Racing to the League
The Equestria League had begun and the number of trainers planning to complete in the tournament was well into the triple digits. They were all now gathered at the plateau, and when the doors opened, they all began to file into the side of the mountain. Many were expecting some large ceremony and an elevator to lift them up into the stadium before they learned who their first match was. And up in the stadium, everyone watched the megascreen as the Rotom Drone showed images of the trainers entering the cave. "What's going on?" Spike asked, all turning to Doc, expecting him to know since he was a Gym Leader. But the Trottingham City trainer simply smiled and kept his mouth shut.
It was then that the megascreen changed to show the inside of the cave, looking down at the many trainers that were gathering inside. All were just as confused as they stood in a large round chamber with multiple metal doors lining the walls and opposite the entrance was a large screen. "What the heck's going on?" Rainbow asked, the others just shrugging back.
But then, the screen burst into life as Present Mic appeared on it, "What's UUUUUP!" The man screamed, his voice echoing through the chamber and forcing everyone to cover their ears. "I bet you're all wondering what's going on right now, huh?!"
"Just a little," somebody Flash didn't know replied, the rest nodding.
"Well you see, we have a little problem. There are just so many of you trainers, that if we tried to give each of you the chance to compete in the main stadium the first round would take forever. So, we've gotta trim the fat...so to speak."
"You're doing a preliminary round?!" Another trainer asked, Mic giving them all a nod.
"So some of us won't git ta battle in the stadium?" Applejack asked, Mic nodding again. "Well this just bites."
"Now now, this tournament is for the best of the best. You've all proven you're the best, so now we've gotta find the best out of all of you."
"And how exactly do we do that?" Timber asked next.
Present Mic smiled his usual toothy grin, which filled up the entire screen. "Well for that, we've gotta go to our special guest commentators." With that, he pulled away and the camera changed to show Celestia, Luna and Cadance sitting together.
"The rules are quite simple," Celestia commented, "Currently there are a hundred and twenty eight trainers. So in order to gain a spot in the actual tournament, you must make your way up to the stadium."
Luna nodded, "The mountain is divided into four levels, with the very last level being the top. There are also several passageways and tunnels leading in many different directions. Your task is to make your way through these tunnels and find the passageways leading to the stadium."
Cadance continued, "There are only sixty four passageways leading up to the second level, and each passageway can only be used once. Once it's used, it'll be sealed up and made unusable."
"So getting from the first level to the second one will cut our numbers in half?" Rainbow gasped, most going wide-eyed at this.
Celestia nodded again, "There are thirty two passageways leading from the second level to the third, and sixteen leading from the third to the final level. The sixteen trainers that arrive to the stadium will be allowed to compete in the victory tournament."
The trainers started murmuring at this, Rainbow shining a grin at the idea since she knew she was fast, only for one trainer to let out a roar, "THIS IS RIDICULOUS!" Lightning yelled, "This is supposed to be a battle tournament, not a foot race! How do you expect to find the best trainer in Equestria if you run the risk of knocking them out of the contest because they can't run particularly fast?! What, you couldn't think that we could do a multi-day battle tournament?!" Many other trainers starting murmuring in agreement at this, but the professors didn't flinch to his uproar.
"Don't worry," Celestia responded, "This is more than just a foot race." The screen then changed to show a cartoon version of the maze, with a cartoon version of Shining Armor and his Galladin running through it until he came to a door.
Cadance continued to explain at this, "When you reach a door, you'll see a light located above it. If the light is red, it means the door has already been used. But if the door is green, it's free for use." The cartoon Shining then stepped up to one of two pillars with a button on it. "But to use it, you must win entry."
Luna then nodded at this, "Each trainer will select one Pokémon to travel through the maze with them. When they reach an unused door, they'll hit the button and wait." In that moment, a cartoon version of Grand and Hariyama appeared and hit the other button. "When another trainer arrives and hits the button, a battle will begin." Hariyama and Galladin charged at one another, a cartoon smoke cloud appearing before disappearing to show Galladin victorious over a downed Hariyama. The sight made Lightning hiss in anger, clenching his fists as Luna continued, "The winner of the battle will be allowed to use the door." Shining and Galladin rushed into the door, which shut behind them. "And the losing trainer can either give up, or attempt to find another door in time. But once all the doors on the floor have been used, those still on that level will be eliminated."
The camera turned back to Celestia. "Other than that, there's only one rule left. No attacking trainers or Pokémon outside of battles."
The trainers all shared glances at this, now realizing this game was a mix of speed, skill and luck. The hallmark requirements of being a great trainer.
"I don't like this," Spike gulped.
"What do you mean?" Pinkie asked, "This sounds like so much fun! I wish I could play..."
"But what if Rainbow and the others get eliminated?" Fluttershy asked with a big frown, "And what if they end up getting paired against one another? It'd be okay battling in the actual tournament, but in a prelim like this..."
"We'll just have to hope it doesn't come to that," Rarity sighed.
Twilight nodded. "And even if they do end up facing off, they all knew this could happen when they arrived. All we can do is watch and see who ends up coming out on top."
They all nodded as Present Mic took control of the camera again, "Alright trainers! Time to pick your Pokémon!" Everyone watched the screen as the trainers took out their Pokeballs and tried to decide who to use in this prelim. When the camera focused on Flash, he already had his partner out and was giving the Riolu a fist bump.
"We can do this bud," he told the Riolu as Springer nodded from his shoulder.
Flash then looked around, now seeing Rainbow had chosen Hawlucha while Applejack let out Winona. Trixie sent out Girafarig and Timber unleashed his Breloom. Micro Chips chose Boomax, Sandalwood chose a Leavanny, Heath chose a Houndoom, Vinyl chose her Palpitoad, Bulk chose Throh, Sugarcoat chose Grimsnarl, and Spark Plug chose Volemming.
He turned to see Lightning had brought out his Roglacier, clearly having decided to choose speed over power. That was the plan most people had chosen, though a few had picked Pokémon like Golem, Torkoal and even a Tyranitar. Flash stared at the giant dinosaur and then looked over at the metal doors, wondering if the Pseudo-Legend could fit through.
And once the last trainer chose his partner, which was a Seaking that was flopping around on the ground, Present Mic smirked on screen, "Alright then! I think it's time we get this party started. I wanna see a nice clean race: No underhanded tactics, unless you're a Dark-type, and try not to tread over anyone. The paperwork for that's a nightmare."
He waited for a laugh, but the only one who did so was Pinkie. When her sole laughter calmed down, the man readjusted his shades, "Anyways, let's get down to business. Equestria League, Preliminary Round, begins in ten, nine, eight-" Everyone turned to the metal doors as they began to retract upward into the wall, "Two...one...GO!"
With that, the madness began as all the trainers bolted for the nearest doorway. Some of the trainers leapt onto the backs of their Pokémon, Trixie hopping on her Girafarig and was the first to reach one of the doors, allowing her to go at full speed. The rest of the trainers weren't so lucky, all beginning to file into different tunnels. The Tyranitar trainer blocked up an entire tunnel, forcing all those behind him to stop and wait or try their luck with another tunnel.
All over the stadium, people were now watching with baited breath as the trainers worked their way through the tunnels. Shining was sitting on the couch, continuing to look dignified as he stared at the trainers trying to make it to the stadium. "Come on," he whispered, "Make a good challenge for me."
Up at the top of the stands, Grand was leaning against a pillar, watching just as closely as everyone else. "Now we'll see which of you is really worthy of standing on this stage." The screen then changed to show one tunnel in particular, which had four trainers running through it.
Flash and Springer were among a group that chose the far right entry way, the people running with him being Rainbow, Heath and Lightning. The one teen glanced back at them, only to shine a big grin on with his Roglacier. "Blizzard!" He yelled, Roglacier shooting ahead a good ten feet before leaping and pulling down his scarf.
"GLACIER!" He roared before unleashing a stream of cold air, which struck the tunnel roof and started forming a wall of ice.
Lightning laughed as the trainer slid under the wall before it completely sealed the tunnel. "HEY!" Rainbow yelped as they all skidded to a halt, "That's gotta be against the rules!"
"Later losers!"
Flash went over the rules in his head, but none of the professors had said blocking the opponent's way wasn't allowed. "We gotta find a way through!"
"Flamethrower!" Heath yelled as his Houndoom unleashed a burst of fire, which hit the ice wall and made it begin to melt...very slowly. "A little help?"
Flash and Rainbow nodded before pointing at the wall. "Aura Sphere/Brick Break!" As Houndoom stopped to catch his breath, Springer fired the orb of spirit energy while Hawlucha charged. The sphere struck the partly melted wall and caused the weakened structure to crack, allowing Hawlucha to break through with a swift karate chop of his wing.
The ice crumbled to large blocks, opening up the passageway. But this lost time had allowed Lightning to disappear ahead, the three now running through, only to find the tunnel had split into three. They each glanced at one another and nodded before splitting up.
Meanwhile...
Trixie continued to ride Girafarig down her tunnel, hitting the end before galloping out of the passage and into a large domed chamber. And on one side of the chamber was a large metal door with a glowing green light above it.
"Yes!" She cheered before noticing two pillars, each with a button on it. She leapt off Girafarig's back and pressed it, a beeping sound filling the air.
Up in the stadium, the megascreen changed to show Trixie at the podium. "Looks like we have our first competitor for the next level!" Mic exclaimed as Trixie's friends cheered, "But will she be able to win her way up the mountain?"
And as this happened, a boy with a Toxicroak ran into the chamber and hit the button. As the room beeped again, several trainers arrived in time to see Girafarig and Toxicroak charge at one another.
"Cross Poison!" He yelled as Toxicroak crossed its arms and swung them, creating the X-shaped blade of poison.
"Dodge it!" Trixie ordered, Girafarig leaping to the side. "Now, Psybeam!" From Girafarig's antlers, a blast of psychic energy exploded off and struck Toxicroak. The Fighting Poison-type cried out as it staggered back. "Now, Zen Headbutt!" As it recovered, Girafarig galloped forward as a blue light appeared around it. The next thing Toxicroak knew, it was being thrown back with its mind now being scrambled.
"Yeah!" Spike cheered as they watched Toxicroak hit the dirt, only for the screen to cut in half.
"And we have another door being claimed!" Mic roared as the screen showed Lightning standing at one of the doors, his opponent being a girl with an Altaria. "If you want to watch this battle on its own, or any of the others, then please look under your seats."
Everyone did so and pulled out a tablet that was connected to the seats by a cord. The tablets switched on, only to see Altaria already almost down due to a single Ice Punch. Twilight then flicked the screen and it switched to show Trixie, the girl double tapping it to make it into a window so she could watch while flicking through the rest until she found Flash.
Flash and Springer had arrived at a chamber, where a trainer and his Stompice were waiting. Three others trainers all arrived at the same time, all running for the button...only for Flash to get to it first. "Yes!" He exclaimed as Springer ran up to the Stompice while the other trainers ran off to find another door.
Flash's friends cheered as they watched the two do battle, Springer's higher speed and typing proofing useful at the moment. That is, till Present Mic called out. "And we have our first trainer heading up to the second level!"
Lightning was now walking through the doorway, everyone now seeing Altaria on the ground, both wings frozen and its body covered in bruises. "That certainly didn't take long," Luna commented as more and more battles for the doors began.
Rainbow and Hawlucha faced off against a Machoke, Applejack and Winona battled a Slumberam, while Heath and Houndoom went up against a Herbarald. Timber and Breloom fought against a Beedrill and many more were fighting just as hard. And it wasn't long before Trixie managed to defeat her opponent.
"Signal Beam!" Girafarig fired the laser, striking down the Toxicroak. "YES!" She cheered as the door opened, the magician leaping onto Girafarig's back and galloping off.
"Aura Sphere!" Flash yelled, Springer thrusting the orb into Stompice and blasting it back. "Oh yeah!" Flash and Springer high-fived as the Stompice hit the floor with spirals in its eyes.
Every other minute, another trainer won their match and was able to get up to the next level. But the time it took to find a door and win the battle had given those that won their matches quickly a serious head start. Lightning and Roglacier were now running through, only to hit a folk in the road. "Oh great..." Lightning growled, "Left or right?" His eyes shifted from side to side, Roglacier doing the same.
"Glay," he pointed at the left one, Lightning raising an eyebrow.
"Might as well." He grumbled as they ran down before getting to a chamber with a free door. He pressed the button and got into position. "Now we wait."
More trainers were making their way through the chambers, some finding free doors that had no other trainers. But as time went on, more and more found themselves arriving at doors with trainers already there.
"Finally!" Lightning hissed as a trainer and his Golem rolled into the chamber and hit the button, Roglacier charging at the Pokémon. "Ice Punch!" Golem could barely react as Roglacier's ice cold punch instantly hit him, making it flinch a little.
"Rock Blast!" The rocky section above Golem glowed before exploding off it, all going for Roglacier. But the Ice-type just zipped around, dodging each one before a rock hit its shoulder.
"Row!" he flinched, making it skid back.
"What are you doing?! Shake it off! Use Hail!" Lightning roared, Roglacier bringing its hands together and forming an ice ball. It threw upward, exploding into a large cloud near the ceiling. The cloud began to unleash a bunch of hail, filling the chamber with a sheet of ice.
Golem moaned at the cold, its trainer wrapping his arms around him. "Rollout!" Golem rolled up at this, quickly spinning quickly toward Roglacier. But before it could land, Roglacier vanished.
"Where'd it go?" Pinkie asked as Roglacier appeared behind Golem and used Close Combat.
"It's Snow Cloak, Roglacier's ability." Doc replied, "In hail, it's evasive abilities become second to none." The others then saw it smack Golem away, easily beating it. They then switched to Rainbow and Applejack battling their opponents, only to also see Trixie going up against a Banette who only seemed knew Ghost-type attacks, making the fight an easy one for her. As for Micro and Sandalwood, they were running side by side, arriving at a chamber together and finding a trainer already there, Micro taking them on while Sandalwood kept searching.
And as for Flash and Springer, the pair were doing battle with a Bisharp. "Extreme Speed!" Springer began to dodge all of Bisharp's slash attacks, now getting behind it, "Aura Sphere!" The Riolu formed the orb and tried to thrust it into Bisharp's back.
"X-Scissor!" The trainer exclaimed, Bisharp spinning around and crossing its arms. The Aura Sphere slammed into the arms, but Bisharp then swung them apart, negating the attack before slashing Springer in an X-shape.
"Ri!" Springer fell back and was forced to do several flips to land on his feet.
"Guillotine!" Flash went wide-eyed at this, now seeing the blades on Bisharp's elbows glow light blue before extending until they were almost as long as Bisharp was tall.
"Bone Rush!" Springer formed the staff and spun it around as Bisharp tried to slash him. That is, till Springer managed to deflect the blades and knock Bisharp off balance. "Drain Punch!" Springer thrust his fist into the Bisharp, making it cry out as it energy was drained away.
Everyone watched as Bisharp fell back, spirals now appearing in its eyes. "Yes!" Spike cheered as the doors opened up for Flash and Springer. And as they swiped through the other screens, they found Lightning, Rainbow, Applejack and many more trainers heading up to the third level.
"The trainers are getting higher and higher!" Mic exclaimed, "They've reached the final hurdle before reaching the stadium. Only one more door stands between them and being able to compete here in the Equestria League." He turned to the professors, "Any thoughts about the battles so far?"
Celestia smiled back, "This is still anyone's battle."
Luna nodded in agreement, "Many of the trainers who have made it this far got that way because their opponent's Pokémon were ones they had an advantage over." The screen changed to show the Tyranitar trainer climbing up the tunnel to the third level, Micro and Heath also heading to that level while Trixie had just beaten her opponent.
"Some might still have that luck for their next opponents," Cadance chimed in, "But others will likely find this final hurdle to be to much for them. Only time will tell."
Flash and Springer reached the third level and ran as hard as they could, panting from all the running and battles. "We're almost there bud," he told Springer, "Just one more fight and we've got this."
"Rio!" Springer nodded as they came to a fork in the tunnel.
"Left or right?" Flash asked, Springer moaning before running down one, Flash following after him. "Right it is!" And as they went, they soon found themselves going upwards. "Geez," Flash sighed, "This is starting to get steep."
At the same time, Lightning and Roglacier came to the end of their tunnel, now finding a free door that hadn't been claimed by anyone.
"Perfect," Lightning laughed as he hit the button. "Now this tournament is over. The winner's just been decided." As he said that, the sound of footsteps made him turn back to see Sandalwood and Micro rush into the chamber. "And here's my ticket out of this farce. So which of you is gonna be stupid enough to take me on?"
The pair shared a glance, both remembering the last time they fought him, only for a voice to yell, "I'll take you on!" They turned to another tunnel and spotted a trainer with his Primeape. The trainer slammed the button as Primeape leapt in front of him.
"Come on!" Micro said as he and Sandalwood ran away, only to hear a loud thud. They glanced back to see Primeape now slammed into the tunnel's walls, the Pokémon already almost beat. The sight made them run even faster as they turned back to the tunnel.
Flash and Springer had been running for a while, both now worrying as they hadn't found a chamber or even an opening into another passage. And as they turned a corner, they skidded to a stop. "WHOA!" Flash yelped, barely managing to keep himself from running face first into a wall.
"No!" Flash yelled as he now saw the dead-end.
"RI!" Springer cried while those in the stadium who saw this all gasped.
"OH!" Mic exclaimed, "I can barely watch! Flash Sentry, the boy who helped save Equestria, has hit a dead end! Now he'll have to go all the way back, losing precious time."
"This it the worst!" Spike yelled, "Why did Flash go that way?!"
"We can't dwell on that," Twilight sighed, "All we can do now is hope Flash can get back and find a proper door before it's too late." And as the duo began to run back, she flicked to another screen, showing Rainbow fighting for her own chance to get through a doorway.
"Brick Break!" Rainbow ordered as Hawlucha slammed an Electabuzz in the gut. The Electric-type staggered back, as Thunderbass pointed at Hawlucha.
"Thunderbolt!" Electabuzz roared as it unleashed a blast of lightning, only for the Fighting Flying-type to leap over the attack.
"Flying Press!" Hawlucha spread his wings and dived down at Electabuzz, tackling the Electric Pokémon with a mighty blow before leaping back to safety.
As this happened, Applejack was now in another chamber for another battle. "Quick Attack!" She commanded Winona as the dog zipped around the battlefield, avoiding Air Cutters from an opposing Swoobat. She then leapt up and slammed the Courting Pokémon, knocking it back.
"Swoo!" It moaned as it hit the ground, Winona landing in front of Applejack.
"Now," she pointed at Swoobat, "Wild Charge!" Winona howled as her entire body started sparking with lightning, the Ground-type charging at the Swoobat as it picked itself up.
"Shadow Ball!" Swoobat fired the sphere of dark energy, but Winona leapt over it as the lightning formed a cocoon around her.
"RED!" She roared as she slammed into Swoobat, making it cry out, Winona also being hit by the recoil.
Swoobat moaned as it hit the wall, only for its trainer to yell, "Roost!" Swoobat wrapped its wings around its body and glowed, Applejack smirking at the sight.
"Now, Sand Strike!" Winona let out another howl, causing a cloud of sand to appear around her. The sand swirled around her as she then tackled Swoobat, the attack now making sand fly into its eyes of the bat.
Flash and Springer had managed to get back to where they had started, now fearing that all the doorways might be used up. They ran as fast as they could, now passing through a chamber where Micro Chips was battling a trainer with a Torkoal, the fire tortoise unleashing a flamethrower that Boomax deflected with a Hyper Voice.
Flash and Springer then headed into another tunnel, zigzagging through it before reaching the chamber. "Signal Beam!" He heard as Trixie's Girafarig fired a blast of...bug energy. It struck a Liepard, sending it flying before it did several flips through the air and landed perfectly. "Not bad," Trixie chuckled before noticing Flash and Springer. "What are you doing standing around?! You've got a door to find!"
Flash nodded and ran off, leaving Trixie to look back at the battle. "Night Slash!" The opposing trainer yelled as the Liepard charged with glowing black claws.
"Dodge it!" Trixie barked back, Girafarig hopping away before Trixie added, "Now use Psybeam and aim for the ground!" Girafarig fired the blast from its antenna, hitting the ground in front of Liepard and exploding. The force of the explosion knocked the cat flying back, making it cry out again.
"Not a bad plan," Luna commented, "Psychic Attacks might not effect Dark-types, but can still be of use if wielded correctly."
"Indeed," Celestia nodded, "Quite a smart maneuver."
As she said that, the doors of the stadium began to open, everyone turning to it as Mic spoke up, "Let's give a round of applause for the trainer that made it here first!" The trainer and his Pokémon walked onto the field with a grin, "LIGHTNING BLITZ!" The arrogant teen came to a stop in the center of the stadium as the crowd cheered for him.
He shined the biggest grin as he saw he was the first there, "Naturally." He turned to Roglacier, seeing he was now panting, "Good work, I guess." He held up his Pokeball and returned him, Roglacier nodding at his trainer as he was sucked inside.
"But what's this?" Mic went on, "Seems we have some more trainers making their way in here!"
Everyone turned to the entryway as two girls rushed in and yelled, "MADE IT!" Rainbow and Applejack ran out with their Pokémon, only to see Lightning there with a bored stare. "Grrr...can't believe we lost to that guy."
Applejack placed a hand on Rainbow's shoulder. "We'll make up for it in dah tournament." Rainbow nodded and turned back to the megascreen, seeing the many trainers still battling.
Trixie and Girafarig was still battling against Liepard while Heath and Houndoom were clashing against a Golduck. Vinyl and Palpitoad were fighting against a Grattle, Spark Plug and Volemming against a Donphan while Micro and Boomax fought against a Scrapound that had blue skin instead of orange.
Other trainers were still hunting for a usable door, as shown when Flash ran into the chamber that Spark was fighting in. "Blizzard!" He yelled as Volemming leapt to the side to avoid Donphan's Take Down. Flash and Springer ran out of the room at this, just as the electric rodent unleashed a barrage of frigidly cold air at the ground elephant.
As they ran through another tunnel, they spotted Sandalwood and Leavanny running out of a passageway and into an usable door with one trainer already waiting alongside his Tyranitar. "Dang it!" Flash yelled when he saw Sandalwood hit the button, "We're running out of time!"
"And doors," Springer added despite Flash not understanding him.
"Come on Flash!" Spike complained as Trixie and Heath ran into the stadium.
Fluttershy let out a long gulp, "If he doesn't find a door and someone to battle...he'll be knocked out of the contest."
They all frowned as they watched their friend continue to run through the tunnels in search of a free door. As he did this, more trainers stepped out into the stadium. "Ten spaces remain!" Present Mic announced while Flash ran into a room and saw Sugarcoat and Grimsnarl stand over a defeated trainer before entering through the doors. "Make that nine."
Flash ran back at this as Micro Chips then walked into the stadium.
"Eight spaces still remain."
Flash and Springer growled as entered another chamber and finding a door with a red light. "Damn it! That's the fourth one!"
"Ri..."
"We still have a chance," Flash told him as they entered another tunnel. "I doubt they would just leave us running around if all the doors were used up." They turned left at a fork, the pair hearing someone else coming down the other side. "I'm not gonna let my chance slip by me! I can do this!"
A minute later, the pair ran out of the tunnel and found themselves in another chamber. And this one had a door...with a green light.
"YES!" Flash roared as he ran up and slammed his hand down on the button.
Back in the stadium, everyone looked up when the megascreen suddenly switched to reveal Flash and Springer standing at the final door.
"YES!" Rainbow cheered as his friends all did the same, Lightning snarling at the sight of the stadium all cheering.
"Don't be too excited," Doc chimed in, "He still has to win this fight."
"But who's his opponent gonna be?" Spike asked, none of the others answering...only for someone to enter the chamber, the sight making several go wide-eyed.
"I was hoping you'd be one of the people I beat to get to the league," Timber chuckled as he and Breloom walked out into the chamber and pressed down the button. As he said that, a voice echoed through the mountain.
"The final door has been claimed!" Mic announced, "All trainers still searching for the doors...better luck next year."
Flash and Timber went wide-eyed at this before Timber laughed, "Looks like I was just in time. True luck is with me!"
Breloom then stepped forward, Springer doing the same. The four stared one another down, waiting for the other to make the first move.
"Come on Flash," Spike whispered as Sandalwood and Spark Plug entered the stadium, showing this would could be the final match.
"You can do it Timber," Gloriosa prayed.
And as the battle began, Lightning growled at the sight as he saw everyone focusing on that battle, so many cheers happening for Flash. "This makes me sick." He hissed under his breath, "I can't wait to show these idiots what a true trainer is."
"RI!" Springer roared as charged at the opposing Pokémon.
"Mach Punch!" Breloom pulled its fist back before throwing it, the arm suddenly extending at incredible speed and length. It came straight for Springer's face, only for Flash to let out a command.
"Extreme Speed!" The lightning appeared around Springer and everything slowed to a crawl, minus Breloom's stretching arm which was now moving at normal speed. Springer quickly sidestepped the attack before grabbing the Breloom's arm, then used it to pull himself forward.
"Brell?" The Grass-type yelped as Springer lived up to his name and sprung toward him, lifting his foot up and slamming it into the Mushroom Pokémon's face. "BRELOOM!"
Flash smirked as Timber growled, Springer bouncing off Breloom's face as the Grass-type staggered back. "Aura Sphere!" Flash yelled, Springer forming the orb in midair before sending it flying at Breloom.
"Energy Ball!" Breloom fired its own sphere of energy, the two attacks striking one another only a few feet from Breloom. The explosion that came next filled the chamber, making Timber and Breloom cough while Flash lifted his jacket to cover his mouth. "Where is he?" Timber asked as he now saw nothing but smoke.
"Bone Rush!" He then heard Flash command.
Gloriosa blinked at the sight as the camera changed to infra red in order to see through the smoke. And as it did this, Springer's form ran through the smoke right for Breloom. "How can he see?"
"He can't," Twilight giggled, "He's following Breloom's aura." Springer formed the energy bone and slammed it into Breloom, making it cry out before attempting to swing a punch at Springer. But the Riolu just hopped back, hitting the Pokémon in the side next as Breloom started swinging wildly.
It was at this moment that the smoke was beginning to fade, allowing Breloom a better view as the camera switched back to normal. But before Breloom could attack, Springer ran into the remaining cloud of smoke.
"Poison Jab!" Breloom threw his fist at the smoke cloud, the arm stretching as the red claws glowed purple. But when it flew into the cloud, it felt nothing.
"Brell?" It asked as it retracted the arm, which caused the cloud to vanish and reveal Springer wasn't there.
"Above you!" Timber told it, Breloom looking up to see a now leaping Springer.
"Drain Punch!" Springer pulled his fist back as it glowed, letting out a loud howl as he threw his fist into the hat of Breloom. The Grass-type cried out as it was drained away, Springer feeling it flow into him. But as he did this, he breathed in and felt something enter his nose and mouth.
"Ri?" He asked as he pulled back and used Breloom's hat as a springboard, leaping off and landing in front of Flash. But as he did, he began to stagger around.
"Springer?! What's-" He didn't finish as his partner fell to the ground, asleep. "No way!"
Timber saw this and laughed, "Ha! Looks like you forgot about Breloom's Effect Spore!" Flash growled at this, only to see Breloom about to attack his Pokémon.
"Talk about bad luck!" Present Mic commented, "Flash seemed to have this battle in the bag."
"Now he has two choices," Luna added, "Forfeit or let his Pokémon take a beating."
"Timber wouldn't attack a sleeping opponent," Cadance asked, "Would he?" She got her answer when Timber yelled out an attack.
"Energy Ball!" Everyone watched as Breloom fired the sphere of energy, slamming into the still sleeping Springer. It sent the Riolu flying, still not waking up as Timber added, "Mach Punch!"
"Brell!" He roared, extending his arm again and hitting Springer right in the gut. The Riolu didn't let out a single cry, even when he crashed into the ground and rolled along the floor.
"Springer!" Flash gasped while his friends flinched.
"That's not fair!" Spike added, "How is this legal! Springer can't defend himself!"
"It's an allowed tactic," Twilight sighed, "It might not be exactly honorable, but Timber's not breaking any rules."
"Count Flash lucky," Doc chimed in, "In some contest, being asleep is considered the same as being knocked out. If Flash can get Springer to wake up, he still has a chance."
As he said this, another new trainer walked in, showing Flash and Timber were the only trainers left bidding for a spot. And as they turned back to the battle, Breloom fired another Energy ball in Springer's direction.
"Oh..." Fluttershy looked close to crying, "I hope he wakes up soon."
"This battle's no fun," Pinkie added.
"Poison Jab!" Timber ordered as Breloom picked Springer up by the back of the neck. He then pulled his arm back as his fingers glowed purple.
"LOOM!" He slammed it into Springer's stomach, letting him go and sending the Riolu flying.
Flash flinched as Springer hit the ground, hating every second of this. Every instinct was telling him to give up and stop Springer's beating, but he knew Springer would never forgive him or himself if he did that.
"Energy Ball!" Breloom fired the attack, hitting Springer again. The sight made Flash flinch, only for an idea to pop into his head.
"That's it!" He whispered before closing his eyes, "Come on Springer..." He took a deep breath, trying to sense Springer through his aura...only to feel a small warm sensation. "Come on bud. Get up."
Timber saw this and smirked, "Giving up? Good idea! I'll end this quickly for you! Breloom, Double-Edge!" Breloom glowed orange as he charged, ready to body check the sleeping Riolu.
"Wake up," Flash continued to tell him through their connection. "Wake up..." Unbeknownst to him, Springer's eyes and claws began to twitch. "Wake up!" And as Breloom got within inches of him, Springer's eyes shot open.
"BRELL!" Breloom crashed into the wall, causing the room to shake as a large dust cloud kicked up.
Timber smiled at this sight, only to hear Breloom cry out. "Huh?" Breloom staggered out of the fog, looking like he had just run into a brick wall...and Springer had vanished. "What?!"
"RIOLU!" The three glanced up to see Springer, the Riolu having leapt up at the last moment.
"YES!" Flash cheered as Springer landed, only to see his partner had still taken a lot of damage. "You okay?" Springer, despite looking like he was having a hard time standing up, threw a thumbs up at him without looking. "Nice! Let's do this bud!"
"Oh no you don't!" Timber pointed at Flash, "I will beat you this time! Energy Ball!"
Breloom fired the green orb at Springer, only for Flash to order him to use Extreme Speed. "RI!" Springer exploded off of where he stood, the Energy Ball hitting the ground as he started zipping around the room. Breloom tried to follow him as he bounced off of one wall and flew over to bounce off another, only for the Riolu to suddenly appear in front of him. "RIOLU!" He thrust a foot into Breloom's chest, making it cry out before getting sent flying.
Flash smirked at the sight, only to now remember the Effect Spore. He then saw Breloom skid to a stop, but no spores had hit Springer this time.
"Poison Jab!" Timber yelled, "Rapid fire!"
"BRELL!" The Grass-type roared as its hands glowed purple before thrusting the arm forward. But Springer ducked under the stretched attack, only for Breloom to pull back and fire its other fist. Springer dodged again, but Breloom kept alternating between them, increasing speed as both arms flew across the room.
"RI!" Springer cried as a jab struck his shoulder, making him stagger back.
"Springer!" Flash gasped, only to see Breloom pull back for another jab. "Springer, Bone Rush baton!" Springer's eyes shot open and he acted fast, bringing his paws together as Breloom fired his fist. Springer formed the energy bone and started spinning it around, the fist hitting it and getting deflected back. Breloom winced in pain, then started rapidly jabbing at Springer again. But Springer quickly ripped the bone into two and spun them both around, the Riolu managing to practically create a shield around him that Breloom's fists hit.
"Ha!" Braeburn laughed as he saw this, "That Flash! Always comin up with a wild idea."
"It's working though," Thorax added as Springer deflected a Poison Jab and then threw his clubs at Breloom, hitting it on the head. "Flash might be the one coming up with the harebrained schemes, but his Pokémon should take some credit for actually managing to pull them off."
"Just shows how well trained they are," Granny chuckled as the others nodded.
"Yeah Flash!" Spike cheered as Breloom fired another Energy Ball, the Riolu throwing an Aura Sphere back to protect himself.
And as the smoke of the two attacks filled the air, Gloriosa began to worry since Springer had the edge in zero visibility. "Come on Timber...you can do it."
The green haired teen smirked at this, "You're not the only one that can come up with crazy combos! Breloom," he pointed at his Pokémon, "Mach Punch Tornado!" Breloom's eyes shined before it held its arms out in a T-shape.
"Brell!" He swung the arms around, spinning like a top on the tip of his toes, turning himself into a mini tornado. This also caused its arms to swing around the chamber, having extended to about ten feet and acting like a buzzsaw.
Springer had heard Timber's order, blinking as he tried to use aura to sense where Breloom was, but couldn't get a lock on...except for the arms. He found them to be quite big now, making him duck down, "Ri!" He pulled his head back just as a fist sailed inches over his face. As he got back up, he now saw what Breloom was doing. He then focused his aura on Flash, the pair still connected from earlier, and tried to send the mental image to him.
"Message received good buddy," he pointed ahead, "Aura Sphere!"
Springer stayed low to the ground and formed the sphere before firing, dispelling the smoke. The camera could now see the fight, everyone in the stadium now watching the sphere reached Breloom, hitting the top's tip and exploding.
"BRELL!" Breloom screamed as he was knocked off balance, staggering back as it was now dizzy from the constant spinning. Springer used this time to jump back to his feet and charged ahead as Flash gave the command.
"Drain Punch!" Springer thrust the glowing fist into Breloom's stomach, making it cry out as it was thrown back. But it managed to fight through the pain and dizziness as Timber gave his order.
"Mach Punch!" And as Springer was leaping back, Breloom threw his extendo-arm forward, socking the Riolu in the face.
"Riolu!" He cried, getting thrown back and hitting the ground at the same time as Breloom. Both Pokémon slid back a few feet before getting back up, both panting as they glared at each other.
Their trainers did the same as they pointed at each other, "Aura Sphere/Energy Ball!" Both teens roared, their Pokémon forming the spheres and firing them.
The attacks shot through the chamber and as they collided, both stood still in a grinding, pulsing force...only for the attacks to no longer take it anymore. An explosion with enough force to knock everyone down came next, the blast hitting the camera in the chamber.
Unbeknownst to the trainers, the megascreen suddenly died and the screen turned to static. The people watching all cried out at this, Present Mic pulling at his collar, "Uh...sorry folks! Looks like we're having a few...technical difficulties at the moment." In his box, Mic cut off his microphone and turned to a phone, calling up the engineers...only for nothing to happen.
"Come on!" Spike growled as a minute or so passed, "What's taking so long?!"
"We're missing the battle!" Pinkie added.
"Timber..." Gloriosa whispered, "Please be okay..."
Twilight turned to her with a long frown, closing her eyes as she took a deep breath. Unlike Gloriosa, she thought about Flash and Springer and started to recreate a smile. She knew she didn't need to worry. She knew they would be okay.
Another minute passed and there was still no change with the picture. But then Lightning, who was now leaning against the entrance to the stadium, heard the sound of footsteps coming up the tunnel. The trainer pushed away from the wall, Trixie seeing this and elbowed Rainbow, and then Applejack. Soon, everyone turned to the tunnel, including the audience as Mic spoke up.
"Looks like we're about to find out who the final trainers is." Everyone stared at the tunnel exit, all sitting on the edge of their seats. And as the sound grew louder, the two reached the end of the tunnel. "And the final trainer battling in the Equestria League is...FLASH SENTRY!"
Flash and Springer gasped as they reached the end of the tunnel, the sound of cheers assaulting their ears. It seemed everyone in the stadium had gotten their wish in him winning, Flash's friends on the ground all cheering as well as they ran over.
"You had us worried," Rainbow laughed.
"Ah'm guessing Timber hadn't taken losin' well?" Applejack asked, Flash nodding in agreement. Up in the stands, Gloriosa sighed as she sat back in her chair.
"I'm sorry Gloriosa," Twilight chimed in, "But Timber did really well."
Gloriosa stayed quiet for a moment, then nodded in agreement. Back on the ground, the sixteen remaining trainers all formed a line. They looked up at the megascreen as their images appeared on it. "And there you have it Equestria!" Present Mic cheered, "The sixteen trainers strong enough, fast enough and lucky enough to make it here to the Equestria League! One of these lucky trainers will win the right to face off against Shining Armor and attempt to take the title of champion from him! Now the ultimate question is, who will it be?"
All sixteen trainers all gave each other a smirk and mentally told them. 'Me.'
"Now it's time to start whittling the competition down." Mic picked up a button, "Let's see who'll be facing who in the upcoming tournament." With that, he pressed the thing and the cards flipped around before they started shuffling. As they did, Mic placed the button down in front of Celestia. "Ladies."
Celestia, Luna and Cadance all shared a nod and placed their hands together before thrusting them down. With that, the cards stopped shuffling and paired off against one another to form two lines of eight. They then flipped, revealing who was facing who.
Match One
Rainbow Dash V Bulk Biceps
"YEAH!" The bulky teen cheered while Rainbow smirked, giving the guy a thumbs up before telling him to bring it on.
Match Two
Sugarcoat V Cedar
Sugarcoat pushed her glasses up and let out a conceded chuckle while Cedar tried to look strong and not show how nervous he was.
Match Three
Norman V Indigo Zap
"WOOOOO!" Indigo exclaimed, sticking both hands into the air and banging her head like a rocker. "Let's rock!"
Match Four
Lightning Blitz V Spark Plug
Spark's eyes went wide at this before turning to Lightning Blitz, only to be greeted by the teen's death stare.
Match Five
Micro Chips V Bright Idea
Both trainers turned to one another, Flash getting the feeling they were sizing each other up and doing millions of calculations in their heads.
Match Six
Applejack V Vinyl
"Yeehaw!" Applejack tipped her hat at Vinyl, "Let's give it our all!"
"Don't know any other way," Vinyl laughed, "Just don't feel too bad when my Pokémon's sick beats knock you out of the contest!"
Match Seven
Heath Burns V Sandalwood
Heath and Sandalwood smiled at one another, nodding as Flash watched, knowing heath likely had his match in the bag. He then turned to the final two cards, but already knew who it was that would be on them.
Match Eight
Flash Sentry V Trixie Lulamoon
"So we're up against Trixie." Springer nodded before giving one another a smirk, "A tough opponent right off the bat. Nice." They spun around at this as a certain someone walked up to them.
"So it looks like the great and powerful Trixie's first victory will be against Equestria's newest hero."
"Let's give it our all," he held out a hand and Trixie happily shook it.
"Let's."
And so, amidst a formidable group of trainers, the Canterlot City Equestria League has begun. The excitement and anticipation was contagious, as Flash's latest challenge on the road to become a Pokémon Champion has begun. As the journey continues.
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Well, it may sound cruel, but Timber deserved that defeat, not only because of his attitude in the pokemon camp arc, but also because he believed that he would defeat everyone in the league easily, when you go to compete you have to keep in mind that Other competitors like you put a lot of effort into training or maybe more, assuming that you are going to overcome them in the end is just a lack of respect.
I hope Flash can fight the great and powerful Trixie (although I like Flash, Trixie is my waifu, so I hope they put up a great battle), will the battles be 6 vs 6 or 3 vs 3?
A well done and fitting thinning the herd chapter and the match line up is mostly perfect.... mostly...
11032246
At for the first two rounds, I would wager not 6 vs 6. As for the fight... um... yeah we all know Flash is going face to Lightning in the finals.
Flash vs Trixie. I knew that would happen at the Pokemon League.
Alright! Excellent start so far! Glad to see Flash settled the score with Timber once and for all. Timber got exactly what he deserved, I only wish we got to see his reaction to losing, it would have been absolutely glorious. One asshole down, only one more to go.
That looks like a lot of fun matches. Too bad we probably won’t have enough time to see all of them. But it is cool Flash is finally going to face off against Trixie. In a way even though she has openly been Twilight’s rival, she has also been one to Flash since they were both going for the League, and now they finally battle.
I am curious to see how the battle format in the tournament will be. In some tournaments, like the Aloha or Unova League, the first one or two rounds are 1 vs 1 battles, but since that was for the preliminaries here maybe we will start with 3 vs 3, and then move to 6 vs 6 in the semi-finals?
Flash vs Trixie huh? This should be interesting to see how much stronger Trixie has gotten.
11032353
I bet it will be 4 vs 4 seeing the last two gyms did so.
11032403
I bet her Wizentice has evolved.
11035766
I have a feeling it has.
11035824
I meant Magitual. Last time we saw it, it was a Magitual.
11037223
That's true.
Very good start.
I really wish Mewtwo would beat Lightning so bad he’d get mentally scarred.
Good gosh! I kinda wish we had gotten to see Timber's reaction to Flash beating him. I wonder if Flash waking Springer through his aura is something that has actually happened in the anime. It's been a while since I've kept up with it.
Fantastic start to the League. I like how creative these preliminaries are, since in pretty much every other League or major tournament in the anime simply use a one-on-one battle for their prelims. Having it be a race split into three different levels was fun, even if it was based on Beyblade Metal Fusion.
I especially love how Flash and Springer defeated one of their most hated rivals to get into the League. Heck, not just beat, they flat out annihilated Timber and Breloom, since they had control for nearly the world match and Timber could only get in a few cheap blows while Springer was sleeping.
The only part I wish was different was I wish we got to see Timber's reaction to losing, since it was a long time coming. At least we got to see how bitter he was in later chapters.