A Finals Confrontation
The whole of Equestria was waiting with baited breath as the finals of the Equestria League Competition was moments from beginning. It had been a long road, but now it was time for Flash Sentry and Lightning Blitz to face off. Only one would be able to claim victory and earn the chance to face Shining for the title of champion.
It was here that the megascreen activated and Present Mic appeared, "WAZ-UUUUUP!" He yelled into the microphone, "Well, this has certainly been an amazing tournament ladies and gents, but all good things must come to an end. So now, let's welcome the two trainers who have overcome many obstacles to get here! In the Blue Corner, the wild trainer who puts his faith in his Pokémon and is rarely ever disappointed, Flash...SENTRY!"
The crowd cheered as Flash and Springer stepped out onto the blue podium, the two waving at the crowd as they moved to the edge. He then spotted his friends, smiling when he saw Rarity, Pinkie, Fluttershy and Trixie dressed like cheerleaders.
"And in the Red Corner, power is his thing and it hasn't steered him wrong yet. Give it up for the mega muscled trainer that is, Lightning...BLITZ!" The crowd also cheered as Lightning walked out onto the field, a long deep stare on his face. When he reached the end of the platform, he and Flash locked eyes.
"This is it," Twilight commented, "Flash versus Lightning with everything on the line."
"Oh man..." Spike gulped, "I've been waiting for this." He stood up, "Beat that jerk Flash! This is what all that training's been for!" Flash nodded as his mind was brought back to the previous night.
Last Night...
"Iron Tail!" Flash yelled, Hopper flying up as he swung his glowing tail.
"Gal!" Astro roared as he used Dragon Claw to block the attack, both pushing against one another before backing off. "Now use Wyvern Wing!"
"Sky!" Hopper roared as his upper body was suddenly suddenly surrounded by energy, the Proto-Dragon Pokémon flying straight for Astro. The Galvern retorted by firing a Dragon Pulse, but Hopper easily barrel-rolled around the dragon laser before beating his wings, causing the energy to fly off him.
"Vern!" Astro fired another Dragon Pulse, the two attacks colliding above a battlefield outside Professor Celestia's lab, exploding and causing a mighty shockwave.
"Wow..." Flash whispered as Hopper flew into the cloud. "Time to try something new! Aerial Ace!" From out of the cloud, Hopper emerged and flew down at Astro. The Galvern's claws glowed as he shot up while Hopper spun around and swung his foot. His talons collided with Astro's claws, the impact knocking both Pokémon back.
"Sky/Gal!" They both cried as they fell and skidded along the battlefield. A moment later, Astro charged as he tried to use Crunch on Hopper.
"Extreme Speed!" Flash commanded, Hopper beginning to glow. He then leapt over Astro, moving so fast that the Dark Dragon-type didn't have time to react as Hopper landed and quickly spun around, "Iron Tail!"
"Dran!" He swiped his glowing tail at Astro's head, but Astro quickly raised his star-shaped gauntlet and blocked the tail. But the blow pushed him back, the two then taking to the air again as they began soaring around.
"That's the way!" Flash cheered as the pair seemed even.
Off to the side, Twilight, Doc, Sunset, Spike, Ryu and Kaida were watching the battle, along with Shine, who came out of her Pokeball by herself to watch her old friend. "Wow..." Twilight whispered, "Hopper's gotten even stronger since the last time we saw him."
"Rapid..." Shine added.
"Of course," Ryu smirked, "He's the King of Dragons. He's gotta stay strong to keep the peace. I've trained him well."
Sunset smiled at this, "I can't believe the Dragon Kingdom actually exists. I always thought it was just a legend."
"Oh no, it's a real place." Kaida chimed in, "Protected by the mighty Kai, who helped train the strongest Skeidran of all. That Skeidran, who wears a special mark on his head, is known as the King of Dragons."
Sunset nodded, turning to Ryu. "And you were the one that was supposed to train Hopper?" Ryu nodded, "But Flash ended up with him instead, huh? That must have made you mad."
"It...did at first." Ryu sighed as he looked away, only to glance back up at Hopper, "But I quickly came to realize that Flash training Hopper was the right thing to do. I doubt I'd have been able to train and teach him the way Flash had." The others nodded back, "Besides, I'll have the chance to train my own King of Dragons soon enough."
This statement caused everyone to freeze, Flash's next battle command dying in his throat. They all turned to Ryu and Kaida, who just chuckled at their expressions, "You don't mean..." Doc couldn't even finish the question, but the two Draconids nodded.
"Princess laid an egg a week ago," Kaida giggled, "Oh, you should have heard the cheers the villagers let out when we found those two curled around it that morning."
"Hopper's gonna be a dad?!" Spike asked with wide eyes, "But...he's like not even a year old!"
"Dran!" Hopper roared as he landed in front of Flash. The teen smiled as he moved up and scratched Hopper on the head.
"That's amazing bud," he said while Springer let out a yip of agreement. But then, Flash turned to Ryu. "But...is it a good idea for him to be here? I mean, what if his egg hatches while he's here? It's not right for him to miss that."
"Don't worry," Kaida replied, "Hoppin eggs take a real long time to hatch. Hopper spent three months in his egg before he was taken."
Ryu nodded in agreement, "And besides, it was Princess who told Hopper to come."
Flash raised an eyebrow at this, "Really?"
"Oh yes. She knew Hopper really wanted to help you win this battle, so she told him to come. Everyone in the Dragon Kingdom is planning to watch the battle tomorrow."
"Wow..." Flash glanced back at Hopper, patting the dragon. "Guess you've really become king, haven't ya?"
Meanwhile, inside the lab, Rarity was looking over Fluttershy, Trixie and Pinkie. The four were all in cheerleader outfits that she had designed, the fashionista knowing that Flash was gonna need all the help he could get. "How does it feel girls?" She asked as the three looked themselves over. "Not too restrictive, I hope?"
"No way!" Pinkie exclaimed as he leapt up and down, laughing as she shook her pom-poms. "These are great!"
Trixie nodded back, but Fluttershy was trying to hide her face behind her pom-poms. "Um...why am I a part of this?"
"Because darling, you look absolutely adorable in that outfit, and Flash needs as much support as possible. Besides..." she walked over to move Fluttershy's arms, waving them around. "See? I think this is a great way to show the world how far you've come since you started your journey. Show everyone how strong you are now."
Fluttershy stared down at the pom-poms, then gave a strong smile and started waving them around on her own. Soon, all four girls were dancing around like a real cheerleading squad. As they did this, Rainbow and Applejack both walked into the room, having just arrived after being interviewed by the press, who had gotten wind of their Gym Leader situations and wanted to ask several questions.
"Hey girls!" Rainbow said as she saw how they were dressed. "Wow. You look awesome." Applejack nodded in agreement, the girls all smiling before they headed outside. When they did this, they heard Twilight talking to Flash.
"Your Pokémon are all in top shape." Twilight commented, "But are you sure this is gonna be enough? After all, this is Lightning we're talking about. That guy doesn't go down so easily."
"Yeah, I know. This is probably gonna be my toughest battle ever." He reached over and patted Springer, who was sitting on Hopper's back. He thought back to all the battles he and Lightning had had. Again and again, Lightning had knocked him down, belittled him and tried to make him feel like he and his team were worthless. And with every loss, the pain of it hurt more and more. "Lightning doesn't give up. He just keeps pushing, no matter what obstacle gets in his way. He blasts it away with all the power he has under his control."
"Yeah," Rainbow crossed her arms, "I hate the guy, but I gotta admit he's got skill."
"How do you think he got so strong?" Pinkie asked.
Twilight sighed at this, "Lightning's always pushing the limits of his Pokémon. Plus the fact he selectively chose his team, only catching Pokémon he believed were worth having. He probably could have caught way more Pokémon if he wanted to, but instead he only chose the six he has now. That means they're the strongest he could find."
"And catching them was only the start," Doc continued, "He trains them tirelessly, forcing them past the point of breaking so they could reach the highest possible percent of power."
"That sounds horrible," Fluttershy hid behind her pom-poms.
"It is. I've seen what it does to your Pokémon personally..." Flash sighed, "But you can't argue with the results. Each and every one of his Pokémon have the power to probably take down any Gym Leader's best Pokémon. And there's more to Lightning then just pure power." They turned to him with raised eyebrows, "Lightning might not lose often, but when he does, he learns from it."
Applejack scoffed at this, "From what ah've seen, all he does is moan and make excuses."
"That might be true," Twilight replied, "But that does explain why he's so strong. He doesn't let a chance to improve himself go by."
"Then how are you gonna beat him?" Sunset asked, the group now frowning at Flash.
He continued to pet his Pokémon, only to slowly say, "After I lost to Lightning, I wasn't in a good place. I'm even ashamed to admit that I started acting like Lightning, pushing my team way too much." Everyone grimaced at this, "But then, someone helped me realize something." He turned to smile at Twilight. "That Lightning's way of training has a limit. That no matter how much you push a Pokémon to their physical peak, there's only so much strength you can get from that. But my Pokémon have a strength that Lightning's doesn't. One that has no limit."
Twilight nodded, "Their hearts."
Flash nodded again, taking out four more Pokeballs and throwing them into the air. In a flash, Skyler, Riptide, Prongs and Viper appeared. They all moved over to the rest of Flash's Pokémon, the teen smiling at them before turning back to his friends. "I don't know if my Pokémon can match Lightning's team in terms of raw power, but there's one thing that they all have that his will never be able to get the way he trains them. Guts, determination, and a true desire to get stronger for that sake. Lightning and his team only wanna get stronger just for the sake of winning. We wanna get stronger to test ourselves and..." He smiled as one last line flew through his head, "To protect those that can't protect themselves." He turned to them, "That's another thing we have that Lightning doesn't. A reason to be strong, just like Shining Armor."
The others smiled at this, Doc speaking up, "Lightning was wondering why it was you who got picked by Pegasoar. Even if you weren't the strongest trainer in the world, Pegasoar could tell you had the heart of a champion."
"Yeah," Flash nodded before looking up at the sky. "I don't know what tomorrow's gonna bring, but I do know that no matter what happens, I'll protect Equestria." He glanced back at the others, "Even if Lightning wins and becomes champion, I'll help protect this region no matter what threatens it." The others smiled back, only for Flash to add, "But I'm still gonna win. Because no matter what I'm up against," he stared at all his Pokémon, "As long as I've got these guys on my side, I know I can stand up to any challenge no matter how strong my opponent is. We're gonna win and show Lightning why he was an idiot for ever thinking were were losers. Right guys?"
"RI/TORE/REP/STAG/VI/SKY/GAL!" They all cheered, all looking forward to the chance to beat Lightning once and for all. Even Astro, who wouldn't be taking part in the battle, was gonna cheer for his teammates and support them no matter what.
But the Pokémon that was looking forward to this battle the most was Riptide, the Reptidal thinking back to the day he first met Lightning at this very lab. Where Lightning had called him weak, worthless and several other things, Flash hadn't believe that and had taken Riptide under his wing, training him to the best of his ability and trusting him in multiple battles. He then remembered the two battles he had had against Lightning and Gorillamp, both times failing and letting Flash down. "Tidal..." he clenched his fist as he thought back to those times.
Flash smiled at the seven and held out a fist, "Let's go out there and show all of Equestria what makes us so great!" They all cheered again and brought their fists, hooves and tail in to show their teamwork. Everyone watching smiled and cheered, all soon leaving the lab as they prepared for tomorrow.
But as they left, they didn't notice Lightning leaning against the wall around the corner of the lab. He was laughing to himself as he said, "Power of the heart?! Don't make me laugh!" He shook his head, "The heart does nothing but make you weak. Feelings will just make you hesitate to do what it takes to win."
He pushed himself off the wall and walked away. "That worthless loser...why can't he realize he'll never amount to anything! I showed him time and time again that he's nothing! Just like gramps is now..." He growled as he began to think back to what Flash had accomplished, getting so much praise, "I'm superior to him in every way!"
He clenched his fists as he stared up at the sky, his mind going back to the one day that ruined everything. The day Grand lost to Shining Armor. The memory made him sick to his stomach, hissing as he looked down at his hands and clenched them, "Why am I even thinking about that loser?! The real enemy is Shining Armor! I'll make him pay for what he's done to my family...and when I'm done beating both these weaklings, everyone will know that I'm the best trainer, and I got there with my own power! Not through something as pathetic as friendship or the heart...but with power, just like a real trainer."
The Present...
Everyone watched as the Rotom Drone flew down over the pit. "The battle between Flash Sentry and Lightning Blitz is about to begin," it announced, "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 fight will the battle be over." As it said that, the sound of gears and mechanisms filled the air, everybody looking down as the battlefield raised up.
"Time to see what battlefield our competitors will be fighting on first." The field was revealed to be a giant sand pit, with the only bit of solid ground being a round podium in the middle of the field with the Pokeball logo on it. "It's the sand field, a dangerous field to battle in. If the trainer isn't careful, he'll get himself stuck with nowhere to run."
Doc smiled at the sight, "Flash has battled on sand plenty of times. This shouldn't cause too many issues for him."
"But Lightning's also trained in this terrain," Twilight pointed out, "They're probably even in this regard."
"Alright!" Pinkie turned to the other cheerleader girls, "Let's cheer with all our hearts!" The others nodded and started waving their pom-poms around.
In that moment, the Rotom Drone projected the battle screen and showed the red and blue wheel. 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 blue section.
"With that, Flash Sentry will be the one to select his first Pokémon! Which one will he choose?"
"Nice," Flash looked down at Springer, "Ready to start things off bud?"
"Riolu!" Springer exclaimed before running out onto the battlefield while Lightning took out a Pokeball.
"Androrg!" He threw the ball, "Battle Ready!" The ball opened up and the Bio-Mech Pokémon appeared, landing so hard that a cloud of sand flew up. And when it faded, the Steel-type was standing ready and let out a roar.
"It's Riolu verses Androrg!" Mic turned to the professors, "Ladies, how do you think this battle will turn out given what we know?"
Celestia smiled at this, "I was there when these two trainers began their journey. Their first official battle was against one another, and I can see they've both come far since that day. I'm certain this battle will be like none we've seen given how well they know each other."
Luna nodded, "The last time these two battled, it wasn't exactly an even match up. All I'm wondering is if this battle will be different from their last one."
Up in the box, Shining Armor's eyes went between the two, remembering the two's last battle and how Lightning had absolutely destroyed Flash. "Will things be any different this time?"
Grand Hoof stared at the field, his hands trembling as he whispered, "Flash...Lightning...it all comes down to this. This is all my fault." His eyes turned to his grandson, "If Lightning wins here, his mindset could be set in stone. I don't want to rely on Shining. Lightning's heart is wrapped in hatred against him..." He glanced back at Flash, "Please win Flash. You have too."
"The moment has arrived everybody," Mic cheered, "The final battle of the two hundred and eighteenth Equestria League. Rotom!" The drone projected the holographic screen, showing the numbers that began to count down. "Let's get this battle started! In three...two...OOOOOOONE! BATTLE BEGIN!"
"Androrg!" Lightning pointed at Springer, "Go!" Androrg instantly shot across the field as Lightning gave his first command, "Use Bullet Punch!" He clenched his fist at this, the sand now making a dust trail behind him.
"Counter it head on with Drain Punch!" Springer charged ahead, he and Androrg meeting head on and throwing their punches at one another. Both attacks collided, only for Androrg to slowly push him back.
"Ri!" Springer then leapt back, Androrg's punch coming to a stop.
Mic: "And the battle begins with an even bout of Bullet and Drain Punch! Where will the battle go from here?!"
"Use Metal Sound!" Lightning ordered, Androrg raising his black hand and started spinning it. A powerful screeching sound filled the stadium, the soundwave hitting Springer's ears, making him stop dead in his tracks.
"RIOLU!" He screamed, trying to cover his ears the best he could.
"Terra!" Peewee cried, covering his eyes and trying to hide in Spike's hoodie.
"Peewee!" Spike yelped, also covering the Dragon-type's ears. "What's wrong?" The others turned to the dragon, then to Springer.
"Metal Sound is a move that lowers the target's Special Defense," Doc chimed in, "And if Peewee can hear it from up here, it must be super strong for Springer."
"That's not good," Applejack gulped.
"Springer!" Flash yelled through the noise, trying to connect to Springer's aura. "Use Aura Sphere!" Springer sensed this and quickly uncovered his ears before forming and firing the sphere. The orb struck Androrg in the chest, knocking it back while cancelling Metal Sound. "Now, Bone Rush!"
"Rio!" Springer charged as he formed the energy staff in his paws.
"Flash Cannon!" His chest plate opened up to reveal the twin laser holes, both lighting up.
"ANDRORG!" He roared before firing the concentrated light out. The Riolu's eyes went wide as he came to a stop and spun the staff around. The laser struck it, pushing Springer back as he kept blocking the laser.
Mics: "Riolu is showing incredible grit and determination."
Cadance: "But it's starting to look like Androrg has him out powered."
"Extreme Speed!" Springer's body began to spark as he suddenly turned into a blur, teleporting around the field while leaving behind nothing but a cloud of sand.
Lightning's eyes darted around the battlefield, only to yell, "Electro Blade, eight o'clock!" Androrg suddenly spun around as his hand sparked with lightning.
"Androrg!" The lightning blade exploded off his hand and flew to a spot, right as Springer appeared there.
"Ri?" He asked before the attack hit him, "RIOLU!"
"Springer!" Flash gasped as the Riolu was sent across the field.
"How pathetic." Lightning spat, "That movement was so predictable I could see its pattern a mile away." He saw Flash growl at him, "What, you didn't know? Figures you didn't since you never evolved him. He's nothing, just like you!"
Flash glared at the teen, not responding to his insults. Instead, as he issued a command, "Aura Sphere!" Springer quickly fired the orb and began to run around Androrg, the Steel-type swinging his arm and deflecting the attack. The Aura Sphere behind him as Springer skidded to a stop in front of Flash. "It's too dangerous for you to keep going bud. Come on back for now."
"Ri," Springer nodded and jumped back several times until he was off the field.
Mic: "As the battle just seemed to be warming up, Flash chooses to switch his Pokémon."
"Nice work bud," he patted him on the head. "Take a break for now." Springer nodded as Flash turned back to the battle.
"I wonder why Flash chose to switch?" Rarity asked .
"He must have decided to change up his strategy," Cloud replied as Flash took out a Pokeball.
"Viper!" Flash threw it, "I choose you!" In a flash of light, Flash's Vipeacon appeared and landed on the sandy ground.
"Vi!" He hissed, glaring at Androrg.
"Huh. Now there's deja vu," Twilight commented, "Those two battled before."
"Oh yeah," Doc nodded, "Viper won despite Higear's Heatproof ability." They all stared at the battlefield now. "I wonder if things are gonna be different this time."
"Electro Blade!" Androrg swung its spinning hand and fired the blade of electrical energy, Viper just smirking at the attack.
"Flamethrower!" Viper leapt over the Electro Blade and took a deep breath. And with a mighty roar, he unleashed a powerful burst of fire. Androrg saw this coming and raised his arms, doing his best to block the fire blast, but the Flamethrower engulfed his entire body.
"ANDRORG!" He roared as his metal body was super-heated, the flames slowly disappearing as Viper landed.
"Use Bullet Punch!" Androrg charged at this, the Bio-Mech reaching Viper and slamming into him. Viper cried out as he was knocked flying back, soon rolling along the sand. "Again!"
As Viper picked himself up, Androrg charged to punch him again. But before the Steel-type could get in close, Viper swung his tail through the sand, kicking up a wall of sand at the Pokémon. Androrg's eyes went wide as he flew through it before yelping and covering his eyes, "Androrg!"
Mic: "Oh! Vipeacon showing impressive ingenuity by using the field and Androrg's own attack against it!"
Celestia: "Now, how will Flash use this opportunity?"
"Pyro Coil!" Flash ordered, Viper leaping up and wrapping his body around Androrg. And as he wiped the last of the sand from his eyes, Viper blew into his tail and his entire body exploded, turning both into a giant flaming torch.
"ANDRORG!" He screamed as his body was burned, Viper quickly unravelling himself before leaping out of the flames. And as he landed, the fire around Androrg vanished to show he was still standing. He panted at this, Lightning smirking at his resilience...only for his body to explode again.
"What?!" Lightning screeched while the audience cheered.
Mic: "Ouch! Looks like that Pyro Coil left a nasty burn effect!"
Flash's friends all cheered, "Way to go!" Twilight screamed, "That's the way!" The others began to say the same thing as Androrg's body stopped burning and fell to one knee.
Cadance: "This isn't gonna be good for Lightning. If he doesn't switch out, his Androrg won't last much longer."
Lightning wasn't listening to Cadance, instead pointing at Androrg. "What are you doing?! Use Electro Blade!"
"Flamethrower!" Viper unleashed the fire stream as Androrg swung his spinning hand around and fired the electrical slash. The attack struck the Flamethrower and cut through it, striking Viper instantly.
"Now, Flash Cannon!" Androrg's chest opened up and fired the laser as Viper picked himself up.
"Roll!" Flash yelled, Viper straightening his body out and rolling away from the laser as it hit the ground. But as Androrg began to fire again, the burn flared up.
"Drorg!" He roared in pain as Viper stopped rolling.
"Flamethrower!" He fired out another fire stream, this one hitting Androrg. The Pokémon staggered back at this as Viper slithered up to it, "Now use Crunch!" Viper surged forward as Androrg tried to swat him away, but he dived down and bit into his leg.
"ANDRORG!" He screamed, feeling the metal of his leg buckle.
"Get it off you with Electro Blade!" Lightning countered, Androrg raising the blade of lightning, but Viper quickly let go of Androrg and wrapped his body around his.
"Pyro Coil!" Viper bit down on his tail and breathed in, creating the fiery explosion that consumed them both.
"ANDRORG!" The Bio-Mech Pokémon cried from within the fire, only for Viper to instantly leap away and land in front of Flash. And when the flames faded, Androrg stood there limply. "An..." he moaned as he swayed, "Androrg." He then fell over, crashing into the sand with spirals in his eyes.
Everyone gasped as the Rotom Drone flew down and scanned the Steel-type. "Androrg is unable to battle. Viper is the winner!" The crowd cheered as Lightning returned Androrg, the teen just showing a blank stare.
Mic: "And Flash Sentry gets the first win of the match."
"Yeah!" Flash cheered, "You did it bud!" Viper glanced back and smirked, Flash then hearing his friends cheer.
"Way to go guys!" Spike added.
"You show that jerk who the boss is!" Rainbow hollered.
"It's still early," Doc grimaced, "This battle is just getting started. We can't let Flash winning the first match make him feel overconfident."
The others turned to him, frowning just as Lightning took out a Dive-Ball. "Thrashark," he threw it, "Battle Ready!" In a flash, the giant shark-like Pokémon appeared and let out a might roar that kicked up sand.
"Thrashark..." Flash whispered before holding up his Pokeball, "Viper, return!" It fired the beam at Viper and sucked him back into the ball. "Take a rest. I'll need you again later."
"Smart move," Rarity commented, "Against a Water-type, Viper would be in trouble."
"So who's he gonna use next?" Trixie asked as Flash replaced his Pokeball.
"Prongs," he threw the ball, "I choose you!" In a flash, the orb unleashed his Stagrowth, the deer landing and smiling to see the Thrashark was his opponent.
In the lab, Sunset was watching the battle on the couch with Astro standing behind her.
"Gal!" The Galvern roared at the screen, "Gal galvern!" Sunset giggled at his enthusiasm, patting his head.
"That's the spirit." She glanced back at the screen, "Come on Flash..."
"Tsunami Surge!" Thrashark summoned a large wave, soon sending the wall of water at Prongs.
"Use Bounce!" Flash called out, Prongs putting as much force into his legs as possible. And with a mighty roar, he leapt over the wave, "Now, Energy Ball!"
"Stag!" Prongs formed the orb and sent it flying, the Sea Predator crossing his arms as the orb slammed into them and exploded. The energy ball zapped Thrashark, making him flinch.
"Aqua Jet!" Thrashark shook his body before it was surrounded by water, exploding off the ground as he flew for Prongs.
"THRASH!" He roared as Prongs just glared at him.
"Horn Leech!" Prong's horns began to glow as Thrashark drew closer, only to thrust them into Thrashark. The two attacks collided with tremendous force, pushing the sand around them. A few moments later, both Prongs and Thrashark were thrown back, the deer skidding along the ground with his hooves, "Body Slam!"
"Stag!" Prongs charged at this, Thrashark now skidding to a stop.
"Hold..." Lightning called out, "Hold..." Thrashark stood still, waiting as Prongs got in close. But instead of slamming into Thrashark, Prongs leapt to the side and ran around Thrashark. But as this happened, Lightning just smirked as he saw Prong's movement kick up trails of sand. "Now!" He exclaimed, "Tsunami Surge!"
"THRASH!" Thrashark thrust his arms up, a circle of water exploding around him before shooting off in all directions. As he did this, Prongs was slammed headfirst into the wave.
"Stag!" He moaned as he was knocked back, now rolling through the damp sand. "Growth." As he pushed himself back up, Thrashark ran up to him.
"Ice Fang!" Thrashark's teeth glowed blue as he thrust his head down, Prongs trying to escape, but his leg was bitten into.
"Stag!" He cried as he felt the cold energy rush through him.
"Prongs!" Flash gasped, "Quick, fire an Energy Ball at Thrashark's face!" Prongs opened his mouth, charging up the attack before letting it rip. The sphere struck Trashark's face, causing him to flinch and let Prongs go. He staggered back, Prongs then hopping away, only to flinch from the damage of the Ice Fang.
"Aqua Jet!" Lightning ordered, Thrashark shooting off the ground as water surrounded him.
"Use Horn Leech!" Prongs charged again, this time slower than normal as his antlers glowed. The two attacks collided, Prongs doing his best to try and drain away Thrashark's energy, but the Aqua Jet pushed him back.
"Ice Fang!" Lightning roared, Thrashark exploding out of the water as his fangs glowed. And before Prongs could react, he thrust his head and bit down onto his back.
"STAG!" He cried as his spine now felt a chilling sensation.
"PRONGS!" Flash yelped as Thrashark threw him upward before smacking the deer with his tail. Prongs cried out as he was knocked back and skidded along the ground, Flash now seeing Prong's back being covered in ice. "Not good. Prongs," he held up his Pokeball, "Return." Flash sucked his Pokémon back inside his Pokeball. "It's alright. Take a break for now."
"That was close," Twilight whispered, "If Flash hadn't returned him, I don't think Prongs would have lasted much longer."
"Who do you think he'll use next?" Trixie asked.
"Maybe Springer?" Rainbow guesses, "Since Thrashark's part Dark-type."
"Possibly," Doc replied as Flash took out another Pokeball. "Or possibly not."
"Skyler!" Flash threw the Pokeball, "I choose you!" The ball sailed into the air, soon revealing his Tornavian.
"Tore!" He squawked as he looked down at Thrashark.
Mic: "And Flash's fourth Pokémon is Tornavian."
Lightning laughed at this, "Really?! You remember what happened to your little friend that loves flyers, right?" Flash just glared at him, not responding, "What, you really think you have an advantage just because your Pokémon can fly?"
"There's more to my plan than that," Flash slowly said before pointing at his Pokémon, "Let me show you! Skyler, use Steel Wing!" Skyler circled around and dived at Thrashark, his wings glowing as he drew closer.
"Use Crunch!" Lightning ordered, Thrashark opening his mouth. As Skyler got in close, he thrust his head forward, but Skyler pulled back, dodging the attack as Thrashark's fangs snapped shut.
"TORE!" He roared as he slashed his wings into Thrashark's head, smacking him back before flying away.
"Don't let him get away! Aqua Jet!" Thrashark was surrounded by water and blasted off, shooting straight up at Skyler.
"Aerial Ace!" Skyler dived in response, heading straight down at the Aqua Jet using shark. The two attacks collided, blasting both Pokémon back. The collision made both start to fall, but Flash let out a command, "Tornado Burst!" Hearing this, Skyler's eyes shot open and he started spinning around, creating a tornado that curved him away from the ground.
Thrashark then landed with a thud, letting out a yelp of pain. "Get up!" Lightning screeched, Thrashark quickly pushing himself back to his feet. But before he could fully regain his balance, Skyler exploded out of the tornado and slammed into Thrashark.
"THRASH!" He cried, staggering back while Skyler flew right back up. And as he did, Skyler began to flinch.
Mic: "It appears Thrashark's Rough Skin ability is taking effect."
Celestia: "Flash needs to be careful with the Physical Attacks that he uses."
Luna: "Except his Tornavian only knows Physical Attacks."
"Skyler!" Flash called out, his Tornavian hovering down in front of him. "You alright?" Skyler nodded, "Can you keep going?" Again, Skyler nodded. "Alright. Then use Steel Wing!"
"Ice Fang!" Lightning yelled as Skyler charged, his wings glowing while Thrashark's fangs turned blue.
"Thrash/Tore!" They both roared as Skyler slashed a wing into Thrashark's head, but the Water Dark-type fought through the pain and snapped his jaws around Skyler's wing. "Nay!" He cried, flinching in pain before swinging his other wing around and slashing at Thrashark.
"Shar!" He yelped, opening his mouth and allowing Skyler to pull himself free. He took to the air and shook his bitten wing, shaking off a little bit of ice.
"Skyler!" Flash yelled, "Stay strong!"
"Aqua Jet!" Thrashark leapt up in a burst of water, Skyler trying to glide away, but Thrashark's water bullet curved in the air.
"Dodge it!" Flash exclaimed, Skyler trying to fly away as Thrashark curved around in midair. "Evasive maneuvers!"
"Tore!" Skyler flew up higher, the Aqua Jet on his tail. The two played an aerial game of cat and mouse, Skyler doing his best to stay ahead of Thrashark while randomly shifting directions whenever he could. But Thrashark managed to keep up...only for his water to start running out.
"Thrash!" Thrashark hissed as the water around him started to fade.
"Now, Aerial Ace!" Skyler suddenly spun around and dived at Thrashark as the last of the water vanished.
"Crunch!" As Skyler got closer, Thrashark opened his mouth wide. But as he thrust his head forward, the Tornavian spun himself a few inches out to the side and Thrashark missed.
"Tore!" He then spread his wings and slammed into Thrashark, smacking him into the ground. He waved his arms wildly as he crashed into the sandy battlefield, the pit's displaced surface barely enough to cushion his fall.
"Yeah!" Spike cheered, "That's the way Flash!" Peewee roared in agreement while the others all loudly clapped.
"These battles are certainly entertaining," Tidal chuckled while the other Gym Leaders all nodded.
"Lightning appears to be losing ground compared to all the other matches," Thorax commented, "But I have a feeling he's not gonna be thrown off his game this easily..."
Up at the top of the stands, Grand frowned at the sight, "Careful Flash. Lightning's just waiting for you to make a mistake. Don't go getting cocky." As he said that, Thrashark pushed itself back up and glared at Skyler, who was now flying high above the battlefield.
Lightning stood straight, Flash now seeing him calculating what move was best for him. "I'm starting to get bored of this," he yawned, "Tsunami Surge!" Thrashark summoned the wall of water, putting everything he had into the attack and making it as large as possible.
Flash stared at the attack, only for a memory to shine in his head. The conversation between Twilight and Doc during Rainbow's battle.
"That wall's strong," Twilight sighed, "Even if Talonflame was moving fast enough, there was no way to break through it."
"A move like Drill Peck might work on it though," Doc pointed out, Flash humming at the suggestion.
"That's it!" He exclaimed as he pointed at the wall of water, "Use Tornado Burst and make it the strongest one you can muster!" Skyler flew up higher before diving down while spinning. Picking up as much speed as possible, Skyler formed the tornado around him and curved toward Thrashark's water wall.
"Now you're just grasping for straws. Pathetic." Lightning pointed at the bird, "DO IT!" Thrashark thrusting his attack upward, sending the water crashing toward Skyler.
Everyone expected Skyler to break out of the tornado and escape, but then Flash called out. "Keep going! Faster!" Skyler kept spinning inside the tornado, the wind's tip then slamming into the wave.
Mic: "Geez, what's Flash thinking?! His Tornavian's gonna get swept away!"
"Get out of there!" Kaida screamed, the rest all gasping at Flash's boneheaded move. But as they began to yell at him, the saw something: The water was actually being pushed away from the tornado.
"No way," Spike whispered.
"What's happening?" Rainbow asked as Cloud's eyes went wide.
"Of course!" She exclaimed as the tornado was now surrounded by the water, "BRILLIANT!" The others all just stared in confusion as Flash pointed ahead.
"DO IT!" In that second, the wave was ripped apart as the tornado exploded, sending out a burst of wind that pushed the Tsunami Surge away. Time seemed to stop as Skyler could now be seen at the center of the explosion, staring Thrashark down.
Then, time sped back up as Skyler charged into Thrashark, "TORNAVIAN!" He roared as he shot past the Sea Predator at blinding speed, appearing behind Thrashark while the Water Dark-type tried to react, only for the pain from Skyler's attack to catch up with him.
"THRASHARK!" He screamed as he was blasted back, slamming into the ground like a meteor.
"YES!" Flash cheered as Lightning grinded his teeth.
"What are you doing?! Get up already!" He ordered, Thrashark rolling onto his front feet. But as he did this, Skyler shot down at blinding speed.
"Giga Impact!" Skyler was now surrounded by a slipstream of energy, blocking him from view as he drew closer to his opponent. Thrashark looked up, only to instantly feel Skyler's attack smash into him.
"THRASH!" The shark roared in pain, the attack kicking up another cloud of sand.
"Tore!" Skyler exclaimed as he then flew out of the dust cloud, everyone gasping at the sight. The bird slowly glided around, its movements rather stiff thanks to the effects of the Giga Impact. He hovered to the ground at this, the smoke cloud beginning to fade.
And when it did, Thrashark was revealed to be laying on the ground with spirals in its eyes. The crowd gasped again as the Rotom Drone flew down and scanned it. "Thrashark is unable to battle. The winner is Tornavian." The crowd exploded into cheers.
Mic: "Thrashark has been eliminated. I'm sure nobody expected to see this. Lightning is down to four Pokémon while Flash still has all six of his."
"Alright," Flash cheered, "That was an awesome job bud!"
"Tore," Skyler panted while his friends cheered.
"Amazing!" Trixie exclaimed, "Flash beat two of Lightning's Pokémon in a row."
"Don't get cocky," Ryu chimed in, "Flash might have won, but it took two of his Pokémon to do it. Lightning's wearing his team down."
"Maybe," Twilight replied, "But Flash is starting to build momentum. If he can keep this up, it'll be helpful in the long run."
They watched as Lightning returned Thrashark and Flash took a deep breath, "Can't afford to get cocky. Lightning's not gonna take losing two Pokémon in a row." He stared is opponent down, only to see Lightning still wear a bored expression on his face, "That's not good. Why isn't he surprised?" A chill went down the teen's spine as he whispered, "Don't tell me that Androrg and Thrashark losing might be part of his strategy?"
Lightning looked at the Pokeball he had just taken out, then slowly looked up at Flash. "I was right about you. I've gauged your power, determined your limits...and I now know without a doubt that you will never beat me." He did a slight shrug, "Not like I didn't know that anyways. You are just a worthless loser." He pulled the Pokeball back. "Venomega, battle Ready!" He threw the ball and it opened to reveal the Venom Pokémon.
"VENO!" He roared, clanging the blades on the back of his arms together while its tail claw snapped open and shut. "NO...MEGA!"
Celestia: "A Venomega. A dangerous Pokémon to be sure."
Luna: "Flash is gonna have to be careful. If he's not, I wouldn't wanna be any of his Pokémon."
Mic: "YEAH! This is gonna be WILD!"
"Cross Poison!" Lightning ordered, Venomega charging as the blades on the backs on his arms glowed purple while crossing his arms.
"Get out of there!" Fluttershy gasped as Skyler didn't move.
"He can't!" Applejack added.
"Omega!" Venomega swung his arms apart and unleashed a purple burst of poisonous energy, hitting the bird instantly.
"TORE!" He cried, the blow knocking him back. "Nay...vian."
"Skyler!" Flash cried out, Springer yelling as well. He then saw Venomega charging again, "Get out of there!" He watched as Skyler picked himself up, moaning in pain as Venomega got in close.
"Crunch!" Venomega opened his mouth and thrust his head forward.
"Tore!" Skyler yelped, managing to push himself back, dodging the snapping jaws. Venomega's fangs smashed together as his head was close to the ground, Skyler using this opening to jump on it. "Tornavian!" He leapt straight up, using Venomega's head as a springboard.
"Ven!" Venomega lifted his head to try and bite down on Skyler, but the Flying-type got away.
"Yes!" Flash cheered, "Quick, use Steel Wing!" Without losing any speed, Skyler circled back around and charged as his wings began to glow.
"Cross Poison!" Lightning ordered, Venomega swinging his arms and firing the poisonous energy X, but Skyler managed to barrel-roll around it. And with a mighty squawk, he slashed Venomega in the stomach. Venomega cried out, but then thrust his tail upward.
And as Skyler tried to get away, he found himself suddenly grabbed around the sides by Venomega's tail claw. "Tore!"
"Get out of there!" Flash excalimed, but it was too late.
"Brutal Swing!" Lightning yelled, Venomega beginning to spin around and around. Skyler cried out as he felt himself getting dizzy, only for the Flying-type to be thrown flying across the field and into the sand.
"Tore!" He squawked in pain while Venomega just laughed.
Cadance: "Venomega's showing some incredible strength. No doubt, Lightning has trained it well."
"Steel Wing!" Flash ordered, Skyler charging and swinging his wings into Venomega's face. The Poison Dark-type cried out as he staggered back, allowing Skyler to leap into the air. "Tornado Burst!"
"Tore!" Skyler formed the tornado around him and charged at Venomega, who just glared at him while opening his frills to hiss.
"Use Venoshock!" Venomega opened his mouth and formed the sphere of purple energy, which grew larger by the second. But before the attack could be completed, Skyler exploded out of the tornado and accelerated to slam into the Venom Pokémon.
"Meg!" He cried as he was knocked back, but the orb flew out and hit the bird. An explosion came next, zapping Skyler and making him scream in pain.
"You can do it Skyler!" Flash cheered as Venomega regained his footing. "Aerial Ace!" Skyler shook off the energy zapping him and dive-bombed Venomega, flying faster and faster as the slipstream formed around him.
"Cross Poison!" Venomega swung his arms and fired the purple X, but Skyler barrel-rolled again, dodging the attack before slamming into Venomega.
"Ven!" He staggered back as Skyler flew up. But before either trainer could think to give an attack, Skyler suddenly cried out as purple lightning surged around him.
"Skyler!" Flash gasped, "Poison?!" Springer let out a confused whine, only for Flash to go wide-eyed, "Could that be Venomega's ability?!"
Celestia: "Poison Point. An ability that can cause a Pokémon that touches Venomega to become poisoned. Flash might be in trouble here."
Skyler fought against the pain, but the poison flowing through him made him feel sluggish and lightheaded. "Skyler!" Flash called out to him, "I know you can do this! Use Tornado Burst!"
"Tore!" Skyler shot down and started spinning, forming the tornado as he flew for Venomega like a mighty drill.
"Cross Poison!" The Poison Dark-type fired the energy X at the tornado, but the attack drilled through the X before it could do any real damage. And as it drew closer to Venomega, the vortex exploded and Skyler shot forward. "Grab it!"
"VEN!" Venomega quickly leaned down and Skyler shot over it, the Tornavian's eyes going wide at this. And before he could react, Venomega's tail shot up and slammed into his chest.
"Tore!" He cried as the claws wrapped around him, locking him in place and even pinning his wings to his side.
Mic: "Once again, Venomega has Tornavian in its clutches and is holding on tight. How will Flash try and get out of this?"
"Skyler!" Flash gasped as he watched his Tornavian struggle, only to then be zapped by the poison. "Not good..." His brain went over what he was seeing, only to remember his battle against Applejack's Grattle. "Quick, use Steel Wing!" Skyler squawked as his wings glowed and he tried to push the claws apart. But as he did this, Venomega tightened his grip.
"Venoshock!" Venomega formed the sphere of energy, everyone going wide-eyed.
"Oh no," Twilight gulped. "Venoshock does double the damage if the opponent's already poisoned!"
"Flash!" Rainbow screamed, "You gotta get Skyler out of there!"
"Hurry!" Pinkie yelled, but it was too late as the bird was suddenly swung upward as Venomega sphere was fully charged.
"Tore!" He cried as the purple sphere hit the bird, exploding a second later, "TORNAVIAN!" His scream ran out across the stadium as the energy surged around his body and zapped him. And as this happened, the bird began to fall toward the ground and-
"Brutal Swing!" Venomega thrust his tail claw, grabbing the bird and slamming him into the sand before throwing him away, Skyler squawking as he tasted sandy dirt.
"Skyler!" Flash gasped, "Can you get up?" Skyler moaned as he pushed himself back to his feet, standing shakily but glaring Venomega down. "That's the way!" But as he said this, Flash whispered to himself, "Skyler not gonna last much longer, especially with that poison."
But before he could decide whether or not to return him, Lightning yelled out an order, "Cross Poison!" Venomega fired the poisonous X, the bird taking flight and barely dodged it, only to get struck by the poison again. "Now, use Venoshock!"
Venomega fired the energy sphere out of his mouth, the Tornavian seeing it coming, but his body was still feeling the bite from the poison. And before he could react, the sphere struck his body and exploded. "TORE!" He screamed as his body gave out, everyone gasping as he fell like a rock and hit the ground while spirals appeared in his eyes.
"SKYLER!" Flash cried as the Rotom Drone flew down.
"Tornavian is unable to battle. Venomega wins."
Mic: "And Flash is down one Pokémon."
Luna: "That Poison Point didn't make things easy for him."
"Skyler, return." Flash held out his Pokeball and sucked the unconscious bird back inside. "It's okay. You were awesome and I'm proud of you." He then turned to Venomega, going through his team in his head.
"Flash is gonna need to be careful with who he picks," Twilight mumbled, "Pick the wrong Pokémon and he might find himself in a tough situation."
The others nodded and Flash took out a Pokeball. "Viper, I choose you!" In a flash, his Vipeacon appeared, the two soon glaring at each other.
Mic: "Flash's chosen Pokémon is Vipeacon. A smart choice."
Celestia: "Indeed. Since he's a Poison-type, he can't be poisoned."
Cadance: "Is it just me, or are those two giving each other the stink eye?"
"They are," Doc nodded, "And it's obvious why." Spike and Twilight nodded as Doc told the others, "Those two were enemies before Lightning even caught it. Back when it was a Geckoxic, they had a run in and ended up fighting against each another."
"Then Lightning caught him and the two have hated one another ever since."
"I see," Cloud replied, "This could be interesting."
But as they looked back at the battle, no one saw the small smirk appearing on Lightning's face. Only his grandfather saw it, Grand going wide-eyed as he whispered, "No...don't tell me that's Lightning's plan..." He slumped down in his seat as he let out a sigh. "Guess I'll have to rely on Shining. Flash...has already lost."
To be continued...
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If my predictions are correct, that Venomega will be the real threat in the fight and will defeat half of Flash's pokemon.
I'm gonna guess there will be two more parts of this battle as so far, this is similar to Ash and Paul's Sinnoh League battle.
Lightning won't win. I just know it. He keeps dismissing Flash and his team, but power will only take you so far. I can see Lightning's team exhausting themselves by the end because they're only focused on power. Let's wait and see if Flash can make Lightning lose it. Also, I think that we need some use of the environment, like kicking up a cloud of sand for a smokescreen effect or setting the field on fire to distract them.
and it isn't, one can never learn their limits until they are pushed beyond them, and more often than not the initial limits were just the threshold. I know we're supposed to side with Flash here, but anyone who plays Pokemon competitively would wipe the flow with Flash and his team with little effort, as for Lightning's team, not that's something that would be a challenge to a competitive player. There are reasons why Ash never won a tournament until Sun and Moon in the anime, and his team selection, which in concept is not to different than Flash's, has been one of them
Um, you've never read The Lord of the Rings, because Frodo's claiming of the Ring was because his Heart and his Soul, etc, were warned down by the Ring, so yes, the heart has its limits,
Grand, This is a Banshee Flash Fic series final entry, Flash will win...
Please, don't insult our intelligences, Flash is going to win via something that can be viewed as a deus ex machina, like Springer finally evolving into a Lucario. But I'd settle with it ending in a draw with both Springer and Gorillamp both faint at the same time, thus completing the circle of the two's journeys.
I am just glad that you plan to use him in this duel, actually giving his appearance in the previous chapters a purpose.
We finally arrive at the battle we have all been waiting for!
Things seem good so far with Flash in the lead. Viper even got revenge against Androrg for the loss he previously suffered against him. But now we have another rematch about to begin. Viper vs Venomega. That Pokémon has been causing trouble for Flash ever since it was a Geckoxic, even before Lightning caught it, and it is the one member of Lightning’s team Flash hasn’t beaten in battle yet. That thing’s gotta go down!
No matter what though, this rivalry will end here, and Flash will be the last one standing!
Holy cow! That’s incredible, good for Hopper. Do you know what this means Flash? You’re going to be a grandpa!
Sheesh, what killed your enthusiasm Grand? We aren’t even halfway through the battle yet, so don’t give up on Flash just yet.
11080155
Grand knows Lightning enough to realize the dick's strategy. However, Lightning probably won't expect how much stronger Flash's team has gotten despite watching them through the tournament.
You know, I wonder why nobody ever thinks of using the field to their advantage to distract the Trainer? Like, kick up a cloud of sand in the direction of Lightning and his Pokémon, which blinds the asshole for a bit. Can't be disqualified if it wasn't the actual command, but just a coincidental side-effect.
11080123
Funny I was thinking the same thing.
11080481
That’s true, but I kinda expected him to have a bit more hope than just giving up as soon as he figures it out. Seems a bit to cynical for him.
I get what you are trying to say, but that kinda seems a bit too “underhanded” for my taste. Kinda sounds like something a bully, or even a member of an “evil team” would do; exploring a loophole to gain an advantage without technically breaking the rules. I think there are much better ways of using the field to your advantage, which we have seen throughout the series here.
Besides, Flash wants to beat Lightning without lowering himself to his level.
11080492
He knows that it's his final chance to get some sense knocked into Lightning, but feels that Lightning's lack of care means he'll just sacrifice his own team to waste Flash.
Very true. One idea that could be used is Viper burning the sand into glass for shields and trapping his foes. Plus, if Flash had a Psychic type, he could use their attacks on the area itself. Like commanding the sand into spears and fists. But since he doesn't have one, that's out of the question.
Unrelated thing, but what sort of idea would you go with for a new Pokémon? I think a fun idea would be a snowy owl Ice/Flying type. The males have a pure white look, the females have ice feathers on their bodies. The evolution would also probably have some sort of ice crown or something to give it details similar to other species of owls. If I had to give one of the two evolution ideas a name, I'd go with "Frostrix".
11080519
Yeah, I just hope his attitude improves because I don’t want him being a defeatist for the rest of the battle after supporting Flash for so long.
I have never put much thought into it, but I sometimes wonder how well putting together two types that seem incompatible would be, like a Pokémon that’s a Fire/Grass type or a Poison/Steel type.
11080667 There's a really good fakemon made by lockstin for the second one. It's for his Kascade region series.
11080668
Thank you, I just found it. It is interesting. I will need to check out the rest of the series later.
Come on! I don't know what Lightning is planning, but I know Flash will find a way out of it.
The big climax of Flash and Lightning's rivalry, and the perfect point for both of them, at the finals of the League.
I liked how Viper got to face Androrg again, since they fought each other in each of their evolution stages, and Viper ultimately came out on top 2-1. Similarly, Skyler being the one to defeat Thrashark felt cathartic since it indirectly avenged Rainbow and defeated the Pokémon that got Lightning into the finals.
I also noticed how everyone keeps remembering Flash and Lightning's last full-battle, but nobody mentions how Flash beat Lightning in the Balance Battle Tournament, which Mic and Cadance were there for. True, this battle is currently going a lot like the one from the Hoofington Battle Tournament with Flash leading 2-1, but that will change soon enough.
Still a bit disappointed in Grand for losing faith in Flash so quickly though.