The Beginning of the End
Canterlot City was full of noise and cheers, followed by the puffing sounds of smoke bombs exploding in the sky. The reason for all this commotion was a simple one: The Equestria League was about to begin. Once a year, every year, the strongest trainers of Equestria would gather to compete in the tournament. Only those with at least eight badges would be allowed to enter, with each round whittling down the competition until only one remained, that one being allowed to challenge Equestria's champion, claiming his title should they find a way to defeat him.
Currently, the city was enjoying an exciting little festival as they waited for the tournament to begin. Multiple booths were currently open, owners selling their wares and trinkets to any coming to watch the tournament.
And that was where Spike wanted to be right now, instead being stuck in his backyard, watching as his friend Flash trained with his Pokémon. "Aqua Break and Bone Rush!" Flash yelled as Springer and Riptide charged at each other with their weapons. At the same time, Skyler and Prongs were zipping around the garden. "Energy Ball and Steel Wing!"
"Stag!" Prongs roared as he fired a sphere at Skyler, who swung around and slashed the orb with his wing.
At the same time, Viper and Astro were staring one another down. "You ready?" Flash asked them, the Vipeacon and Galvern nodding. "Then use Flamethrower and Dragon Rage!" Both Pokémon unleashed their differently colored fires, both striking one another and pushing each other back in a perfect balance of power. And when they stopped, Astro huffed and turned to Flash.
"Gal!" He barked, Flash smirking.
"You sure?" Astro nodded, "Then let's do this. Just focus and remember what the Technical Manual said. Control your dragonic power and let it out in a single stream." Astro nodded again and pointed his head up into the air. "Now...Dragon Pulse!"
"Gal!" He opened his mouth as it began to glow, then fired a burst of energy straight up. The energy took the form of a dragon and flew straight up, exploding with enough force to make the trees around them shake. And when the smoke cleared, Astro smiled as his trainer cheered.
"YEAH!" He exclaimed, leaping up before running over to Astro. "You did it!"
"Gal!" Astro cheered while the rest of his Pokémon applauded.
"I knew all that training would pay off." In that moment, he heard clapping and turned to see Twilight standing by the back door, having watched Astro's newest attack.
"You did it," she commented, "Great work."
"Thanks," Flash replied while rubbing the back of his head. "But Astro's the one who did all the hard work."
Twilight nodded as she walked into the garden. "Still, that's gonna come in real handy during the tournament." Flash nodded back while Spike picked himself up.
"Come on guys, don't you think you've trained enough?! Why don't we go check out the festival?!" Twilight turned to Flash and saw a frown on his face, only to give him a smile.
"I think Spike's right. If you train to much, you're gonna be exhausted by the time the tournament begins and that'll make it all a waste."
Flash glanced back to his team, all showing signs they were tired and let out a sigh, "Alright." Spike let out a cheer as Flash returned all but Springer before the three headed off. And as they made their way through Twilight's house, they walked out of the backdoor just in time to see Doc walking up the street.
"Hey!" He waved, "You guys heading out?"
"Yeah!" Spike nodded excitedly, "we're gonna go check out the League's festival! You in?"
Doc had been spending the last few days since their arrival in Canterlot conversing with some of his workers back in Trottingham. Once the tournament was over, he would be relocating there to run his gym and factories, but until then, he had been telling the higher-ups that had been running the factories everything he had learned during his travels and what he intended to implement once he got back.
"Sure," Doc replied, "I could use a break. What do you wanna check out first?"
"Let's just look around and see what they have," Twilight responded as they began to walk into the city, now spotting several trainers with their Pokémon that were showing off their badges to one another.
"And this one I got from the Fillydelphia Gym," a boy told a girl. "Thorax's Kingsect was tough, but my Magby was able to take it down."
"I won this one from the Baltimare Gym," a girl told her friend. "My Lapras walked through all of Maud's Pokémon."
"Wow," Spike whistled, "There are a lot of trainers here."
"They've all come to prove themselves," Twilight commented, "But in the end, only one's gonna have the chance to face off against Shining."
They then reached a more crowded area, now seeing many people playing games and eating food. Flash and his friends were amazed as the amount of people, more they had ever seen compared to any event from before. "Amazing..." Flash whispered, only for a voice to ring out behind them.
The group turned to see Sunset running up to them, "Guys!" They all smiled at her as she reached them, "Glad I ran into you before you got into the crowd."
"You wanna join us?" Twilight asked, Sunset nodding, "We figured you'd be with Celestia or Luna."
"They left the lab earlier," Sunset replied, "I'm not sure for what though."
"Flash!" They spun around again, now seeing Rainbow and Fluttershy walking up to them, "You're here! Nice!"
"You know it!" Flash and Rainbow high-fived while Fluttershy greeted the others. "I'm guessing that means you're competing?"
"You have to ask?" Rainbow laughed before taking out her badge case, "Check it out." She opened the case and showed off eight badges, the last being the Cloudsdale City's Flight Badge.
"You beat Spitfire?"
"You bet. It wasn't easy, but I managed to pull it off."
"Nice."
"Hey ya'll!" They turned around again as another voice rang out, now seeing Applejack and Rarity. "Ah was hopin' ta see ya'll here."
"It's great to see you all again darlings," Rarity added, "It feels like only yesterday that we were all together last, standing in that snowy field, doing battle against that monster."
They all nodded, the group now glancing around to see if they could find anyone else they knew. The group then spotted Pinkie Pie and Trixie, the magician and her Pokémon performing a magic act while Pinkie was making a bunch of balloon animals for the little kids. Trixie was the first to spot them and smiled with a wave, but kept doing her magic show while Pinkie ran over to them.
"Guys!" She exclaimed while jumping up and down, "Whee!" She sprinted over to the group, bouncing on her feet like they were made of jelly. "YAY! You're all here!"
"You doubted us?" Rainbow asked, "Of course we're here! There's no place else we should be at this time of year!"
"This is certainly going to be an interesting competition," Fluttershy chimed in, "Every trainer here has their own version of strength, formed from the many adventures they've had since the start of their journeys." They all nodded in agreement, now making their way through the town while telling each other about what they had been up to since they last saw one another.
"You fought another Legendary?" Rainbow gasped, getting a nod from Flash. "No way."
"It's true," Twilight sighed, "And I can tell you that it wasn't an easy fight. He barely managed to beat that thing. I can't believe how many we've ran into over this trip..."
Flash grimaced at this, "Yeah...and I wasn't the only one that beat it. There was someone else with me that...helped me get close enough to land the finishing blow."
"Who?" Pinkie asked, Flash flinching at the question. That is, till he looked back at the crowd...and saw the person in question.
"Him." Everyone turned to see Lightning Blitz, standing in the middle of the street eating an ice cream while listening to his music. He didn't notice them, now disappearing into the crowd as the others went slack-jawed.
"You can't be serious," Rainbow added, Flash shrugging as the others nodded.
"It's true," Twilight sighed.
"I know it's hard to believe," Doc continued, "But it's true." The others then asked if they were lying, but the four went into more detail about their adventures in Horizon City. As they did this, they reached the main road of Canterlot, now seeing a massive wall of people standing on the very edge of the pavement.
"What's going on here?" Twilight asked as they tried to walk through the crowd, only to glance down at the road.
"A parade!" Pinkie cheered as they watched multiple Pokémon-themed floats drive past them. Some were of different Pokémon families, including one with all three Equestrian starter evolutions. Between the floats were a bunch of performers, including fire dancers that were spinning burning sticks around alongside some Alolan Marowak, a dance team of Galarian Mr. Mime and Mr. Rime, and even a bunch of people dressed like every single member of the Pikachu club.
"Awesome!" Spike added, all now watching the parade with wonder in their eyes. It continued for another thirty minutes, then began to peter out. But despite the floats growing less extravagant and the performers being less epic, the people remained on the side.
"Here he comes!" A man told a kid on his shoulders, "Watch closely or you won't see the flame."
"What flame?" Flash asked, only to see a bus slowly rolling up the street. And running ahead of it was an athletic man wearing a white shirt and running shorts. In his hand, he was holding a large bronze torch that had a burning flame in the basin. For some strange reason, simply looking at the fire made a strange feeling wash over Flash. Even though it was far away, he could feel its warmth. And glancing at the others, he saw they seemed to have the same expression he wore.
The torch-bearer ran past them next, Rainbow asking the question everyone was wondering. "What's so special about that flame?"
Twilight smiled at this, "It's special because it's said to be the flame of every Legendary Fire-type. Moltres, Ho-Oh, Groudon, Heatran, Reshiram, Victini, Volcarona and who knows what else. The chairman of the Pokémon League is said to have collected those flames and kept them burning for decades. And that flames was used by lighting a torch with all of them."
"It's the symbol of the league," Doc continued, "The flame is placed in a large pot and continues to burn until the final day of the tournament, when it's extinguished."
"Wow..." Flash whispered, "A flame made from every legendary Fire-type in existence. Imagine the power it must have."
"Ri," Springer nodded from on Flash's shoulder.
And as the bus drove passed, people started cheering as they saw atop the bus the champion, Shining Armor. Cadance, Celestia and Luna were sitting on seats behind him, the Champion of Equestria standing proud with his coat flapping in the wind as his arms were crossed. He smiled at the crowd, but also had a air of seriousness around him, all trainers knowing he was sending a message without saying a word.
I intend to be standing here next year. Think you can change my plans?
As the bus passed them, the people behind it started following it, Flash and his friends doing the same. They followed it to another part of the city, now seeing a building on a flat outcrop of a mountain overlooking the city. The sections of the city right next to the wall of this mountain were a bunch of houses, storage facilities and even an airport. But in the very center of the wall, there was a gated off area that was only open at one particular time of year. The League.
Beyond the gates was a section of land with two areas. The first was a large train station, which had a monorail that seemed to lead up the mountain. The next was a flight of stairs, leading up to a large plateau that was located in front of a massive door built into the side of the mountain.
The bus stopped at the front of the stairs as the torch-bearer ran up them while the people of Equestria gathered around the plateau. Flash looked around and spotted several trainers he knew from his journey, now seeing Heath Burns, Vinyl Scratch, Micro Chips, Sandalwood and even Spark Plug.
Shining and the professors stepped off the bus, along with a man that looked like santa who was wearing a red jumper and a blue baseball cap. They headed up the staircase, now reaching the top, where the torch-bearer was standing in front of a giant bronze bowl. The man held the torch out and Shining took it, a smile on his lips as he said something to the man they couldn't hear. The man walked away as Shining turned to the crowd while holding up the torch.
"Let the lighting of this mighty flame signify the start of the greatest Equestria League of its history! Let the flames light a fire in your soul and push you past your limits!" With that, he turned to the bowl and placed the tip of the torch inside. A moment later, the flames spread inside the bowl and he pulled his arm away before a mighty fire filled it.
The people cheered at the sight as a bunch of Flying-types were suddenly unleashed. Each one grabbed a strong rope and began pulling the bowl into the air, lifting it higher.
"Where are they taking it?" Rainbow asked, Twilight giving her a chuckle as she took out her journal. A moment later, she showed them all an image on the screen. It was a mountain top, which was completely flat, and had a giant stadium located on it. The stadium looked large enough to fit a small town within it, and outside the stadium were several smaller domes connected to it by tube-like hallways.
"This is Canterlot Stadium. It's where the league is being held. I think this is the eighth stadium to be built since the League started being held here."
She would have said more, but the santa lookalike then spoke up, "All trainers registered for the league, make sure you are here by noon tomorrow for the first round of the tournament. Anyone not standing atop this platform by then will be disqualified!"
With that, the man walked away and the people started to disperse. "So we've gotta be here for the first round?" Flash asked, "I wonder why."
"It's possible they'll bring you all up together," Rarity replied, "Give you some kind of grand entrance to celebrate getting into the league."
"I doubt it," Doc shook his head, "Its probably for some other reason."
They all then began to make their way out of the gated area, only for another voice to ring out, "Well, well, well. Long time no see." They all spun around and went wide-eyed.
It was Timber Spruce, looking exactly the same as he had the last time they all saw him, smiling at the group as Gloriosa Daisy appeared behind him. "It's so good to see you all," she stated, "I'm glad to see you all managed to make it here."
"We're glad to see you too...." Twilight replied while Flash glared at Timber, only for Twilight to ask, "Does this mean what I think it means?"
"Yup," Timber gave her a smirk as he flicked the front of his hair out of his eyes, "I'm competing in the league. Managed to get all eight badges no problem. Didn't lose a single battle, and heck, didn't even lose a single Pokémon in some of them. I guess I'm just that good."
"Well don't go getting to overconfident. All the trainers here managed to win at least eight gym badges." Flash instantly responded.
"Maybe," Timber chuckled, "But I bet they didn't make winning look as good as I did. This league's gonna be a piece of cake. I'm gonna end up steamrolling through the tournament without a problem."
"Oh please." Another voice said, all turning to see someone no one was smiling about, It was Lightning, who was now ice cream-less and had his headphones down. "Talking like that's just begging to be beaten before the tournaments even gotten started. Not like you'll win anyways."
"Really?" Flash asked, "I seem to remember you saying something very similar...every single time I've met you."
The others nodded with smirks as Lightning just rolled his eyes. "And I meant every word of it. There's a difference between over-exaggerating and telling the truth. Besides, just because I said that doesn't mean I don't take any opponent seriously. Even the weakest trainer in the world could win against a real trainer if their opponent underestimated them enough to allow them a lucky shot. I made that mistake once before and I don't intend to make it again."
Flash went wide-eyed at those words, only for Lightning to add, "But that means nothing to me. Unlike you losers, I'm serious. I will win, so I suggest you all just give up and go home. None of you are real trainers anyways."
"Hey! You take that back!" Rainbow barked. "We're all trainers and we deserve to be here!"
"No, you don't." Lightning replied before turning around, "Later losers."
He began to walk off, Rainbow growling at the sight, "That jerk..."
"But he is right," Doc sighed, "This tournament isn't something to take lightly. You only have one chance in this tournament. One false move and all your dreams will go up in smoke."
"Nah," Timber instantly responded, "That guy's just being over-dramatic. This tournament will be a cake walk. You'll see." With that, he walked ahead before turning to the others. "Come on. Let's enjoy ourselves a bit more before we have to rest up for the night."
Everyone nodded in agreement before grabbing something to eat and drink, some enjoying the many games and booths set up there. But as they did, they heard someone speak up. "Look!"
They turned to see a pair of individuals, Ember and Thorax, the two Gym Leaders conversing about something as they walked. "Guys!" Spike ran up, catching the pair's attention.
"Hey shrimp," Ember chuckled as Thorax smiled.
"Good to see you again Spike. You doing well?"
"I'm doing great," Spike replied, "Since when have you two been friends?"
"Well, we of course met in the Crystal Empire," Thorax responded, "Then after that, we just kept conversing with one another over the phone. Turns out, we have a lot in common."
Ember nodded, then noticed Flash and smirked, "Well, if it isn't my first challenger." She pointed at Flash, "You better not embarrass yourself. The whole of Dragonia's gonna be watching, and you looking like an idiot will make me look bad for losing to you."
"Geez, no pressure." Flash chuckled, Ember laughing before she and Thorax left the group, who quickly found out they weren't the only Gym Leaders in Canterlot. Pinkie soon spotted Maud and ran over to give her a massive hug, Maud responding by patting the girl on the head.
After that, they ran into a pair of Gym Leaders that Flash didn't know but Rainbow and Applejack appeared to recognize, the pair talking to them as the others enjoyed more of the festival. Tidal then appeared, looking as cheerful as he always did and giving them all a heart-filled hug. Granny Smith showed up next, with Apple Bloom and Big Mac. The girl raced over to her sister, the pair hugging one another tightly as Braeburn also appeared and greeted his extended family with a happy smile. Finally, Spitfire made herself known, Rainbow happy to see her, but didn't treat it like a big event. Fluttershy explained that Spitfire had flown the pair here after Rainbow won her badge, making them all understand.
Over the next few hours, the trainers, Gym Leaders and their Pokémon all enjoyed themselves. And as the day continued to march on, the festival grew more intense, only for the sun to go down and fireworks filled the sky. Everyone was in awe at the sight, all happy they got to see it.
But after this, they decided to head to their chosen places of rest to get a good night's sleep. Many of the trainers had been given free accommodation once they registered, though Flash hadn't needed this. Twilight's parents had invited him and Doc to stay while the tournament was in full swing, something Flash was more then happy to accept.
The four and Twilight's parents were soon in the living room, all enjoying some hot chocolate and laughing as the four travelers told the two about their adventures. This had turned into a bit of a ritual since arriving in Canterlot, the four explaining everything they had gone through since Flash, Twilight and Spike left the city.
"You really thought he was dead?" Night Light asked as they told him about their journey through the Ghastly Gorge and how they met Solid Stone. They all nodded and he let out a laugh, "I'm sure that must have been a big surprise."
They nodded in agreement, as Velvet took a sip from her cup. "It's still hard to believe you four have been through so much since you left. But I can tell just by looking at you that you've all changed. Both mentally and physically." She reached over and poked Twilight's arm, making her go ow as she laughed. "You're no longer my noodley armed daughter."
This caused everyone to laugh, but also take a closer look at Twilight's arms. She had put on a bit of muscle since she had left, enough to show she was physically fit. And she wasn't the only one. The months of travelling over different difficult terrains had morphed the four into strong young individuals that could probably run a marathon without much issues. And as much as they had grown psychically, mentally they had grown a hundred times more.
"You've all got this air of maturity to you," Night Light added, "When I'm looking at you three, I'm not seeing a bunch of kids. I'm seeing a group of well rounded adults that are ready to take on the world." They all smiled, "But don't think you've reached the pinnacle of maturity. There's always room to grow."
It was here they all finished off their coco. And when that was done, they all headed off to bed. Tomorrow would be a big day, and not just for Flash.
Meanwhile...
Up atop the mountain that housed the large stadium, Shining Armor was sitting in one of the seats of the massive colosseum. He was staring at the battlefield, the same battlefield he had once stood upon. Memories of his battle with Grand Hoof flowed through his mind, remembering just how excited, nervous and overjoyed he had been in that battle. For the past six years, he had managed to defend his title as champion, now wondering if he would be able to defend a seventh time.
"Looking forward to seeing who you'll be facing?" Shining turned to see the man he had stolen the championship from. Grand Hoof smiled at the younger man, Shining nodding back as Grand sat down beside him. "You do this every time the league is about to begin?"
"No..." Shining replied, "This is the first time." He then heard Grand chuckle, "You think that's funny?"
"A little. I did the same thing before the League that you beat me in." Shining raised an eyebrow at this, Grand now turning to stare at the battlefield. "I held my title for ten years, and planned to hold it another year, but before that contest began...I got a strange feeling. I came out here and sat down to stare at the battlefield....and the strangest feeling came over me. I...I felt it would be the last time I did so as a champion."
"And you think I'm the same?" Shining asked, "You think I'm gonna lose to whoever wins the league?"
Grand chuckled again, "Every champion's reign has a time limit. How long that limit is depends on you and your opponent. But we both know a lot of the trainers that are competing this year are some of the best Equestria has seen in a long time. When you started making the rounds during the Gym Challenge, I heard a lot about you. And when I met you, I knew you were someone who had the potential to defeat me." He got up out of his chair, "We both know there are trainers in this tournament with that same potential."
Shining nodded as he stood up, "You're talking about Flash." But Grand didn't reply, making Shining go wide-eyed, "Wait...you don't mean Lightning, do you?" Grand glanced away at this, Shining then adding, "Grand...Cadance told me about Lightning. He-"
"Honestly...I don't know." Grand interrupted, "I'm...I'm afraid about this competition." He turned back to Shining, "I don't know how this will go. It's possible Flash and Lightning could both be defeated in the first round...or either could be your opponent. And even if they fall, that doesn't mean your rule is safe. There are others with just as much skill and ability this time. Only one thing is absolutely guaranteed." He looked back at the field, "This Equestria League is gonna be one for the ages."
Shining followed his gaze, both now staring at the battlefield, knowing what this all meant. "Well if they wanna beat me, they'd better be ready for the battle of their lives." Shining took out a Pokeball, "Cause I'm not going down without a fight."
At the same time, Celestia, Luna, and Cadance were all together at the first's lab. The three were sitting around a table covered in multiple folders, all of them containing details on everything the three had been studying over the last year, a good chunk of it being what Cadance had managed to retrieve from the Crystal Empire.
"It's gonna take a year just to go over all this," Luna sighed as she picked up a folder.
Celestia let out a chuckle, "It's certainly been an interesting year to say the least." She turned to her sister and former apprentice, "Look at everything that's happened since the last league. Twilight went out on her journey. I got a new assistant. Cadance found the Crystal Empire she's been searching for since she was a child..."
"Only because I was being helped by an evil organization," Cadance pointed out. "And my research was being used to help them try and achieve their wicked goals. That kinda takes out a bit of the thrill of discovery."
"What happened can't be helped," Luna told her, "What matters now is trying to find a way to make some good out of the bad. Team Shadow might have helped you find the city, but you were the one that did all the hard work. You shouldn't be any less proud of that."
Cadance nodded as Celestia picked up another folder, "And now Equestria has a new city it can look forward to one day making a true member of the Region. Heck, maybe one day it'll be allowed to house the Equestria League instead of Canterlot. Had history played out differently, it would have from the start."
"Maybe...but we've still got a long way to go before that can happen. I have a lot of work to do to get the city integrated with Equestria. And I may need some help with it."
"Maybe Twilight could help," Luna chimed in, "I'm sure she'd be happy to lend you a hand and it might be a good experience for her."
"True," Celestia nodded, "I haven't considered what she would likely do once the Equestria League is over. Her journey has pretty much come to an end, but her adventure has only just begun."
"I might have another idea if she's not interested in helping with the Crystal Empire," Luna responded, "Ever heard of Project Mew?"
Celestia and Cadance's eyes went wide, "You want Twilight to become a chaser?"
Luna shrugged, "I don't think it's a bad idea. She's grown a lot since I first met her, and I think she'd be up for the task. She'd be able to travel to multiple different area and perform tasks that could help the world and the scientific community. I think it's something you should at least consider suggesting to her."
Celestia sat back at this, rubbing her chin in thought. Cadance watched this, now thinking about her own time with Twilight while she was on her journey, seeing how the girl had changed. They then glanced at each other, almost reading each others' thoughts as one thing came to their mind: They would need to ask her first.
Back at Twilight house, Flash was fast asleep on the floor of Spike's room.
Or at least, he was trying to sleep. But no matter how much he moved around or got comfortable, he couldn't seem to drift off. The constant snoring of Spike, Springer and Peewee filled the air, Flash letting out a sigh as he tried to drift off. And as he did this, he soon gave up and decided to carefully get up and slowly leave the room. Grabbing his jacket, he headed downstairs, quietly moving through the living room where Doc was sleeping on the couch and heading out the doorway.
Once out, he simply stood there for a moment and looked up at the sky. He stayed still, trying to think of something to do, unable to think of anything as he just stood there.
"Can't sleep?" Flash jumped and spun around, seeing Twilight standing by the door with a smile on her lips.
"Yeah," Flash nodded, "I guess I'm just too excited to get any sleep."
"You're probably not the only one." Twilight responded while walking up to him, "I bet everyone competing in the league is just as nervous and excited." Flash nodded and the pair stood there for a moment, only for Twilight to ask, "Why don't we go for a walk? It might clear your head and help you walk off all that excitement."
"Sure." Flash replied as the pair began to make there way down the dark street through the city.
They walked in silence, but it was a comfortable silence.
At the same time, Lightning Blitz was standing on the battlefield of one of the city's Pokémon Centers. Standing in front of him were all six of his Pokémon, the strongest ones he had found throughout his journey and had all been trained to the very limit.
"Listen up," Lightning hissed, "This is it. Everything we've done up until this moment has been for this." He started walking along their line, the group standing to attention, "I picked you all because you're the strongest Pokémon I found. And so far, none of you have made me regret considering you that." The six knew that was the closest they would likely get to a complement. "And now it's time to prove to the world that we're the strongest around."
"Gore!" Gorillamp roared, beating his chest as the rest roared in agreement.
That is, till Lightning glared at them, making them go silent. "I won't allow failure. All that's left is to show everyone the power I have obtained! The power of a true trainer!" The group nodded back before he turned around, now staring up at the sky, "This is it...I'll show that old geezer I'm right. I'll make Shining Armor pay for what he did to my family by showing them all what a true champion is!"
Twilight and Flash continued their nighttime stroll, the light of the streetlamps being the only thing illuminating the pair. They were still in comfortable silence, though both were wondering what words they should say. That is, till Twilight spoke up, "Are you sure you're okay? I know you're probably a little nervous."
"More than a little," Flash slowly replied, "But...I'm not gonna let that stop me. If I let my nerves get the better of me after everything I've been through, then I wouldn't deserve to stand in the Equestria League. I'm gonna go out there tomorrow and give it everything I've got. And no matter who I'm up against, I'll fight them like I would against any Gym Leader. Because Lightning was right."
"He is?!" Twilight went wide-eyed.
"I can't get overconfident. If I do, I'll just be asking to get taken down. I've gotta think ahead, plan and counter anything that's thrown at me instead of just powering through like I used to. I mean, this is the big leagues." As he said this, he heard a giggle, making him turn to the girl, "What?"
"Nothing," she chuckled, "It's just...I remember when we first met that you hated making battle plans. What was that saying your grandmother said? 'Make a plan, execute the plan, expect the plan to go wrong, throw away the plan.' And then you said that the easiest way to throw a plan away is to never have one to begin with."
Flash slightly blushed as he glanced away, "Well...I've grown up a lot since then. Getting your butt routinely handed to you tends to make that happen." Twilight laughed again and nodded, the pair arriving at a nearby park. "But..." He slowly glanced over at her, "I uh...I doubt I would have grown as much as I have if I didn't have you there to help teach me." Twilight saw this as Flash added, "So...thanks."
Those words made her cheeks turn the slightest tinge of red before she replied, "You're welcome. And um..." She glanced away at this, "Thanks. You also taught me just as much as I taught you."
"Really? I thought you caught onto battling really easily. Like, I was done teaching you in like the first two weeks."
Twilight giggled again, "I guess that's true." She then looked up at the skies, the park's dim lights allowing the stars to become visible. "But its more than that. I used to think that simply reading about something could make you an expert. It wasn't until Celestia made me travel with you that I realized that not everything could be learned from a book. Only real world experience can make what a person learns from books worth knowing."
Flash nodded back as they walked up to a fountain, a Seaking statue atop it that was shooting water out of its mouth. And as they went up to it, they both thought back to all the adventures they had had together since meeting at Celestia's Research Lab. They hadn't always gotten along, Twilight yelling at Flash for falling asleep in her lectures, and Twilight constantly freezing up when Flash tried to tell her to improvise in battles. But despite this, their friendship had grown.
And as they sat down at the fountain, a night-time groundskeeper strolled by pushing a cart with a radio. He came to a stop, now working on a flowerbed as a certain song began to play. The pair listened to the lyrics and smiled, having a light feeling that whoever played it had done so especially for the pair to listen to.
But as they listened, Twilight suddenly started wearing a frown. "What's wrong?"
Twilight glanced over at him, an unsure expression appearing on his lips. "If...if you lose the league, what'll you do then?" Flash's eyes went wide at this, blinking at her as he glanced away.
"That's...a good question." he replied, his mind now going back over his entire journey with the goal of winning the Equestria League. He had stumbled several times, often wondering if he could possibly accomplish that goal...but the idea of what he would do if he lost had never occurred to him. "I...I don't know. I never really thought about it."
"Me neither," Twilight sighed as the song came to an end. "Not until now anyway." She stood up at this before slowly turning to him, "Will you attempt the league again?"
"I'm not sure. I mean...I used the badges for the register, so I would have to collect another eight badges from around Equestria again if I fail..."
Twilight grimaced at this, "Honestly, I don't think you could learn anything else from training in Equestria again." Flash glanced up at her, "It's like dad said: There's always room to grow, and I still think you have a lot to learn. But unless you become Champion, you probably won't be able to learn anything else here in Equestria."
"Yeah," Flash nodded before standing up, "You're right."
"So what'll you do?" Twilight asked, "Go to another region?"
"Maybe," Flash shrugged, "I've heard that Sinnoh and Kalos are nice regions to visit."
"But you'd be on your own," Twilight pointed out, "I mean...Doc's heading back to Trottingham and...and I've got my work with Professor Celestia. She might have been fine with me travelling around Equestria, but I don't think she'd let me travel to another Region. That means Spike would also have to stay here. You'd be all alone."
"Huh." Flash muttered, crossing his arms, "I guess I would be. Though I'd still have Springer and all my other Pokémon."
Twilight nodded. "Do you think you would find someone else to travel with?"
"I guess I could," Flash responded, only to smirk at her, "But I don't think it'll be that easy. Friends like you guys aren't so easily replaced."
Twilight chuckled at this, only to frown, "Even so, we might not get to see each other again for a really long time."
Now Flash frowned, glancing away again, "Yeah...maybe." Twilight flinched as tears began an escape attempt from her eyes, "But that doesn't mean we'll stop being friends, right?" Twilight looked up at him and nodded, Flash giving her a warm smile. "It doesn't matter how far we are apart, we'll always be connected. After everything we've done together, how could we not be?" He placed a hand on Twilight's shoulder, "And it's not like I'll never see you again. We can talk on the phone and I'll come back whenever I can. Besides, I'll need someone I trust to look after all the new Pokémon I'd catch in those regions."
Twilight laughed at this, rubbing her eyes behind her glasses to get rid of the tears. "Always looking on the bright side."
Flash gave her another smirk before looking away. "But you know what, I'm not gonna need to go to another region." He looked up at the sky, "Because I'm gonna win the Equestria League." He continued to stare up at the sky, at the many stars that filled it. In that moment, eight particular stars seemed to shined extra brightly, making Flash remember something.
Twilight watched as Flash took out his badge case and opened it up, "What is it?"
"Its everything." Flash showed her the case, "Each of these badges is a memory. Proof that I can do anything and beat anyone as long as my Pokémon and I trust in one another and give it our all."
The Gear Badge, Springer using a Force Palm to fire an Aura Sphere into Tockwork. The Swarm Badge, Viper unleashing a Flamethrower onto Kingsect. The Geode Badge, Riptide leaping into the air and slamming Spikorn with a Rock Smash. The Harvest Badge, Skyler dive-bombing at Timbark and using Aerial Ace to take it down. The Dust Badge, Prongs and Stampalo slamming into one another to create a massive dust cloud. The Flight Badge, Hopper using Dragon Tail to smash Wondor into the ground. The Tsunami Badge, Riptide slashing at Leviapent with his Aqua Break. And the Sceptre Badge, Astro and Champagoon clashing their Dragon Claw and Wyvern Wing attacks against one another.
Those were only some of the moments of his journey that stood out, but there were still so many more. Everything from the day he first entered Canterlot to right now, had shaped him into the trainer he was today. The trainer that would win the Equestria League and become champion.
Twilight watched as he shut his case and smiled at her, "I'm gonna win the league. Even if it seems impossible, I know I can do it. Because I have the best Pokémon in the world on my side, and the best friends cheering me on."
Hearing this made Twilight's heart swell, the teen smiling back as the blush on her face returned. She brushed her hair away from her face and nodded, believing every word he had said. The two then decided to head home, their excitement, nerves and stress both vanishing after their conversation. All they could do now was focus on the present. If they needed to plan for the future, they would do so after they knew what path their lives would lead.
The next day...
Canterlot was once again in an uproar as the citizens and visitors of the city waited anxiously for the tournament to begin. Up atop the mountain, inside the giant stadium that was built upon it, many people who had managed to get seats were now waiting, including Twilight, Spike, Doc, Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie and Gloriosa, all who were sitting in the stands along with others such as Octavia, Derpy and so many more.
Up in one of the boxes, the gym leaders Flash had faced were all gathered. There were a few other gym leaders there, but others were also located in other boxes. The eight Flash had faced were all sitting together, each familiar with one another thanks to their meeting during the Team Shadow incident.
Celestia, Luna and Cadance were in another box, the three planning to act as the announcers along with the pro. And nearby on a large couch beside a santa-lookalike, was Shining Armor. The champion sat dignified, but was actually excited about how this tournament would turn out.
The stadium's ruckus was then broken by the sound of a familiar voice. "WHAT IS UP MY POKE-FANS?!" Present Mic exclaimed as he suddenly appeared in the center of the stadium. Everyone went silent as they stared down at him, "Welcome to the two hundred and eighteenth Equestria League tournament! I don't know about you all, but I think we're in for a seriously rocking ride! WHO'S WITH ME?!"
The crowed cheered and yelled in agreement, Mic rocking his head up and down. He then pointed to a large screen located on a back wall. "Why don't we take a look at the trainers that will be attempting to dethrone our beloved champion this year?!" The screen switched on to reveal an image being taken by a Rotom Drone, the image now showing the plateau at the base of the mountain.
On the plateau, all the trainers were gathered there. They had all been told to come here at this exact time, now all waiting, Flash standing beside Springer. He stared around, now seeing both trainers he did and didn't recognize. Rainbow Dash and Applejack were conversing while Trixie was talking to Cedar and Bulk Biceps was showing off his muscles to Micro Chips and Sandalwood. Sugarcoat was there, talking to a yellow skinned girl with hair that was different shades of blue that was wearing shades on her head. Spark Plug was talking to a trainer Flash didn't know, while Vinyl and Heath were also chatting. Flash also spotted Timber, chatting away to a girl who was blushing before noticing Thunderbass and Sweet Dreams also conversing. Inky Rose was also there, standing alone.
Then Flash's eyes landed on Lightning, who was also standing alone. To most people, Lightning would appear to be his normal moody self. But Flash saw something in his eyes. Something he never thought he would see from Lightning: Excitement.
In that moment, a voice echoed out from the speakers, "ALRIGHT TRAINERS!" Present Mic exclaimed, "IT'S TIME FOR YOU TO SHOW THE WORLD WHICH OF YOU IS THE BEST OF THE BEST! DON'T GO GIVING US ANY LESS THEN YOUR ALL!"
With that, the sound cut out before a new sound filled the air. Everyone turned to the giant doors built into the side of the mountain, both opening as the trainers began to walk up to it. None knew what laid beyond those doors, but they knew that whatever was awaiting them was something only the strongest trainers could overcome.
Everything came down to this. Everything they had experienced. Every challenge they had faced. Every lesson they had learned. It would all be put to the test. As the journey...continues.
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I kind of want Timber to win, if for no other reason then for something actually interesting as if Flash wins, it would be extremely predictable, if Lightning wins, it goes against everything the series has done.
Although it would be nice that in between rounds, before Flash faces Lightning, Timber of all characters pulls Flash aside and points out that Flash should be doing better, but it clear Flash hasn't planned a damned thing and while winging it has worked so far, Flash needs to actually use the knowledge he collected and make a real plan, because Lightning is not screwing around and seems to have a plan for every move of each of the others he has faced.
But a nice start.
11024067 You know, I'm really starting to get annoyed with you saying that. How do you know Flash hasn't planned for anything. You don't see every moment of his life, so how can you be sure. Besides, how is Flash supposed to plan for what's coming next when he doesn't know what's coming. Tell you what, why don't you make a plan for what's about to happen using Flash's Pokemon. We'll see how well it holds up.
So sad, but every story needs to end, but always there is a hope in the new generation of trainers, like Spike, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, Sweetie Bell and other children who will grow to be very skilled trainers.
11024069
I can't, I can only go by what you either show or tell, with what ever you show trumping whatever you tell if there is an apparent contradiction between the two. And going of what has been shown, Flash doesn't plan, or if he does, not that far ahead, seriously who elects to challenge a dragon gym and not have at least one Pokemon that is either pure fairy or at least dual type with Fairy as the second type?
I will grant I can't be sure, but I can only infer base off what you provide and what you provide don't help your case.
It's actually a simple process and its routed in pattern recongiziton.
1) List the other trainers competing in the league,
2) List the Pokemon that Flash knows that they have and assume that all Pokemon are fully evolved
3) List the moves each of the Pokemon can learn,
4) Cross out moves that the other trainers have never called the pokemon to use (since Pokemon can only use four moves)
5)List Flash's Pokemon
6) Research how each move would effect each member of team
7) Look back on how the other trainers used their Pokemon in the past
8) List the moves his team knows
9) List how the moves affect the other Pokemon
10) Arrange his team according to each of his opponents
11)Write down each arrangement on different flash cards
12) Keep the cards and once he knows who he's facing review
It might not solve every problem or for every trainer (given that he hasn't face Timber in a while), but its something to work from.
That's your job, if you don't like the critique of how Flash comes off as some one that doesn't seriously plan, maybe you should revisit how Flash is being shown, instead of blaming the reader for the inferences the reader makes based off what you show.
Yeah those 4 really "evolved" during this adventure.
11024069
Well, you got a few options to address that.
You can either 1) block me, 2) Delete my comments, 3) defend your authorial choices via responses in the comment section, 4) continue to ignore my critiques or 5) address them head on in the story, without strawmanning them.
Given your skills as a writer, I presume that option number 5 would be easier than a cake walk.
11024081
Maybe. But let's not get our hopes up
This is it. The Pokémon League has finally begun. This won’t be easy for Flash.
Kinda funny. I was thinking to myself for the last week during the build up to this chapter that since it is the start of the final arc it will be “the beginning of the end”, then it turns out that is the actual title of the chapter. Banshee you are reading my mind!
This is it. This is what everything has built up to. It was pretty cool to see so many characters we recognize all together. Only 16 of them will qualify for the official League though, so they are going to have to thin the herd.
The scene with Flash and Twilight walking together at night was really cute. It also kinda hit me in the feels when they discussed what Flash might do if he loses the League. I guess it was inevitable that the group would split up after the journey ended, but hopefully they can stay together a bit longer if Flash wins.
Oh please! If that isn’t a bold faced lie then I’m the king of Great Britain! As much as I hate to admit it, Lightning is right about one thing, overconfidence can lead to someone’s downfall in a tournament as big as this. I bet Timber will demonstrate that himself, and probably lose his very first battle after boasting how easy it will be. Of course Lightning is filled with overconfidence himself, but he’ll be saved for later.
Not a bad idea. It seems like Sinnoh and Kalos are often considered the two best regions, in no small part due to how great their anime seasons were (except for how their respective Leagues ended but that’s beside the point).
I actually kinda hope Flash and Sugarcoat will get a chance to have their tie-breaking match at some point. I really liked the chapter where Sugarcoat first appeared and it would be slightly disappointing if they couldn’t settle things once and for all. The girl she was talking too sounds a little familiar too. Was it Indigo Zap or someone else?
We begin the final arc. The Equestria League begins now. Let's see how long it takes for Lightning to finally learn that power isn't everything. Come on, Flash!
And so the end of the series begins. Any predictions?
I didn’t know you were continuing here. I got a lot of catching up to do.
Good job again
I am so behind!
Well, this is certainly exciting. I'll try to catch up on this as quickly as I can, but no promises. I'm looking forward to finishing this series.
The start of the final and greatest arc of this series. It does a great job of setting everything up and getting us excited for the League as everyone is looking to dethrone Shining Armor. But at the same time it is sad because this long journey is going to come to an end soon and the group will need to go their separate ways. The moment where Flash discusses what he might do if he loses, like going to Sinnoh or Kalos was especially sad to me at least.