

Mic: "Rainbow's going the Flying Rock-type as her final Pokémon. What will Flash choose to counter with?"

Flash smirked as he took out his Pokeball. "Prongs, I choose you!" The ball spun through the air before unleashing his Chitaleaf.

"Leaf!" He roared as he landed on the sand.

Those in the stands all stared at the Pokémon, Spike turning to the others. "I get Flash doesn't have a lot of other Pokémon to use against Flying-types, but wouldn't something like Viper or Riptide have been better?"

"I think he chose Prongs for a reason," Twilight replied, "Though I'm not sure why."

"Let's get this done!" Rainbow yelled as she pointed at Prongs. "Use Hurricane!" Tank leapt up and morphed into his fan form, unleashing the spiralling wind from his stomach that flew at Prongs while picking sand up off the ground.

"Dodge it!" Flash ordered, Prongs quickly leaping to the side to avoid the sandy tornado before prancing forward. "Now, Body Slam!"

"Get out of there!" Rainbow commanded, Tank shifting his body to point towards the ground and push him upward, making Prongs miss and slide to a stop.

"Bounce!" Prongs began to pick up speed again, leaping and reaching Tank before he had a chance to defend himself.

"CHIT!" He roared as he thrusted his four hooves into Tank's shell.

"Soar!" Tank cried as he was knocked back, Prongs landing safely while the turtle tried to recover as Flash let out another order.

"Energy Ball!"

"LEAF!" Prongs fired the green sphere at Tank, hitting him head-on as an explosion now consumed Tank.

Mic: "Wow! Despite the type disadvantage, Chitaleaf is certainly making up for it."

Celestia: "I think Flash chose Chitaleaf directly for this purpose."

Luna: "Chitaleaf doesn't even have to win this match. Dealing enough damage will almost ensure their victory with Flash's last Pokémon."

Grand: "Maybe, but I'm sure those two plan on winning straight up."

"Tank!" Rainbow yelled as her Soartoise got up, "You okay?"

"Soar," Tank nodded.

"Alright," Rainbow pointed at Prongs, "Use Stone Edge!" Tank nodded as circles of light appeared around Tank, turning them all into rocks before firing them at the Pokémon.

"Dodge it!" Flash ordered as Prongs began jumping side to side, avoiding all but one rock.

"Leaf!" He cried out while staggering back, allowing several more rocks to slam into him.

"Alright!" Rainbow cheered. "Now, while it's down, let's power up our defenses. Iron Defense!"

Tank let out a roar before glowing, making the commenter's box speak up.

Mic: "Huh. That's weird. I would have thought she'd use this chance to attack."

Luna: "She's playing it smart. Powering up her defense while she had an opening means she's taking Flash's next Pokémon into account."

"Iron Defense again!" Tank's shell glowed again as Prongs picked himself up, shooting a glare at the Soartoise.

"Energy Ball!" Prongs fired the orb again, Tank crossing his flippers seconds before it hit. The explosion knocked Tank back, but he showed little damage from the blow, "Now, Bounce!"

"Take off!" Prongs charged as Tank began to spin his fins, taking to the air as Chitaleaf then leapt up at Soartoise. But as he got close, the Pokémon barely dodged the blow. "Body Slam!" Tank then spun around, slamming the back of his shell into Prongs and pinning him to the ground with a thud.

"LEAF!" Tank then rolled off of him, leaping away with ease.

"Now, Hurricane!" Tank unleashed another tornado, this one hitting Prongs straight on. He suddenly found himself sucked into the tornado, also getting buffeted by the sand. He cried out until the wind stopped, causing him to fall like a rock.

"Prongs!" Flash yelped before turning to Tank, "There's gotta be something to sap that defense....wait, that could work! Prongs, Leech Seed!" Prongs' eyes snapped open as he turned to Tank before the tips of his antlers glowed, the lights shooting off them like bullets.

"What the-" Rainbow said as Tank tried to evade them, only to be hit by the seeds. They then cracked open, the vines soon wrapping around Tank's entire body. And as Prongs hit the ground, Tank began to feel his energy being drained.

Celestia: "Now Rainbow's the one on a time crunch. If she's not careful, those Leech Seeds will drain Soartoise dry."

Prongs picked himself up as Tank's draining stopped, Flash giving Rainbow a smirk. "Now we've got you! Prongs, Body Slam!"

Prongs neighed as he charged just as Rainbow spoke up, "You've got nothing! Blow him away with Hurricane!" But when Tank tried to move, he suddenly found his arms and legs wouldn't spin like they should. They were being stopped by the vines. "What?!" Rainbow yelped as Prongs slammed into Tank, knocking him back.

Twilight laughed at this, "Now that's a Flash strategy! The vines are stopping Tank from spinning his fins!"

"Meaning he can't use Hurricane or fly," Sunset added.

"Way to go Flash!" Spike cheered.

"Clever...but not clever enough. We've still got other moves! Tank, Stone Edge!" Tank rolled back to his feet and summoned the rocks, firing them at the Chitaleaf as he started to go one the defensive. Several rocks nicked him as Tank tried to break himself free of the Leech Seed, only for it to flare up and drain more energy.

"Energy Ball!" Prongs leapt into the air, avoiding the last few rocks while forming the orb in front of his mouth.

"LEAF!" He roared as he fired the sphere.

"Iron Defense!" Rainbow cried as Tank's shell glowed, seconds before the orb blasted into him. Rainbow watched Tank stagger at this blow, more of his energy being drained at the same time. "Come on Tank. You have to put energy into this."

"Body Slam!" Prongs charged again, ready to tackle Tank.

"I need you...TO FLY!" Those words echoed in Tank's head, making him growl.

"SOAR!" He roared as he morphed into his fan form, trying to spin his flippers with everything he had. And with a single motion, he ripped the vines off himself, taking to the air.

"What?!" Flash yelped as Prongs missed his attack.

"Alright!" Rainbow cheered, "Hurricane!" Once again, Tank created a tornado that flew down and struck Prongs, pinning him down with a blast of wind and sand.

"LEAF!" He cried as the attack tore through him. And when the whirlwind stopped, Tank landed in front of Rainbow as Prongs fell over with spiraled eyes.

Mic: "Chitaleaf's KO'd! The Winner is Soartoise!"

The crowd cheered as Flash returned Prongs, a smile on his lips. "You did great Prongs. You might not have won, but you sure gave Tank a run for his money." Flash then stared up at Rainbow, both locking eyes as a grin appeared on their faces.

"I wonder who Flash will pick now?" Pinkie asked, the others shrugging as Flash took out a Pokeball.

"Skyler, I choose you!" He threw the Pokeball, unleashing his chosen Pokémon.

"WINGUST!" Skyler squawked as he flew around before landing in front of Flash, staring down Tank as the Soartoise smirked back.

"Why'd he pick Skyler?" Applejack asked, "Tank's got an advantage on him." Twilight, Fluttershy, Spike and Doc all chuckled, knowing exactly why Flash had picked him.

"I had a feeling you'd use Skyler," Rainbow responded. "This sure takes me back."

"Same," Flash nodded. "Back to the first time we met and our first battle." The two flashed back to that day, the pair standing in the field with Chickling and Torpeller facing off. "You beat me that time, but I'm not gonna let you win so easily this time. Skyler and I are settling the score!"

"You can try, but Tank and I haven't exactly been doing nothing since then! Even if you guys have gotten stronger, so have we! And it's time I showed you...Tank, Hurricane!" The Soartoise morphed into its fan form and spun around, the wind striking the sandy ground and kicking it into the air, creating a massive dust devil.

"Gust?" Skyler yelped as he flew into the clouds, finding himself getting buffeted by both sand and the high winds.

"Skyler! Fly up!" Skyler did so, escaping the tornado as Tank flew after him. "Air Cutter!" Skyler beat his wings, unleashing several air blades, but Tank quickly shifted around, all attacks hitting his sturdy shell.

"Body Slam!" Tank increased the speed of his fan as he shot forward, slamming his shell into Skyler before the Wingust could avoid it.

"Gust!" He cried in pain, about to fly into the sand. And as he was about to hit this, a bulb went off in Flash's head.

"Skyler, fly into the sand!" Skyler heard this and quickly straightened himself out so he dive-bombed the cloud, blocking him from being seen by the others.

"What are you up to?" Rainbow asked.

"Simple. Giving you more than one thing to focus on! Skyler, Double Team!" Seconds later, multiple blurs shot out the of the cloud, all flying up at Tank. The Soartoise's eyes darted around, now seeing all the Wingust surrounding him, the real one lost in the swarm.

Grand: "Impressive! Using his opponent's own strategy to his advantage."

Celestia: "But he needs to be careful in case the sand blinds Skyler."

The Skyler army began circling around Tank as Flash commanded, "Steel Wing!"

Rainbow watched as the Wingust all charged Tank with glowing wings, "Its not gonna be that easy! Use Stone Edge!" The rocks appeared around Tank before firing off in every direction, several of the Double Team fakes getting hit and fading away.

"WINGUST!" the bird roared as he shot past Tank and slashed at him with his metal wing, causing Tank to flinch.

"Now, use Aerial Ace!" Skyler shot up and then circled around before dive-bombing the flying tortoise.

"Iron Defense!" Rainbow yelled as Tank moved around, his shell glowing as Skyler slammed into it, rebounding off with a cry of pain. "Now blow it away with Hurricane!" Tank spun around again, unleashing the tornado from its stomach, striking Skyler flying back.

"Skyler!" Flash yelped, now seeing Skyler fly uncontrollably through the air. And as he spread his wings, stopping the spin out, Flash turned to Tank, "Not good. Iron Defense, Stone Edge and that Hurricane. Skyler's not strong enough to push through any of them."

"You giving up?" Rainbow asked with a smirk, making Flash growl.

"I never give up! Skyler, Double Team again!" Skyler suddenly multiplied, the clones all charging at Tank.

"Use Stone Edge the blast them away!" Rainbow barked back as Tank created the jagged rocks.

"SOAR!" He roared as he sent them flying with a flick of his giant flippers. The Wingust tried to avoid them, but one by one they were struck down until the real was hit.

"Wingust!" Skyler cried as he starting tumbling down, Tank diving at him at the same time.

"Pull up!" Skyler did his best to re-position himself, pointing his beak toward the ground and getting his body straight. And just before he hit the ground, he spread his wings, doing a perfect U-turn before shooting straight up. "Aerial Ace!" Skyler slammed into Tank before the Soartoise could react, knocking him back.

"Hurricane!" Tank unleashed another burst of wind, but Skyler managed to barrel roll away.

"Steel Wing!" Skyler used his talons and grabbed onto the vents on Tank's chest the second they stopped firing the air, his wings glowing before slamming them into Tank's body.

"Gust, gust, gust gust!" He roared every time he hit the shell, Tank having retracted his head into his shell.

"Blast it off you! Hurry!" Tank fired the most powerful burst of air from his shell as he could, forcing Skyler to stop his assault, knocking him grip off.

"Gust!" He cried while flying back.

"Stone Edge!" The rocks appeared around Tank, swinging his flippers as he fired the boulders at Skyler. The bird had just managed to get himself under control when he saw them coming, his eyes going wide as he was suddenly bombarded.

"WINGUST!" He screamed as they began to rain down on him, unable to defend himself.

"Body Slam!" Tank charged as the last rock hit Skyler, quickly bashing the bird with his rock-like shell.

"WING!" He cried as he was thrown back, crashing into the sandy battlefield. "GUST!" His body dug a trench in the sand, slowly coming to a stop.

"SKYLER!" Flash screamed as he saw his Wingust try to get up, groaning in pain as Tank hovered away. "Come on, you have to get up!" But despite the encouragement, Skyler's wings and feet couldn't seem to hold his own weight.

"This isn't looking good," Doc commented.

"I guess it's over for Flash," Spike moaned.

Sunset nodded in agreement, "One more hit from Tank and that'll be that."

"Don't worry," they all turned to Twilight. "He isn't done yet. When Flash is in a corner, that's when he and his Pokémon are able to push through any limit." Springer cheered out from her lap, telling his trainer and Skyler not to give up.

"Come on Flash!" Rainbow yelled, "Is that really the best you've got? I was hoping for something a little more from you! You beat Spitfire, but you give up like that." She then shrugged, "I guess you guys haven't grown as much as I thought you had!"

"Don't count us out just yet!" Flash barked back, "We may be down, but we're not out! In fact, we're just getting warmed up. You with me, Skyler?!"

"Wing!" Skyler roared as he got up and spread his wings, "WING...GUST!" And as he yelled this, his entire body exploded with light. The entire stadium went silent at the sight as Skyler's body began to grow and change.

"No way..." Flash whispered.

"Skyler's evolving," Twilight added as Skyler's transformation completed itself.

"Tore..." he yelled before beating his wings, causing the light to explode off of him, revealing his new form. He looked just like the Pokémon Spitfire had used in her Gym battle, being mainly black with yellow and red patterns along with a red V-shape on his chest. "TORNAVIAN!"

Mic: "INCREDIBLE! Flash's Wingust has evolved into Tornavian right before our eyes! This is unprecedented. Never have we seen an evolution during the Hoofington Battle Tournament!"

Grand and the professors all clapped, smiling as they understood why this happened.

Celestia: "It's was Flash's determination and belief in Skyler that made this possible. It allowed Skyler to dig deep and draw out new power, granting it the evolution we've just witnessed."

Flash and the trainers in the stands who had never seen a Tornavian all took out their Pokedexs and scanned him. "Looks like you've also learned a new move." Flash put his Pokedex away, "Alright..." He turned to Rainbow, "I told you this battle wasn't over!"

"Yeah you did!" Rainbow laughed, "But just because he's evolved doesn't mean Skyler's gonna win." She pointed at Tank. "Let's show'em Tank! Hurricane!"

Tank unleashed the powerful typhoon again, kicking up the sand as Flash pointed at his Pokémon, "Go Skyler!" The bird took the the sky, flying into the sand cyclone. But unlike before, Skyler wasn't at all bothered by the powerful winds. He shot straight through, not even feeling the sand. "Steel Wing!"

Rainbow stared up at the Tornavian as his wings glowed, preparing to give an Iron Defense order. But before she could, Skyler suddenly closed the gap between himself and Tank, smashing his wings into the giant tortoise. "WHOA!" She yelped as Tank was thrown back, "That's fast..." She whispered before smirking, "This is gonna be fun! Stone Edge!"

"Soar!" Tank rolled back to his feet as the jagged rocks appeared around him, swinging his flippers around as the boulders flew through the air.

"Evasive manoeuvres!" Flash yelled as Skyler flew at the rocks while picking up as much speed as he could. To Skyler, it was like time has suddenly stopped, all the rocks now just floating in the same spot. This allowed him to easily evade them, gliding left, right and barrel-rolling to get past every single piece of rubble. To everyone else, it was like Skyler was so fast that he was teleporting between the rocks.

"NO WAY!" Spike cheered when Skyler left the rock cloud completely unscathed.

Mic: "Talk about speed and agility!"

Luna: "That's something Tornavian are known for."

Grand: "Soartoise may find getting even one hit on it trickier than before. But given the damage it's already taken, one hit may be all it takes."

"Take flight!" Rainbow told Tank as he leapt into the air, Skyler keeping up with him as the two began to fly around each other. "Iron Defense!" Tank's shell glowed as the Tornavian got into position around it, Flash smirking.

"Trying to raise your defenses, huh? Well, we'll just have to brake through that defense! Steel Wing!" Skyler's wings glowed as he began to charge at Tank.

"Dodge it!" Tank shifted his position, letting his air push him in another direction, causing Skyler to miss. "Now, Body Slam!" Tank shifted again, ready to slam his shell into him.

"Double Team!" Before Tank could hit him, Skyler suddenly multiplied in to an entire flock of giant birds. The one Tank struck vanished while the others began flying around him. "Steel Wing!" One of the Tornavian hit Tank with a glowing wing, "Again!" Skyler rejoined the flock after the quick blow, circling around Tank again before flying out and striking him in the back. "One more time!"

"Oh, no you don't! Stone Edge!" Tank summoned the rocks again, launched them off in every direction, hitting every single bird. But to Tank's surprise, all the Tornavian vanished.

"Soar?" He blinked as he began to look around.

"ABOVE YOU!" Rainbow yelled, making Tank up look up and see Skyler flying straight down with glowing wings.

"Soar!" he cried as the bird flew past him, slashing him down the chest.

"Now, Aerial Ace!" Skyler continued to fly downward and picked up speed, tucking his wings in as he fell. Then, when he was close to the ground, he shot his wings out, pulling up as he created a black V-shape just above the ground, the wind from it blowing the sand away from the spot the V's tip was.

"Hurricane!" Tank pointed his vents straight at Skyler and spun his flippers again, creating another tornado that the Tornavian flew into. He was barely slowed down, but the microsecond longer it took to reach Tank gave him just enough time to spin around, letting Skyler slam into his shell.

"Tore!" He cried while ricocheting off, Tank spinning around to slap him in the face. "Navian!" He fell back, barely able to flare his wings to keep himself airborne.

"You got this Skyler!" Flash yelled.

"You got nothing!" Rainbow barked back, "Tank, Stone Edge!" The Soartoise roared as the jagged rocks once again appeared, all ready to hit Skyler.

Flash saw this and rubbed the sides of his head, "Come on...think! That Hurricane attack is my biggest issue. Even if it's not by much, it's still slowing us down. But how am I supposed to...THAT'S IT!" Skyler prepared to evade the rocks as Tank began to fire them. "Skyler, stay where you are and hit those rocks back with Steel Wing!"

"Tore?" Skyler yelped, turning back to see Flash nodding. Skyler smiled before turning back to the incoming rocks, his wings starting to glow. "TORNAVIAN!" He roared as he started smashing the rocks, sending them flying back. Some slammed into more oncoming rocks, but others flew past them and headed straight for Tank.

"Soar?" He asked, shock on his face while not having the time to dodge or spin around to use his shell. He began to cry out as the rocks hit him, most knocking off his shell while others slammed into the vents in his body and got stuck in all but two of them.

Mic: "Incredible! Flash was able to knock Rainbow's attack right back at her!"

Grand: "Quick thinking. And it did more than just cause damage!"

"Soartoise!" Tank yelped as he tried to blast air out of his vents, only to find nothing.

"Alright!" Flash yelled as he pointed at Skyler, "Let's finish this with your new move!" Skyler nodded and flew straight up, "Now...TORNADO BURST!"

"TORE!" Skyler began to spin around as the wind wrapped around him, forming a tornado with the tip where his beak was. That tornado arched around as the tip pointed toward Tank, Rainbow going wide-eyed at the oncoming attack.

"You gotta stop it! Use Hurricane!" Tank cried out as he began to spin his fins, attempting to blast the air from his vents. But the rocks continued to block them while the two open vents weren't enough to create the tornado, Rainbow just now noticing this problem. "NO!"

"DO IT!" Flash roared as the tornado exploded, sending Skyler at blinding speed as he slammed into Tank.

"TORE/SOAR!" They both screamed upon the impact, Tank falling back into the ground. His body instantly kicked up a large cloud of sand, the dirty mist soon fading to reveal the Soartoise with spirals in his eyes.

Mic: "Soartoise's KO'd! The winner of the match is Tornavian! All three of Rainbow's Pokémon are unable to continue, so the winner of the match is FLASH SENTRY!"

The crowd exploded with cheers, all applauding the two for such an amazing battle. None were cheering louder then their friends, all proud of both of them despite the outcome. Flash sighed in relief before a wide smile appeared on his lips. "YES!" He exclaimed while his new Tornavian landed in front of him. "Skyler, you were awesome! I can't believe you evolved!"

"Tore!" Skyler squawked with joy while spreading his wings.

At the same time, Rainbow walked up to Tank and patted him on the shell. "What is it with us losing to Tornavian?" She asked before pulling out his Pokeball. She then returned Tank and walked over to Flash, who also returned Skyler. "Well man, you beat me."

"You don't look so sad about that," Flash replied.

"Nah," Rainbow shrugged. "If I had to lose to someone, I'm glad it was you." She held out a hand, Flash taking it. "But now you've gotta win. No way I'm losing to anyone who didn't win the whole tournament."

"Don't worry about it," Flash nodded before looking up at the stands, seeing Lightning standing at the very highest point. Despite being so far away, the two's eyes locked. "I intend too."

Mic: "This was a hard fought battle, but in the end, Flash Sentry claimed victory. Now he'll be joining Lightning Blitz in the final battle to determine the winner of the tournament. Since both trainers have six Pokémon entered, this will be a full Six on Six battle."

Grand: "Twelve Pokémon, two trainers, one battlefield and a million possible outcomes. This is a battle's absolute zenith."

Mic: "Make sure to be here tomorrow as the Hoofington Battle Tournament finally concludes! Later peeps!"

---

A little later...

As the sun began to move toward the horizon, the group was at the Pokémon Center.

"Thank you for waiting," Nurse Redheart announced, "I'm pleased to report all of your Pokémon are completely fighting fit." Flash, Twilight and Rainbow all grabbed their Pokeballs, Flash taking his other ones out and throwing them into the air.

In a colossal burst of light, all of Flash's Pokémon appeared besides Springer. "Alright guys, this is it. We're in the final match and we're up against Lightning." They all growled at this, each seriously pumped for the chance. "I know you're all going to go all out, and that's all I can ask of you. So tomorrow, let's show Lightning why he shouldn't underestimate us!"

"RI/TORE/SPRAN/LEAF/CAR/DRAN!" They all roared while the others watched. They were all excited to see how things were going to work out tomorrow, only for their grins to vanish when the doors opened to show Lightning.

Chimplug was on his shoulder and jumped down the second they entered, the Electric-type smirking at Springer and Riptide. Lightning didn't say anything as he moved over to the counter, giving his thanks to Nurse Redheart before taking his Pokeballs.

He then turned back to Flash, the two locking eyes. Both said nothing, knowing no point in repeating themselves and wasting breath.

"You'd better not chicken out. I can't wait to prove that old geezer wrong and pound your Pokémon into the dirt." Lightning stated before leaving. Chimplug continued to smile at Springer and Riptide until Lightning called for him, the monkey laughing at them before running after his trainer.

"Don't worry, I'll be there." He turned to his team, "And we'll win." His Pokémon all cheered in agreement, the others just watching they continued to cheer. Tomorrow may in fact be the toughest challenge Flash had ever faced, but they all knew he was ready. Everything Flash had been through, every challenge and lesson would be put to the test. As the journey continues.

Author's Note:

Well, it's finally happening. Flash and Lightning will be facing off in a full battle. But let's not forget the awesomeness of this chapter. Skyler evolved. Woo

Comments

[Vakama95096]

Flash will beat Lightning. I just know it!

[Godslittleprincess]

"What?" She looked up, only to go wide-eyed at the sight of Hopper and the mark on his head, "It can't be....can it?"

I think we all had a feeling that this was going to happen. Oh my! Flash parting with Hopper is going hit all the same emotional notes that the Mandalorian parting with the foundling will. I just know it.

Wait. Hold on. Skyler hit his full evolution in this battle. Could it be possible that Riptide is going to hit his final evolution in the next one?

[Banshee531]

10531194 Well let me just say, there will be another evolution before this story comes to an end.

[SuperSonicHeroes]

Oh man, that was epic! Flash did a great job through the entire battle. Also, Skyler evolving into Tornavian to beat Tank was amazing. I was actually half-expecting Skyler would evolve here, since he didn’t evolve against Spitfire. I admit, Rainbow’s line about her and Tank seem to have a problem losing to Tornavian was funny.

Now we move on to the finals. A full team battle of 6 vs 6. Flash vs Lightning. There is a lot riding on this battle. Flash has a promise to keep to Grand and Lightning wants to prove himself right. I really hope Flash manges to pull this off. Ash never beat any of his main rivals in a battle before the League, but I really hope you decide to break that trend here. That way they’ll be tied when they eventually face off in the League. I do not want Lightning to turn into an even more unbearable asshole by winning, or have another ending like the Hoof Cup, or worse, the Kalos League.

Also, we got a brief glimpse of the Dragon Riders that are looking for Hooper. I guess that’s another reason I hope Flash wins. If Hopper needs to leave him for some reason, after they spent the whole story bonding and growing together, at least soften the blow by giving them one more win together. Otherwise it would feel like he’s being kicked while he’s down.

[ArcanaMaverick7]

This whole chapter was awesome! Flash managing to do well with Hopper and Skyler was amazing! Loved how Hopper was able to handle himself, but it seems that the Dragon Trainers will head off to find him soon enough. Probably next story.

As for Skyler, it was awesome to see him evolve in the tournament like that. Love that Mic commented it was the first time it happened.

Now we wait for the first part of the Full Battle. It'll be interesting to see if Flash can actually beat Lightning and show him power isn't true strength.

[SuperSonicHeroes]

This is my favorite battle of the tournament. What is there not to love about it? We finally get a proper Flash and Rainbow rematch, Hopper gets to show off some more awesome skills by beating one of Rainbow's Pokémon and tying with another, Flash reuses one of his most unique strategies from a previous Gym, Skyler fully evolves, and we get some quick foreshadowing that sets up the final arc of this story.