A Sky Full of Lightning
"Astro, Dragon Pulse!" Flash yelled as his Galvern unleashed a blast of dragon-shaped energy at Heath's Blazegon. The attack struck the Fire Dragon-type and exploded, knocking it back into the battlefield, which was a dirt battlefield covered in metal shapes. The crowd cheered as Blazegon hit the dirt, sliding along it until it crashed into a metal statue of a Snivy.
The Equestria League's second round was in full swing, both Flash and Heath battling in order to claim the final spot in Semi-Finals. Currently, Heath was down to his last Pokémon while Flash still had two.
"Flamethrower!" Heath barked, Blazegon taking a deep breath before firing a powerful blast of fire at Astro.
"Use Dragon Claw and deflect it!" Flash ordered, Astro's claws glowing as he swung them into the fire. The flames shot across the battlefield and hit several statues instead, causing them to melt.
Up in the stands, Flash's friends kept cheering, "Go Flash!" Rainbow exclaimed, "You got this!"
"Just one more win and you're in the Semi-Finals!" Trixie added as Flash called for a Shadow Ball attack.
"Gal!" Astro roared as it unleashed a sphere of dark energy.
"Dragon Hammer!" The Flame Dragon Pokémon swung its tail as the large club on the end of it glowed. The club struck the Shadow Ball, deflecting it upward before it exploded. "Now, charge in with a Slash!"
"Block it!" Blazegon zipped up to Astro, the shiny using the star-shaped gauntlets on his arms to block the opponent's claws and talons.
Mic: "Those two appear to be an even match of both speed and strength. One can only wonder which will manage to get the upper hand."
"Fire Blast!" Blazegon leapt back and took a deep breath before unleashing a massive fireball. The attack went straight for Astro, the attack suddenly morphing into a flaming kanji, which struck the Dark Dragon-type before its body was wrapped in flames.
Cadance: "Ouch! That's gotta hurt."
Luna: "Dragons are resistant to Fire-type attacks, so he shouldn't be too badly damaged."
Astro shook off the flames at this, panting as Flash ordered, "Dragon Pulse!" The dragon fired the laser, but Blazegon flew up to avoid the attack, then charged straight down.
"Spin, then use Flamethrower!" Blazegon brought his wings in before letting out a blast of fire that began to spiral around it. This caused the Fire Dragon-type to morph into a flaming drill, heading straight for Astro.
"Look out!" Flash gasped, Springer howling for him to move. Astro tried to dodge, but Blazegon flew past him, slamming into the Galvern's wing.
"Vern!" He flinched, forcing him to fall to ground, but managed to land on his feet.
"Fire Blast!" Heath commanded, Blazegon spitting out the fireball that morphed into the kanji.
"Dragon Claw!" Flash ordered, Astro's claws glowing as he thrust them into the fire attack, making it explode. The flames shot all over the field, hitting the metal objects as they melted even more.
Heath saw this and noticed Astro was just a step away from a puddle of hot metal. "Flamethrower, and aim for the statues!" Blazegon didn't hesitate and launched the stream of fire, which struck the metal statues. Everyone watched as the metal began to heat up and melt, raising the temperature in the battlefield.
Mic: "I guess Heath's not a big art fan. Those statues aren't my best work I'll admit-"
Luna: "I don't think he's destroying them because he doesn't like them."
The melted metal began to pool around Astro now, the Galvern looking like he was beginning to sweat. He spread his wings and leapt up, flying as high up as he could get to escape the cloud of heat. But Blazegon was waiting for him as he flew downward.
"Slash!"
"Blaze!" Blazegon flew in close, ready to attack as the Galaxy Pokémon raised up his gauntlets.
"Switch to Dragon Hammer!" Blazegon spun around and swung its glowing tail, the dragon flapping back to not get hit in the head, only to get struck in the chest.
"Gal!" He cried, his body about to plummet, only to grab Blazegon's tail and pull it down with him.
"Astro/Blazegon!" The trainers gasped, both Dragon-types now falling toward the metal covered ground. But Blazegon managed to slow their fall with its wings, allowing Astro to recover as he spread his. "Crunch!" Flash then ordered, Astro's eyes focusing back up at the dragon.
"Gal...VERN!" He reached over and bit down onto Blazegon's tail, making it flinch as he flew up, pulled Astro along with him.
"Now throw it!" Astro began to spin, only for Heath to let out a command.
"Flamethrower!" Blazegon turned to Astro and managed to unleash a blast of fire right into his face, Astro flinching and letting go of the tail. "Now, Dragon Hammer!" Before Astro could react, Blazegon swung its now glowing tail down, smashing into Astro's head.
"GAL!" The Dark Dragon-type was smacked downward, plummeting for the pool of metal.
"Astro!" Flash gasped, "RETURN!" He held up his Pokeball and the red beam hit him seconds before he crashed into the metal, getting sucked safely inside. He sighed in relief, "It's okay bud. You did great."
Celestia: "Flash made the right call there. Astro would have been seriously hurt if he had landed in that molten pool, not to mention possibly trapped."
Luna: "Now we've gotta wonder how he plans to win this battle. His Tornavian was already knocked out earlier, so all he's got left is his Reptidal."
Cadance: "I doubt Riptide will last long surrounded by molten metal. Plus, he already took damage taking out Heath's Magmortar and Darmanitan."
Mic: "So what will Flash do? Give up, or try to find a way to fix this."
"Try?" Flash smirked before replacing his Pokeball. "I will. Riptide," he threw the ball, "I choose you!" In a flash, the water reptile appeared and landed on one of the only spots of the field not covered in liquid metal. And before Riptide could even get a chance to feel the heat, "Aqua Break! On the ground!"
"Rep!" Riptide formed the water sword and held it up high, trying to make it as big as possible. "REPTIDAL!" He swung it down, slamming the ground, causing a massive wave of steam to shoot into the air.
Mic: "What's this?"
Blazegon's eyes went wide, the steam now covering the entire battlefield. Everyone watched with baited breath at this, the steam soon clearing as it revealed the pool had been cooled into a solid mass or lumpy metal. Riptide stood atop it, smirking up at Blazegon. The crowd began to cheer next, unable to believe Flash actually did that.
Celestia: "Incredible, Managing to cool the entire battlefield with a single attack."
"That won't help you! Fire Blast!" Heath called out, Blazegon shooting out the flaming kanji at the ground.
"Aqua Tail!" Flash ordered, Riptide running along the metal field before leaping off the end of a large lump. As he did this, water wrapped around his tail as he spun around and hit the kanji, extinguishing it with a single blow. "Now, Aqua Break!"
"Rep!" Riptide formed the sword and while Blazegon was still above him, he managed to throw it like a javelin. "Tidal!"
"Blaze!" Blazegon cried as the attack slammed into it, making the Flame Dragon Pokémon begin to fall. But before it could crash, it flared its wings, correcting itself just above the ground as Riptide ran toward it.
"Flamethrower!" Blazegon unleashed the fire stream, only for Riptide to leap over the flames.
"Rock Smash!" As Riptide spun up above the Dragon-type, his legs glowing as he swung them down, axe-kicking the dragon in the head.
"Blaze!" It roared in pain as Riptide forced it's head to crash into the ground. The Pokémon then leapt back, but quickly had to do a wild acrobat spin to escape from a spot of metal that had been heated up from the Flamethrower. "Gon..." Blazegon growled as it picked itself up.
"Slash!" Blazegon charged at this, managing to reach Riptide instantly as tried to attack him. But as it did this, Riptide just hopped back, dodging the first slash before blocking the second one. The blow made it stagger back, trying to keep its footing.
"Ice Punch!" Flash countered, Riptide ducking under Blazegon's third claw strike before throwing a freezing cold punch. The blow hit instantly, causing Blazegon to flinch as Heath called out to it.
"Dragon Hammer!" Blazegon leapt up and swung its hammer tail down next.
"Aqua Break!" Riptide formed the sword and cut it in half, then crossed them to block the club. The attack had enough force to push Riptide to his knees, but he kept the water steady as he pushed the tail back.
"Rep...TIDAL!" He pushed his arms up and knocked the tail back, leading it to slam into Blazegon's stomach and knock it back as well.
"Aqua Tail!" Riptide's tail swirled in water as it charged at the now staggering dragon.
"Flamethrower!" Blazegon opened his mouth, flames spewing everywhere. However, Riptide spun around, his water covered tail going straight into the fire. This caused a massive steam cloud to form, blinding everyone for a moment as Blazegon used this time to pick itself up, but Riptide ran right through the fog.
Thanks to his goggles, he saw right through the steam long enough to locate Blazegon before they fogged up and blinded him. "AQUA BREAK!" Closing his eyes, Riptide formed the sword as he charged right at the dragon.
The steam cleared just in time for everyone to see Riptide disappear in front of Blazegon before several blue streams shot around its body. Riptide then appeared behind the Fire Dragon-type, moving his sword in a way that made it look like he was sheaving it as he turned back to his opponent.
Blazegon let out a moan as it moved from left the right, then crashed straight down into the ground. Everyone stared at it, now seeing spirals in his eyes as the Rotom Drone flew down. "Blazegon is unable to battle. Reptidal is the winner. All three of Heath's Pokémon are unable to battle. The winner of the match is Flash Sentry!" The crowd exploded into cheers, Flash and Springer both jumping up excitedly.
"Riptide!" Flash ran up to the Pokémon, jumping over some cooled metal puddles to get to the Reptidal. "You did it!" Riptide cheered as they wrapped their arms around one another while Heath moved over to Blazegon.
"You were amazing, my old friend." He patted the Pokémon on the head before helping him up, Blazegon letting out a small moan, "We might have lost, but we gave it our all and have nothing to be ashamed off."
"Blaze," he whispered before Heath held up his Pokeball.
"Get a good rest. You deserve a treat later." The Flame Dragon nodded before he was sucked back inside the Pokeball, Heath taking a deep breath as he stood up and turned to Flash. "Well, this is it for me." He held up a hand, "Good luck in the rest of the tournament."
"Thanks," Flash replied before shaking his hand. "And thanks for the great match. I promise I won't let your loss be in vain."
"You better." Heath laughed before they spun around, Heath returning to his red podium before leaving while Flash stayed on the blue podium and looked up at the megascreen. Everyone else did the same and watched as Flash's image joined the other four semi-finalists. Rainbow Dash, Lightning Blitz, Applejack and Flash all stared at their images as Present Mic spoke up.
"Now that we have our four winning trainers, it's time to see who will be facing who in tomorrow's Semi-Final Rounds!" With that, the images flipped over and began shuffling around one another. Everyone was on the edge of their seats as they watched it, only for the images to pair off and flip over again.
Match One
Rainbow Dash V Lightning Blitz
Match Two
Flash Sentry V Applejack
Flash turned to the stadium and locked eyes with Applejack, the cowgirl smiling at him before tipping her hat. Smiles were now on both faces, ready for a good match. But as they thought this, Rainbow was now glancing around for Lightning, but didn't see him. Despite this, she let out a long gulp, her brain going over the fact that she had to beat him to get to the finals. "I'm gonna do it," she whispered to herself. "I am gonna beat that jerk, no matter what."
A little later...
The group of friends were now at the Pokémon Center, all getting their Pokémon healed up.
"Alright," Twilight told the three battling trainers, "Every fight from this point on is six on six, so the three of you'll be in for a pretty tough match."
Spike turned to them, "Any ideas which Pokémon you'll start with?"
"Nope." Flash shook his head before putting his cheek in his hand, "there's too many..." He turned to Twilight, "What do you call them? Varr...varin..."
"Variables?" She asked, Flash snapping his fingers.
"Yeah, that word. With the fields being anything and the choice of who picks their Pokémon first..."
"It'd be foolish to try and decide which Pokémon to pick first," Rarity chimed in, "If you picked a Grass-type but find you're on a field made of ice or something, your entire plan gets thrown out the window."
Doc nodded at this, "The best you can do is try and determine what Pokémon would be the best choice to use on a particular field, then you'll have some idea of what to do."
"Maybe you're right," Flash nodded, "Augh!" he began to rub the sides of his head, "All this planning is frying my brain!"
"Don't forget what I told you growing up." Flash's head spun around at the sound of that voice. "Make a plan. Execute the plan. Expect the plan to go wrong. Throw away the plan." They all turned around now, all seeing a late aged woman in a track suit.
"Gran!" Flash gasped before running over to the woman.
"Flash!" She chuckled before hugging him, the pair pulling apart a second later, "Let me get a look at you. We didn't really have a chance to talk at the Crystal Empire..." She giggled at the sight, "My word, you look so different. More...mature."
As she said that, Rarity moved over to Twilight, "Who is that woman?"
"That's Flash's grandmother, Cloud Clipper."
"She also used to be the Cloudsdale City Gym Leader before Spitfire," Rainbow added, "She's awesome."
"I can't believe you're here," Flash said next, the woman shaking her head.
"You think I'd miss this? No, I'm gonna be here in person to see my grandson compete. I just wish I could have arrived in time for the first three rounds."
"Well, you're here now," Twilight told her, "So now Flash has more reason not to lose."
"Though that is what's gonna happen," Applejack smirked, "Sorry, but ah'm not gonna let maself be beaten so easy like."
"Sounds good to me." Flash replied before slamming his fist into his palm, "Let's give our all."
"Let's."
Meanwhile, in another part of the city...
"Thunder Punch and Electro Blade!" Androrg's hand spun as it fired a blade of electricity at Gorillamp, the ape punching the attack. "More power!" He turned to see Pitchawk and Roglacier battling against one another, Pitchawk attempting to slash at the ice ninja, only to constantly hit cold air. "Faster!" He then heard Thrashark and Venomega wrestling, the sight making him snarl, "That's not good enough! Stop holding back!"
"You're pushing them too hard." Lightning froze at the sudden voice, only for his face to clench in rage as he slowly turned to see Grand Hoof standing next to a tree.
"What do you want?" he hissed.
"Is it so wrong for a grandfather to come and see how his grandson is doing?"
Lightning huffed and looked away, "Go away. I'm busy."
"I can see that," Grand told him. "But you should let them rest. They fought hard today, and will be fighting even harder tomorrow. There's only so much the body can take."
"Shut up. Tomorrow's fight is gonna be a cakewalk. Its just another one of those losers." He stared at Gorillamp as it slammed Androrg into the ground with a mighty blow, "I'm training them so they'll destroy Shining Armor, not some weakling."
"Lightning...you're-"
"I don't need you to lecture me," Lightning interrupted, "I've gotten along perfectly fine without you."
"I'm not trying to lecture you," Grand growled, "If you just listen to me, you would know I'm not." Lightning turned back to him, now seeing a long frown on the old man's face, "I'm sorry Lightning. I didn't know this would happen to you...and I've come to terms with who you are. I know I can't change you, no matter how much I want to." He then pointed at the field behind the teen, "But I care about your Pokémon." Lightning glanced back at them, the six panting and groaning as they kept fighting each other. "You can't expect them to keep up like this. Eventually, they'll hit their limit and be unable to take any more. And when that happens, it's possible the damage will be irreversible."
"I know what I'm doing," Lightning spat, "I know how far they can go, and I won't stop until I'm satisfied with them." He looked back at Grand, a long glare in his eyes, "I won't go soft on them like you did. I will become champion."
Grand sighed and shook his head, "Fine. I understand." He turned away, "I've tried to reach out to you and help, but you reject me every time. I...I can't keep doing this to myself." He glanced back at Lightning. "When you wanna put what happened in the past, you know where to find me. But until then," he began to walk off. "I wash my hands of you."
Lightning remained silent at this, the sound of his grandfather's footsteps now being the only sound that filled the air. And as they faded into the air, Lightning felt his entire body shaking. The feeling made him close his eyes, clenching up for a second. But as he reopened his eyes, he saw his Pokémon all staring at him. The sight made him whisper, "Get back to work." He looked away as they began to train again, Lightning now staring at the ground. "Blasted old man...why can't you see I'm right?!"
When the sun went down and the city's noise almost died down, the streets were now almost completely empty. Several stores were still open, including a café that Spitfire was sitting at. She was sipping on a cup of hot chocolate, glancing up to see Cloud step out of the darkness. "Sorry I'm late."
Spitfire chuckled at the sight, "It's fine. Wasn't doing anything important." Cloud sat down, the waiter coming out and taking her order. "So, this league's turning out to be pretty impressive."
"Indeed," Cloud nodded, "The battles have all been amazing. But I bet I can tell who you've been focusing on the most."
Spitfire smirked as she took another sip of her drink, "Rainbow's come a long way. I think she's ready to start training for it, if she'll accept."
"Are you waiting until after the tournament?" Cloud asked, Spitfire nodding back.
"If she ends up winning the whole thing and even beating Shining, she won't need me. But I'll be ready to offer her the chance if she falls short. Even if she loses, she's proven herself worthy of becoming my apprentice."
"I see. Though of what I've seen of her opponent, this next match might be her hardest yet." Cloud replied as the waiter arrived with her drink.
"No kidding." Spitfire responded as she leaned back. "But I have faith she'll do well."
Cloud chuckled at her words, knowing that she didn't know Rainbow as well as Spitfire, but she had seen enough to know the kind of girl she was. It reminded her of herself at the age, same when she first met Spitfire at Rainbow's age, knowing that was one of the reasons she took her under her wing.
"So what about you?" Spitfire asked, "I'm guessing I know who you're routing for in this tournament."
"I'd be a pretty lousy grandmother if I didn't." She took a sip of her drink. "When Flash left home, I never thought he'd become this good this quickly. His grandfather and I had to miss out one league because we weren't able to collect the badges in time. But he managed to gather all eight in the space of a year and still had time to save the world."
"Yeah." Spitfire laughed, "Who'd have thought the reason I got to become a Gym Leader so early would grow into such a powerful trainer?" She then thought back to her Gym Battle with Flash and the strength all his Pokémon possessed, only for them to now be even stronger.
"Hard to believe, but my grandson's grown a lot since leaving home. And I know for a fact it's thanks to all the friends he's made during this trip." She thought back to the group she had seen Flash with before along with all the people that had answered his call for help against Sombra.
"The boy's a natural leader," Spitfire replied, "If by some miracle he's able to become Champion, Equestria will be in good hands." Cloud smiled and nodded, the two women continuing to talk late into the night.
The next day...
The air was filled with cheers and excited cries as the people watching today's battle were taking their seats. This included Flash and Applejack, the pair having chosen to sit in the stands to watch Rainbow's battle since there would be an hour between the end of it and the start of their's.
"Go Rainbow!" Pinkie exclaimed while swinging around a pair of pom-poms.
"Oh," Fluttershy shivered, "I'm so nervous."
"This isn't gonna be easy," Flash sighed, "But Rainbow's got this."
They all nodded, now waiting as Cloud walked up to them and sat down before glancing over at the Gym Leader's box.
"So," Ember asked the other leaders as they sat down, "Who do you think has this match in the bag?"
"Well ah've battled Lightning," Braeburn replied, "That kid's got skills, and he's a beast to fight. Rainbow seems mighty strong, but ah'm gonna have to put my money on him. You guys?"
"I've battled Rainbow," Thorax commented, "She was a pretty tough opponent, even though I was the first Gym Leader she battled. She's got some serious skills, even more so now." The other Gym Leaders remained silent, each of them deciding to wait for the battle to start before deciding.
Rainbow was inside her waiting room, a Pokeball jingling in her hands as she did a series of deep breaths. "You can do this...you can do this. You can beat that arrogant jerk." she told herself, "Just...stay calm."
But despite this, she saw the ball jiggling in her palm, only for it to suddenly open. A second later, Tank appeared, standing up and staring at her, "Soar..."
"Tank?" Rainbow stared at the Soartoise, their eyes locking. Tank then raised one of his fins, placing it on her head, patting her head. She giggled as she showed a small smile, "You're right." She stood up, "I've got nothing to worry about. Because we're awesome, no matter who we're up against."
"Soar," Tank nodded back.
"Right. Let's do this." She held up her Pokeball and returned the turtle. As she did this, the door opened and the worker told her it was time. She nodded and stepped out of the room, heading down the hallway and onto the field. And as she did this, she could hear Present Mic speak up.
"WAZ-UUUUUP!" He exclaimed, "Welcome to today's Semi-Final Battle! Only two places are up for grabs today, and we have four amazing trainers bidding to take them! So you know what that means! They're gonna have to battle it out to claim victory in a full-on battle!"
The crowd cheered at this as Rainbow walked onto the platform.
"Let's meet today's competitors: In the red corner, she's the girl with limits as high as the sky: Rainbow...DASH!" The crowd cheered as Rainbow struck a pose, everyone clapping back. "And in the blue corner, he dominated his last two opponents without losing a single Pokémon! Will he be able to make that three times in a row? It's Lightning...BLITZ!"
The crowd cheered again, Lightning gritting his teeth as he reached the end of the podium. He then saw Rainbow glaring at him, only for Lightning to let out a long sigh, showing an expression Rainbow could only read as him not even acknowledging her existence.
"Ladies," Mic spoke up, "What are your opinions on today's battle?"
"It's too early to say anything yet," Celestia replied, "There's still a lot about this battle that has yet to be determined."
Luna nodded in agreement, "These two trainers have very different styles of battle. Rainbow's all about speed while Lightning relies on power. Both are a dangerous skill to wield if you know how to use them."
Cadance shook her head, "I think speed has strength topped in this situation. After all, it doesn't matter how strong your attacks are if they don't land."
As she said that, the Rotom Drone flew down and hovered above the pit. "The battle between Rainbow Dash and Lightning Blitz is about to begin," it chimed in, "The battle will be a full six on six battle, and when three of one trainer's Pokémon are unable to battle, there will be a temporary break and the battlefield will change. Only when all of one trainer's Pokémon are unable to battle will the battle be over." As it said that, the sound of gears and mechanisms filled the air, everybody looking down as the battlefield and raised up from under the ground.
"What battlefield will these two be facing off against one first?" The field came into view and revealed a snowy wonderland with rocks of different sizes, the sight making Lightning just now show a bit of expression while Rainbow darted her eyes around, trying to examine everything. "It's the snow-rock field, a newer battlefield for the Equestria League. How will this effect what Pokémon our contestants chose to battle with?"
Celestia: "This battlefield may give Rainbow the advantage. Since all of her Pokémon can fly, she doesn't have to worry about getting caught in the snow."
Cadance: "True, though if they're knocked down into it, she might be in trouble. Anything can happen here."
Luna: "That's true. Lightning's Pokémon all have a lot of psychical strength, so I wouldn't be surprised if they've been trained to block out feeling the cold."
"Do you guys think Rainbow has a chance?" Spike asked, his friends all frowning as they continued to watch. "Is that a no?"
"It's hard to say," Cloud responded, "Like the professors said, anything can happen here." As she said that, the light wheel appeared on the megascreen. Everyone watched as the wheel began to spin, skipping from red to blue until the professors pressed the button. After a few moments, the wheel slowed to a stop on the red section.
Mic: "With that, Rainbow Dash will be the first one to select her Pokémon! So whose it gonna be?!"
Rainbow smirked as she took out a Pokeball, "I don't care how tough you are, I'm taking you down! Movine, take flight!" She threw the ball upward, the leaf moth Pokémon soon appearing.
"Mow," it called out as it flew high above the snow field.
"Tch," Lightning chuckled before shaking his head, "That's what you chose to try and beat me?! I feel insulted. Then again, you are just a loser." He took out a Pokeball. "Let me show you a real Flying-type. Pitchawk, Battle Ready!" He threw the ball and in a flash, the hood-wearing bird of prey flew above the field.
"Pitch!" He squawked.
Mic: "Pitchawk versus Movine. A battle of the Flying-types."
Celestia: "Movine will be weak against Flying attacks, but strong against Dark attacks. This could go either way."
"Agreed. Now, Rotom!" The drone projected the screen, showing the countdown. "Let's get this battle started. In three...two...OOOOOOONE! BATTLE BEGIN!"
"Shadow Ball!" Lightning yelled, Pitchawk quickly forming a sphere of dark energy before firing it at Movine.
"Vine Whip!" Movine extended its tendrils and whipped one around, hitting the Shadow Ball away. "Air Slash!" With a single beat of its leaf-shaped wings, it sent a crescent blade of wind out next.
"Dodge it!" Lightning ordered, Pitchawk pulling his wings in and spinning. The blade shot past his closed in wing, evading it as it wings began to glow. "Night Slash!"
"Hawk!" He squawked as he flew up and slashed at Movine, sending it flying back. The Bug Flying-type barely managed to keep itself from hitting the ground, flaring its wings before pushing itself back into the air.
"Silver Wind!" Flying back up, Movine unleashed a pollen-lased gust of wind.
"Aerial Ace!" Pitchawk dove right into the wind, letting the pollen blades slam into it. Picking up speed, Pitchawk then arced upward, slamming into Movine as the slipstream appeared around it.
"VINE!" Movine cried as it was knocked back again.
"Vine Whip!" Rainbow commanded, Movine spreading its wings and firing a tendril at Pitchawk. And before the bird could react, the vines wrapped around its wings and feet.
"Pitch!" Pitchawk yelped, "Pitchawk!"
"Yes!" Rainbow cheered, "Now use Solarbeam!" With that, Movine's wings began to glow as they took in the sunlight.
"Oh dear. I hope that works," Fluttershy whispered.
Twilight nodded, "If Pitchawk can't escape, it'll get blasted by one of the strongest Grass-type attacks point blank. Even a Flying-type wouldn't be able to handle that."
Cloud shook her head, "But until that happens, Movine's at Pitchawk's mercy. Even being tied up, that thing's gonna be a problem."
"Shadow Ball!" They heard Lightning roar, the Pitchawk opening its mouth and charging up an energy sphere. But just as it was about to fire, Movine shifted its vines and jolted Pitchawk. This sent the Shadow Ball sailing over Movine's head.
"Ha!" Rainbow laughed, "Not so tough now, are ya?!"
Lightning growled at this, pointing at the bird, "Shadow Ball, multiple blasts! NOW!" Pitchawk began firing sphere after sphere, Movine jolting it around every moment while the Solarbeam continued to charge.
But as it did this, one of the Shadow Balls struck Movine's tendril, making it flinch. The vine loosened instantly, Pitchawk's wing pulling free before swinging it around to strike the other one. With both wings free, Pitchawk shot straight up at Movine. "Fire!" Rainbow exclaimed, Movine unleashing its Solarbeam right at Pitchawk.
"Shadow Ball!" Lightning repeated, Pitchawk firing the attack into the energy beam. It split the Solarbeam, allowing Pitchawk to get right through. "Aerial Ace!" And as it reached Movine, the slipstream appeared around it before the Dark Flying-type V-turned upward and smashed into Movine.
"Mow!" It screamed, the bug now falling straight into the field, skidding across the snow before slamming into a rock.
"Movine!" Rainbow cried as the moth tried to move, Pitchawk laughing as it flew down and landed on one of the rocks. He shot a devious glared at Movine as the moth pulled itself up onto one of the rocks. "Use Silver Wind!"
"Mow!" Movine beat its wings, firing the pollen filled wind.
"Pitch!" The Flying-type leapt off the rock, flying right over the pollen stream.
Lightning smirked, "Time to end this. Pitchawk, Sky Attack!" Pitchawk squawked as he flew higher, his body starting to glow and build up energy. As he did this, Movine shook the cold water off its wings and took to the air.
"Big mistake!" Rainbow yelled "Until that attack hits, your Pitchawk is a sitting duck!"
Celestia: "She's right. But Lightning wouldn't have chosen that move if he didn't believe Pitchawk could withstand anything Rainbow threw at it."
Cadance: "Let's see if Rainbow can prove him wrong."
"Air Slash!" Movine fired the blades of wind at Pitchawk, every one slamming into the Flying-type flinch. But Pitchawk continued to build energy as Rainbow pointed at the bird, "Don't stop! Vine Whip!" Swinging its tendrils around, Movine began slamming them into Pitchawk. Two, three, four times.
"Pitch!" He hissed with each hit as it fought through the pain.
"Silver Wind!" The pollinated gust was now launched at the Pitchawk, only for the Dark Flying-type's eyes to shoot wide open.
"PITCHAWK!" He roared before shooting down, right into the gust. "Pitch!" It pushed through the wind and reached its target, "HAWK!"
"MOW!" Movine cried as it was struck, instantly slamming into one of the field's rocks before bouncing off it and landing in the snow.
"Movine!" Rainbow cried as the Rotom Drone flew down and scanned the Bug Flying-type.
"Movine is unable to battle. Pitchawk is the winner." The crowd cheered at this, Rainbow's friends not cheering as Mic spoke up.
"With that, the first Pokémon of the day goes down." Rainbow returned Movine, "But I'm sure Rainbow's now out for blood."
Celestia: "She needs to find a way to make this battlefield work to her advantage. If she can."
"Nice work Movine," Rainbow told the Pokeball. "I promise I'll get him back for that." She replaced the Pokeball and glared at Lightning. "This isn't over yet." She held out the Pokeball, "I'm only starting to show you the power of Flying-types. Hawlucha, take flight!" She threw it and in a flash, the Wrestling Pokémon appeared and landed on one of the rocks.
"Yes!" Flash cheered, "Now Rainbow has the Type advantage against Lightning's Dark-type."
"Brick Break!" Rainbow yelled, Hawlucha leaping forward to chop the Dark-type.
"In the air!" Lightning barked, Pitchawk leaping to avoid the Brick Break. Hawlucha tried to follow, only for Lightning to call out, "Shadow Ball!"
"Pitch!" Pitchawk fired the sphere, but Hawlucha leapt off a rock to dodge the attack.
"Aerial Ace!" Pitchawk shot down, the slipstream appearing around it.
"X-Scissor!" Rainbow countered, Hawlucha leaping forward and crossing its wings. The two attacks struck one another head-on, both pushing until the clash knocked the duo back, both landing into a rock. "Alright, now use-" She stopped when Lightning held up his Pokeball and returned Pitchawk, "Seriously?!"
Mic: "Lightning's making a sudden substitution."
Luna: "He must have determined fighting with Pitchawk wouldn't be a risk worth taking. Smart move."
Cadance: "But which Pokémon is he going to send out instead?"
"Gorillamp," Lightning threw his Pokeball, "Battle Ready!" The ball flew through the air and in a flash, the giant metal covered gorilla appeared in the snow.
"GORILLAMP!" He roared, beating his fists into his chest.
"Oh geez," Rainbow gulped, "Use Flying Press!" Hawlucha ran through the snow and used a rock as a springboard, leaping high above Gorillamp.
"Luch!" It roared as it spread its wings and began to fly straight down, light wrapping around it as it drew closer. "Cha!"
"Thunder Punch!" Lightning ordered, Gorillamp's fist sparking as he pulled it back. And as Hawlucha got closer, the Electric Steel-type thrust it upward, smashing it into the opponent's stomach.
"Cha!" Hawlucha was knocked flying, skidding through the snow a second later.
"Thunder!" Gorillamp let out a screech as electrical energy began to spark from the metal areas of his body, building up power until he unleashed a powerful thunderbolt. The lightning swept across the field, melting the snow to reveal grass underneath as it made its way for Hawlucha.
Hawlucha was pushing itself back to its feet when the attack came, the Fighting Flying-type seeing this and going wide eyed. "Get out of there!" Rainbow cried, Hawlucha leaping to the side just in time to avoid the electrical blast. "Quick, get in close and use Brick Break!"
"Ha!" It shot forward, its wings glowing as it reached Gorillamp. He karate chopped the giant ape, hitting it in the stomach with enough force to knock it staggering back. "Lucha!" He used Brick Break three more times, pushing Gorillamp again and again.
"What are you doing?! Get that weakling off you! Hammer Arm!" Lightning screamed, Gorillamp's arms beginning to glow.
"GORE!" With a mighty swing, he charged forward and struck Hawlucha with a lariat. Hawlucha squawked in pain as the force on its neck blasted the Fighting Flying-type backward, slamming him through a rock. It moaned as he hit the ground, skidding along the dirt.
"Heavy Slam!" Hawlucha looked up and saw the gorilla coming just as Rainbow called out to the Wrestling Pokémon.
"X-Scissor!" Hawlucha thrust its arms forward and crossed them as Gorrilamp slammed its arms downward. The two attacks slammed into one another, the force sending the remaining snow around them flying away.
The two pushed against one another, only for Hawlucha to leap back, "Cha!" It cried, pulling back as Gorillamp's arms then slammed into the ground...and the fists sunk into the earth.
"Brick Break!" Rainbow yelled, Hawlucha using the nearest rock to bounce off of with glowing wings.
Gorillamp tried to pull its arms out, only to find itself unable to move. But Hawlucha flew closer, Lightning smirked. "Hammer Arm!" Gorrilamp smiled as light began to glow out from the cracks, Rainbow gasping as the sight.
"Get out of there!" She screamed, but it was too late.
"GORILLAMP!" The ape roared as the ground started cracking apart, soon exploding when he pulled his arms out. The explosion was so powerful that it sent rocks and dirt flying everywhere, the rubble instantly hitting Hawlucha.
"HAWLUCHA!" Rainbow cried.
"Thunder Punch!" Lightning yelled, Gorrilamp running up with a electric fist. And before Hawlucha could react, Gorillamp slammed its fist down onto Hawlucha's head, smacking it into the ground.
"CHA!" It roared in pain, the ground now cracking beneath it while the electricity surged through its body.
Everyone watched in shock as Gorillamp slammed another Thunder Punch into Hawlucha, spirals appearing in its eyes as the ape prepared a third just as the Rotom Drone flew down, sounding an alarm. The gorilla growled at the machine, only for the Rotom to announce, "Hawlucha is unable to battle. The winner is Gorillamp."
Rainbow's friends sighed as Spike exclaimed, "Aw, come on! That's not fair! Lightning's gonna keep swapping out his team whenever Rainbow uses a Pokémon with an advantage."
"That's a normal and very good strategy," Cloud pointed out, "It's one of the risks you run into when you only use one type of Pokémon. Rainbow knows this and hopefully, she has a plan to overcome Gorillamp."
"I hope you're right," Twilight grimaced, "If Rainbow loses a third Pokémon, she's gonna be in serious trouble."
Up in the Gym Leader box, Spitfire was watching the match closer than anyone else. "Come on Rainbow. You can do this. Don't let that guy beat you so easily."
Rainbow stared at Hawlucha's Pokeball, then out at the battlefield where Gorillamp was standing. She saw Lightning smirk...but it was a bored smirk, the sight making her blood boil. "You think you'll win just because you're two Pokémon ahead?!" She replaced her Pokeball, "Don't get cocky! You might have the advantage against most of my team with that thing, but I've got one Pokémon your Electric Steel-type's gonna hate! Gliscor!" She pulled her arm back, "Take flight!"
The ball flew into the air and opened up, unleashing the Ground Flying-type. "Gliscor!" It roared while gliding down onto one of the remaining rocks.
"Nice!" Flash cheered, "Gliscor is a good match up against Gorillamp."
"But what if Lightning changes his Pokémon again?" Spike asked, Rainbow appearing to be thinking the same thing.
"Quick, use Earthquake!" Gliscor hissed as he leapt up, then swung his tail straight down into the ground. This caused the entire stadium to shake, almost rocking everyone out of their seats.
"Gore!" Gorillamp yelped as the earth hit him, only for Gliscor to charge right at him.
"X-Scissor!" Gliscor pulled its claws back before slashing at Gorillamp in an X-formation. Gorillamp staggered back at this, only for Lightning to yell out a command.
"Hammer Arm!" Gorillamp swung its arm and lariated the Fang Scorpion Pokémon just as it finished the X-Scissor. The glider was pushed back before grabbing a rock with it claw to stop itself.
"Heavy Slam!" Gorilla leapt at the bat, Glilscor opening its wings to jump back just as the ape slammed its fists down, smashing the rock. However, the impact created a gust, pushing Gliscor back.
"Earthquake!" Rainbow called out, Gliscor flying in a circle before closing its wings and diving downward.
"Hammer Arm!" Lightning ordered, Gorillamp swinging one of his fists to try and backhand Gliscor. But the Fang Scorpion flapped back, dodging the attack before slamming its tail into the ground, creating another powerful quake that Gorillamp was at the center of.
"GORE!" He cried as the ground slammed into him, feeling his four times weakness to the attack.
Mic: "Yikes! Looks like Lightning will be the one losing the next Pokémon. Those attacks are looking painful."
"That's it Rainbow," Spitfire whispered, "Take him down. This is your chance."
"Finish it with Giga Impact!" Rainbow yelled, Gliscor extending its tail before catapulting itself at the ape, an energy slipstream appearing around it.
Mic: "Oh, this attack will probably leave a mark. What will Lightning do?"
"Brace yourself!" Lightning roared, Gorillamp looking up at the incoming comet. It let out a roar and stood tall before crossing its arms right as the Giga Impact struck. The impact shook the stadium, Gorillamp being pushed back as he dug his feet into the ground. He felt his feet grind into the dirt, a dust cloud covering both Pokémon next.
Mic: "Aw man. Everyone is on the edge of their seat as they wait to see whether or not Gorillamp was able to withstand that intense attack."
A moment later, Gliscor leapt out of the dust cloud and landed on a rock. It was panting, its body needing to recharge after using such a strong attack. But as this happened, the dust cloud faded...and showed Gorillamp was still standing strong.
"Rill," he growled, his body now all bruised up.
"No way," Rainbow whispered, Lightning laughing at the sight.
"HA! I knew that weakling wouldn't do a thing to Gorillamp! Now, let's finish this with Hammer Arm."
Gorillamp charged at this, Gliscor unable to escape due to the Giga Impact's effect. "GORE!" He swung an arm into Gliscor's face, blasting it upward. Gliscor cried out in pain as it was sent into the sky, gravity quickly taking hold as it began to fall. And as it fell, it tried to open its wings, but they were still frozen.
"Heavy Slam!" Gorillamp leapt up at this and slammed both fists into Gliscor, knocking it flying into a rock. He moaned as he slid to the ground, Lightning grinning at the sight. "Finish it! Another Heavy Slam!"
Gorillamp charged again, only for Gliscor's eyes to shoot open and leapt up into the air. "Gly!" He roared, showing he was back to being battle ready.
"Nice!" Rainbow cheered, "Let's do another Earth-"
"Return!" Lightning interrupted as he recalled Gorillamp. "Rest up. I'll need you again later."
"What the-come on man!" Rainbow yelled, "Do you have any faith in your Pokémon?!"
Lightning gave her a stare like she was insane, "Having faith in your Pokémon is pointless if they can't win. I'm not gonna just sit there and let a weakling like you use something cheap like Earthquake."
Celestia: "He's got a point. Gorillamp probably couldn't take another Earthquake like it took that Giga Impact."
Lightning took out another Pokeball. "Besides, I now know how your Gliscor fights, and I'll beat you without even trying. Roglacier, Battle Ready!"
He threw the Pokeball and in a flash of light, Roglacier appeared on one of the rocks. "Row..." it whispered as it took the usual ninja stance.
"An Ice-type..." Rainbow growled, "Doesn't matter. We can still win. Gliscor, use X-Scissor!" Gliscor leapt up as its wings spread before charging at it with glowing claws. But as it tired to do this, Roglacier hopped right over the Pokémon and landed on Gliscor's back.
"Ice Punch!" Before Gliscor could react, Roglacier swung its fist down, striking its back. Gliscor let out a cry, the force knocking it into the dirt before sliding across the grassy field. As it did this, Roglacier leapt off it and Lightning gave his next command. "Hail!"
"Glay..." Roglacier brought his hands together and formed an ice ball, which he threw upward before exploding into a large cloud. As Gliscor pushed itself back to its feet, the cloud began to unleash the ice, the sudden drop in temperature causing Gliscor to shiver.
But when Gliscor looked up at Roglacier, the Ice Fighting-type seemed to vanish in the mist. "Snow Cloak," Rainbow gasped, "Not good."
"Not for you," Lightning chuckled, "Roglacier, use Ice Punch!" As Gliscor glanced around, something suddenly appeared next to it and gave the Ground Flying-type a sock to the face before disappearing. The impact sent a cold chill down Gliscor's spine. "Again, multiple strikes!"
"Gly?" Gliscor yelped before it was hit in the back, knocking it around before it was jabbed in the chest. "Scor!" Realising it couldn't stay in the snow storm, Gliscor leapt onto its tail. Another punch, this one to its stomach, landed before it shot upward, only to feel the Hail strike its body.
"Hold on Gliscor!" Rainbow yelled.
"Blizzard!" Roglacier appeared on one of the rocks and pulled down his scarf, letting out a mighty breath as a stream of freezing cold air shot up. The wind hit the Gliscor, pushing it up into the cloud.
The Blizzard then began to freeze the cloud solid, trapping Gliscor inside. "NO!" Rainbow cried as the cloud began to fall down onto the battlefield. But before anyone could worry, the ice block began to crack and break apart, shattering into hundreds of ice blocks that slammed into the battlefield. Roglacier began to leap from one rock to another, climbing higher so as to not be buried under the ice. And when the last ice cube hit the ground, Roglacier landed on top of the pile.
Everyone in the crowd were wide-eyed at the sight, only for the bottom of the ice pile to begin to shift and shake before a particular Pokémon pulled itself out. "Gly..." Gliscor moaned as it dragged itself out of the ice. Its body appeared frosty in places, its body barely moving.
"You okay?" Rainbow asked as Gliscor pushed itself to its feet. It turned to Rainbow and gave her a smile, only to fall over with spirals in its eyes. "Gliscor!"
The Rotom Drone flew down and looked Gliscor over. "Gliscor is unable to battle. The winner is Roglacier."
Rainbow flinched at hearing this, Lightning's grin returning and getting bigger. "Gliscor..." she held up her Pokeball, "Return."
The orb sucked the Ground Flying-type back inside while Rotom spoke up, "Three of Rainbow Dash's Pokémon have been eliminated. As such, there shall be a short break while the field is changed." Lightning held up his Pokeball and returned Roglacier, the field lowering itself into the pit at the same time.
"Poor Rainbow," Pinkie commented as her hair deflated, "She's down three to nothing."
"Oh, I'm worried," Rarity muttered, "If she doesn't find a way to turn things around, she'll be in trouble. And losing three Pokémon in a row must have shaken her confidence."
"Don't worry." They all turned to Fluttershy as she stared down at the battlefield. "Rainbow won't give up so easily. And it doesn't matter if it ends up being six against one. She'll keep pushing and find a way to win."
The others blinked at her before turning back to the field. When they did, they saw Rainbow Dash standing tall. She didn't show worry or nervousness about losing half her team. There was confidence and strength on her face.
"You're right," Flash added, "Rainbow's strong. No matter what challenges she faces, she's gonna find a way to overcome them." The others nodded as the sound of the field being elevated filled the air.
"Time to see which field the rest of this battle will be taking place on," Mic chimed in as the field was revealed to be your average battlefield, like one you would find behind any Pokémon Center. "It's a Dirt Battlefield. And oldy but a goody. Now, bring out your Pokémon!"
"Alright!" Rainbow took her Pokeball out, "Talonflame, take flight!" She threw the ball and in a flash, the fire hawk appeared.
"Talon!" It squawked while beating its wings, causing embers to fly off it.
Rainbow smirked before turning to Lightning, "So what are you gonna do? Send out Roglacier, or Gorillamp! Go ahead! I'm not scared of them!"
Lightning shook his head at this, "You should be. You'll never beat any of them." He took out a Pokeball. "Let's just finish this boring battle already. Thrashark, Battle Ready!" He threw the ball and it opened up to reveal the Sea Predator Pokémon.
"Thrash!" It growled while staring up at Talonflame, the two Pokémon glaring one another down.
Rainbow and Lightning's Equestria League battle was only just beginning. And despite Rainbow's disadvantage, she still had every intention of winning. But only time would tell if she would be able to overcome Lightning once and for all. As the journey continues.
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CALLED IT!
Screw it all. Buck the trend, Banshee. Let her have this 'W', as well as AJ in the next one and have the finals end with a draw between the two.
I'm not that much of a Rainbow Dash fan, but I hope she can prove that Lightning dork that not all trainers exist just to be defeated by him.
When I was just a kid who only played Pokemon Stadium, I also thought that switching Pokemon was a cheap trick performed by those who had no faith in their Pokemon. Ah those were good times.
Also, definitely this Heath is the opposite of the Heath in your YuGiOh fic, I would have liked to see more of Heath's battle but I am satisfied with what I saw, it is incredible that you managed to create a Heath who is a good trainer and a good person , now I feel bad because in my fic, Heath is a villain and a horrible person.
Well, looks like the Quarter-Finals were mostly skipped over, but the little bit that we saw was cool. Now we move on to the Semi-Finals, and full 6 on 6 matches! I had a feeling that Rainbow was going to face Lightning this round, mainly because Flash already beat Rainbow in the previous story.
Sad truth is that Rainbow isn’t going to win this battle. She is currently behind 3-0, and anytime she seems to gain an advantage Lightning just swaps out for a better suited Pokémon. But, hopefully she can at least have the satisfaction of taking down at least one of Lightning’s Pokémon so it isn’t a completely humiliating defeat. I’m also interested in seeing what her reaction will be to Spitfire offering her to become her apprentice?
Then afterwards we get Flash vs Applejack. Those two have only battled once before and it ended in a draw. It will be interesting to see how much they have both improved since then.
Lightning has been in control of this batttle from the start. He’s playing it smart. However I am concern about his Pokémon. He’s been pushing them too far…
11048173
Banshee will either continue his pattern and Flash will win or he'll do something interesting and AJ will win. Those are the only two out comes given the stacks, my money is on Flash winning, but it would be a present surpise if Lightning ended up losing to RD and AJ beats Flash to end the League with a draw.
Don't miss understand me, I am a Flash fan, but verity would be nice
11048240 You do realise you're contradicting yourself, right?
11048247
No, I am not. You seem to be making the logical fallacy of a false dichotomy. Being a fan of Flash Sentry, and wanting some narrative verity in stories with him as the main character are not mutually exclusive things. If I wasn't a Flash fan, I wouldn't have even bothered to read your Flash stories. Wanting you to every once in a while, not follow a story telling pattern you have employed for most of your Flash Sentry stories can only come about because I care about the character and seeing your potential as an author.
These are not contradictions, because these are not mutually exclusive, to assume that they are and say I am contradicting myself assumes that there is a dichotomy in this situation when there is not one.
11048310 What I meant by that is that you want some variety, but are telling me I should do something that always happens in the series. The only way I could show some variety is to have Flash win the whole things, since that's something that rarely ever happens in Pokemon for the main character.
11048247
Also betting one result and allowing oneself to be presently surprised if it is another is also not a contradiction, again to believe that it is a contradiction is to make the false dichotomy logical fallacy. Hypothetically, you can expect me to write a long-winded comment on how should Rainbow win this match, that victory might be bs, and yet you can be presently surprised that I am metaphorically carrying RD on my shoulders cheering her on. That's not a contradiction, because the two ideas are not mutual to each, exclusively or inclusively.
11048313
I am not a Pokemon follower, I am a follower of your Flash stories, a fan of MLP, verity from my point of view would be Flash not facing Lightning in the finals, and Lightning not making it there either. So while Flash losing the Equestrian Legue might be par for the course for a Pokemon series, Flash not besting his rival or final foe is very different than any other of your Flash stories. It's a matter of point of view. I am looking at it as a Banshee531 Flash Sentry story.
I hope that Rainbow can beat at least one of Lightning's Pokémon with Wondor or Tank. Make it so the crowd knows he isn't invincible.
Lightning's treatment of his Pokémon is definitely going to cost him against Flash. Especially when the ones that the jerk believes are weak actually show they can handle his team. Besides, Lightning will never beat Shining Armor if he did win against Flash. Power isn't true strength in these stories.
11048007
It's still a negative. It reminds me of the Kalos League in the anime.
Very good. My only gripe is that Lightning is too invincible and needs to be put in his place.
This was hard to read. It's tough seeing the main rival, who in this case is a massive jerk, accrue such a big lead over a more likeable character, and Rainbow isn't even one of my favorites.
Before I forget, I love the scenes you did with Grand, Cloud Clipper, and their grandkids. Grandparents are highly respected and valued in my culture, so there's something heartwarming about seeing that even someone as jaded and calloused as Lightning cares about his grandfather deep, deep down.
The beginning and ending of this chapter have some fun battles, but surprisingly my favorite part of this chapter is the middle part where Grand more or less disowns Lightning after believing he is beyond redemption, instead saying he is going to have to realize he is wrong on his own now.
I still find it impressive that Riptide was the one to defeat all three of Heath's Pokémon though, even with a little help from Skyler and Astro. That is basically just more proof of how powerful he really is, but of course Lightning would probably just completely ignore it and say something like "it only proves how weak Heath and his own team are to lose to a weakling like him".