My Little Pokémon: Grander World

by Amarvax

A Most Delicious Battle

Equestria. Manehattan. Battle Carnival. The Battle Frontier. The Pokemon Festival. Afternoon.

Here at the Battle Carnival, Rainbow Dash's battle against Sharon was up next, but some preparations were being made. She was made aware that this Frontier Battle would involve food. Apparently, the best of the best, which pleased the mind of Rainbow Dash. But to prepare for the worst, the pegasus was undergoing an extra bit of training with her Pokemon.

"Okay! Here it is!" Pinkie Pie would assist in that training by making as much food as she could along with Applejack. A table of food was laid out for Rainbow Dash and her Pokemon, ranging from cupcakes to apple pies. "Sorry. We couldn't make any of them taste super bad at all. Just couldn't help it."

"But it'll help ya stomach down whatever they try and trick you with." Applejack said. This food was made to help Rainbow Dash and her Pokemon power through the food that might not be as pleasant as they thought.

"Got it. I mean, I'm not the biggest fan of pies, so this'll totally help." Rubbing her hooves together, Rainbow Dash would indulge in what has been offered up.

Her Pokemon started devouring the food in front of them. To train their stomachs and their taste buds, they would snack on the delicacies which were made with only half of the love they usually have. Typically, Applejack and Pinkie Pie pour a lot of love into their food, but because this Frontier Facility was going to involve eating, they had to hold back, refraining from making the best possible food that they could.

And when tasting the food, Rainbow Dash found it to be peculiar. While it was true it wasn't the best of what her friends were known for making, it still had care put into it. Rainbow Dash grimaced as she wasn't sure if she enjoyed this taste or disliked it. It was a weird middle ground, but it would have to do.

"It's already the afternoon. A new gateway should've shown up somewhere else by now. Just to be sure." Taking out her Xtransceiver to call Ash was Rarity, who had to know what new gateway has been made. "Afternoon, Ash. How goes things?"

"Hey, Rarity. We're just passing by Manehattan right now. What's up?"

"Well, Rainbow Dash is about to go through her next Frontier Battle."

"Right now?!" Ash gasped, clenching his teeth as he already had something else he was doing. "Oh, man...I'm gonna help Lucas find Nate at the Dragon Lands."A bit of a tough choice for the Alola Champion, who would have to choose between the two scenarios. Cheer on his friend or help his other friend find another friend. The latter was seeming more up his alley.

"I'm not stopping you, Ash." Lucas moved his head into the frame. "If you wanna go and watch the battle, do that. Me? I'm gonna focus on finding Nate. But man...I'd love to watch that Frontier Battle too."

"Hmm...I guess Pikachu and I can catch up later." Ash pondered before reaching a decision. "Alright. I'll see you at the Dragon Lands. Plus, I'm sure Nate's doing alright."

"In a place full of Dragons? I know he can take care of himself but he sounded serious on the phone..." Lucas had his doubts here and there.

"Spike will vouch for them." Twilight spoke through the Xtransceiver, knowing the Dragon Lands well and Spike's relationship with it. She would easily stave off any fears thanks to this knowledge. "With how things are, I doubt Nate is going to get hurt, but I do have to wonder how he got here without needing a gateway..."

"Sounds good to me. I'll be right there!" Ash grinned as his decision reached a positive conclusion. Hanging up the Xtransceiver, he was already on his way.

"Mmm..." As for Rainbow Dash, she was still unsure of what to make of this food. She found no enjoyment or disgust from it. Applejack and Pinkie Pie merely shrugged as they weren't sure themselves. When they weren't trying all that hard, this was the end result.

All of her other Pokemon had different reactions. Braviary looked like he was about to cry while Luxray lowered his head. Whether it was in shame or disappointment was unknown. Castform didn't seem to mind at all, having a blast regardless of the taste. Altaria felt the same way but Mienshao was clearly against it. So against it, she refused to eat anymore, crossing her arms and turning her head.

"Well, at least we know who's not willing to eat it." From what Fluttershy saw, it looked like Mienshao might not participate in this Frontier Battle. But she did tackle the very first one, so it wouldn't be that bad of a loss. It was time for the rest of her teammates to have their turn as well.

As for who might tackle this battle against Sharon, Braviary might be a good pick since he was struggling to enjoy the food. Luxray looked to be in the same boat while Altaria and Castform looked like they wouldn't mind whatever food they were offered. Depending on how many Pokemon Rainbow Dash could bring into this battle, she certainly had her pick.

---

As for the preparations of this battle, the food that would be offered was being made by the chefs of the Battle Carnival. Plenty of options were already selected for Rainbow Dash's team to tackle and they were very much different from what Applejack and Pinkie Pie had to offer.

The food here wasn't just any ordinary food. The chefs were all pouring unique spices onto them as well as adding new flavours that was sure to freshen things up. After all, this was going to be a Frontier Battle so it needed something surprising.

Sneaking through the carnival and heading towards the kitchen was none other than Cozy Glow. Using her small body, she would try and go unnoticed and since she was so small, many wouldn't notice her, too busy focused on the food. "Mmm...Something smells good." But even Cozy Glow wasn't immune to the delicious scent coming from the kitchen. Her wings would flutter in response to these options.

Her hooves were leaving the ground as she felt like gravitating towards them. But she quickly plastered herself back to the ground, remembering why she was here. Aware of Ash's group being present in this spot, she had to really show Daybreaker's alliance just how capable she was. No longer would she be a spy and the weakest of the group.

"Well. Looking for something?" Alas, she wasn't completely invisible. It was only a matter of time until someone spotted her. One of the cooks here spotted Cozy Glow.

"Ah! I uh..." Cozy Glow froze on the spot, unable to slip through without anyone spotting her. So much for that plan. But even though she was foiled in that department, the little filly was still crafty as seen by how she made a quick recovery with her next choice of words. "Sorry. I was just attracted to the food."

"Hah!" The burly chef unleashed a quick chuckle that was thunderous, making the little pegasus jump. "I don't blame you. But this isn't the type of food you should be coming for, no, no, no."

"Why not?"

"You're here to see the upcoming battle, aren't you? I don't want to spoil anything...but the food here has multiple different effects." The chef would gladly give a hint to Cozy Glow. "Once the Pokemon takes a bite out of it, it'll spice up the battle in different ways. If you're familiar with this Battle Frontier, you'll know

"Oooh...Could some of the food knock them out or put them to sleep then?"

"That depends. One of them can put a Pokemon to sleep as if they had been hit with Hypnosis or anything similar." Music to Cozy Glow's ears. She was about to take full advantage of this.

"Can I try?!" She asked. "I want to add my own effect in it!"

"You want to add something? Really?"

"Mhm! I'd love to do something more than just watching. It sounds like so much fun."

"Well...Aren't you a little young for that? The cooks here are experienced in their job which allows us to add the right effects to our food. We don't just sprinkle spices and flavours in."

"Don't worry, sir. I actually have a bit of a cooking experience." Cozy Glow winked, revealing she had some expertise in the culinary arts. Possibly not that much since she was still a child. "You can count on me making something special."

"If you say so. We'll give you one plate of food for you to use. Then, we'll make sure that it shows up during the battle." The cook allowed it.

Cozy Glow was elevated to hear this. She would have her chance and wasn't going to dissappoint at all. The food that she would experiment on will be added to this upcoming battle but she would do more than just make a random effect that would confuse Rainbow Dash and her Pokemon.

"After this, they'll think differently of me, without a doubt. I'll be able to snuff them all out before or even towards the end of this year's Festival. Cozy Glow was trying to take them out of the equation, completely rendering them useless. That was the thought racing through her mind. The fewer enemies, the better.

Both sides were hard at work. Rainbow Dash's side was attempting to prepare for the worst possible outcome, training their stomachs and taste buds while the side of Sharon was whipping up a plethora of delicacies that looked delicious at a first glance but some were definitely traps which would be impossible to spot.

---

At last, the time had come. Rainbow Dash's stomach was full along with all of her Pokemon. Eating before a Pokemon Battle is a good approach since it means they will be at their absolute best for this one. Refreshed and rejuvenated, she took a step forward, entering the Facility of Sharon. Ash had shown up just in time to watch this battle take place, surrounded by the crowd ponies, dragons, yaks and humans alike.

"Alright, Sharon! I'm ready!" Rainbow Dash declared. "My Pokemon and I are psyched and active!"

"Good." Sharon smiled, sitting on a couch with all the cameras focused on her. Soon, some of them locked onto Rainbow Dash once she made this declaration. "I was waiting for this. And now that we're both ready, I believe it's time to really lay out the rules for you." Getting up from her seat, and smoothening her hair, Sharon stepped forward. "You see, Rainbow Dash...I'm not going to battle you first."

"Y-You're not?" It seems that the battle with Sharon wouldn't be instant. Instead, something else would stand in Rainbow Dash's way.

"Not at all. Naturally, someone as I has to be last. I made sure that the facility would grant me that access. Which means, you'll have to face other Trainers before you can reach me."

"I'm battling more than one trainer?!" The pegasus pulled back. She didn't prepare for this. She merely expected it to be one battle against Sharon and that would be the end of it unless a rematch was on the horizon if she loses. But now it seems that Rainbow Dash would have to try and claim victory in the face of other trainers who would stand in her way.

"That's right. 3 different trainers will try and defeat you. And each time you go up against one of them, you'll be met with the culinary options. You should definitely know that each food option that's presented to you will have a different effect. Some good, some bad. It's similar to the battle with Nadya that you just had. It's all up to chance. if you can manage to defeat all three of them, you can come to me."

"Is she gonna have to take random breaks during each battle to eat something or is it after?" Pinkie Pie asked.

"You'll get that chance in random spurts, so be ready at all times." Sharon snapped her finger. "Don't think this is the only room for my facility. A girl such as myself needs more than this. You're simply standing in the first stage of my Battle Restaurant. Try and reach the last one, if you can."

"Mm." Rainbow Dash gulped as she has yet to go through a battle such as this. But she was ready to take the challenge head-on. She wasn't sure who these three Trainers were but she had to imagine that they were strong.

"And as for how many Pokemon you can use? For each battle, only two, but you can use all of them. It'll be a 2-on-2 battle each time, so good luck~" Sharon waved farewell before walking off to her own stage. "Bring in the first Trainer. I should warn you though. I've trained with these people ever since I was a child. They helped me get to where I am today, Please welcome my Laundress, Barbe."

Walking through those doors was the first Trainer. A Laundress, who was responsible for the cleaning of anything made of fabric in the household of Sharon's Rich Family. She was a rather gentle-looking lady, appearing in her 40s, and slightly stout.

"Good afternoon, dear." The Laundress Barbe greeted Rainbow Dash, giving a light bow to the multi-coloured maned mare. "I'm your first opponent before you can reach Lady Sharon."

"Uh, afternoon. Glad to have this battle with you." Rainbow Dash would bow back, seeing this as a proper meeting to the Laundress.

"I don't doubt for a moment that you can make it through me." Barbe showed kindness, encouraging Rainbow Dash by praising her.

"Oh, really? You think so?" The pegasus was glad to hear it, letting out a chuckle. "I mean, no offence, lady. But I'm pretty confident in myself too!"

"But overconfidence can also get you in trouble~. Lady Sharon learned that the hard way when she was young. And a lot like you."

"A lot like me?"

"Allow me to show you." She took out a Poke Ball of her own, having her first Pokemon at the ready. "I was the one who humbled her so don't let me do the same to you."

"Right!" Rainbow Dash whipped out her first Poke Ball. The referee was very much present here, ready to call everything that happens in this 2-on-2 battle and beyond.

"If she gets lucky, whatever food she finds might heal her Pokemon, I'm guessing." Fluttershy said. "If not, then going through all three trainers plus Sharon will be rough."

"I'm positive Rainbow Dash and her team can stomach their way through this. It seems like all of them will be participating and two of them clearly won't mind what comes next."

"Yeah. But if the food doesn't stop them, the other Pokemon will." But Ash knew that the food was just an addition. It was the strength of the Pokemon that truly mattered here. And looks can be deceiving which is something that Ash knew all too well. That sweet-looking Laundress was not to be underestimated for a moment.

"Let's go! Altaria!" For her first Pokemon, Rainbow Dash sent out her Altaria.

"Altaria!"

"Please help me, Cinccino."

"Cinccino!" Appearing on the stage was a Cinccino, who was the perfect Pokemon to help a Laundress when keeping things neat. But also a formidable Pokemon due to the variety of moves Normal-Types get.

"Made it!" Quickly rushing to the seats was Cozy Glow, who showed up at the last second when the battle was just about to start. Breathing in and out, she didn't want to miss this since somewhere in her battle, her food would show up. It was unknown if it would be in this battle, the next two or even the final one. Either way, the little pegasus was ecstatic to eventually see it appear.

"Ready? Battle Start!" The referee gave the call.

"Watch this! Altaria, use Ice Beam!"

"Tari!" Altaria would be the first to attack. Ascending into the air, the Humming Pokemon built up a chilling aura in her beak before transforming it into a beam.

"Cinccino, use Rock Blast, please!"

"Cino!" In response, Cinccino revealed a super-effective attack in the form of Rock Blast. Materializing a rock in its hands, the Scarf Pokemon unleashed it as it soon split into multiple rocks. The Ice Beam and Rock Blast met each other with the rocks rapidly beating against the chilling beam of Ice. Both attacks couldn't exactly push through even if the beam would freeze them. It resulted in a tie, creating an icy blue explosion.

"Go, Altaria! Hyper Voice!"

"Altaria!" Altaria used her speciality. Her bellowing voice which was beautiful to listen to. From her beak, a mighty soundwave was unleashed, blowing the smoke away thanks to the force oti.

"Ci!" Cinccino took the attack as it was pushed back by the soundwave, sliding on the ground.

"Go for an Iron Tail, my dear!"

"Cinccino!" Cinccino's tail would light up, receiving a steely strong texture. The Scarf Pokemon then leapt into the air, ready to swing the tail downwards.

"I know this approach! Hyper Voice again!"

"Alta...!" Altaria was ready to blast the Normal-Type in the air before it could even unleash Iron Tail. However, instead of going for a direct blow with Iron Tail, Cinccino did something else. It unleashed the light that was around Iron Tail, using it as a weapon. The light energy from Iron Tail was reflected off this bright and beautiful room, immediately blinding the Humming Pokemon. "Ta!"

"Cinccino!" This allowed Cinccino to land Iron Tail, delivering a powerful overhead to the Dragon-Flying-Type. Altaria took the blow, finding herself to be the one heading down. The other students certainly felt that hit as Altaria hurled through the air, hitting the stage. Thankfully, her wings acted as cushions, allowing the Humming Pokemon to bounce on the floor.

"Altaria! Are you alright?!"

"T-Tari!"

"It's not quite over yet. Seed Bomb, if you please!"

"Cino!" From above, Cinccino released another attack. This time, it was a Seed Bomb. A large seed was shot out, having an explosive energy waiting inside.

"Watch out! Use Ice Beam on the Seed Bomb!"

"Taria!" Quickly, Altaria released a short-burst Ice Beam that moved as fast as it could. The Ice Beam came flying out instantly, meeting with the explosive seed. It wasn't as strong as the previous Ice Beam, resulting in it being slightly pushed back by Seed Bomb. But either way, it managed to protect Altaria from further damage as the two attacks died out, resulting an explosion that was rather close to the Humming Pokemon.

"Whew..." The pegasus sighed. "That could've gone south fast. But we're still sitting pretty right now."

At that moment, a ringing sound went off. It was time for this Frontier Facility to reveal its main theme. The food. The battle came to a hold for a moment. From the walls of this facility, a table was revealed, sliding out with the delicious options appearing before them.

"Ooh. It's time to feast." Barbe said. This was the moment in the battle where things might change or stay the same depending on what happens. Cozy Glow had a bright grin on her face, waiting to see if her food was here. But alas, it was not. She viewed the options that appeared on the table and there was not a sign of hers.

"Wait...Is that it?" Cozy Glow uttered, confused by what she was viewing. She swore that her food would be automatically selected based on what the chef said, but that didn't seem to be the case. "Is this all the food?" She was not yet aware of the rules of this Frontier Battle.

"Not at all." But Potion Nova debunked it swiftly. "This is just the first battle. There's more waiting after this one."

"Ah...Good to know."

Rainbow Dash looked down at the table which came her way. In front of her were five of the most pleasant-looking dishes out there that didn't look like they would disappoint. All of these have been made by Sharon's personal cooks, as to be expected.

"So...It's a random effect, huh?" The pegaus gulped. "And it could mess me up too since I get to eat too."

"Don'#t be shy. Lady Sharon's cooks would never make food that tastes horrible. Only food that has varying effects."

"Wait, so it's not about tasting bad?!" Applejack and Pinkie Pie got it all wrong. They thought it had something to do with the taste, but unfortunately, that was not the case. In fact, the food was made to be as delicious as possible. In reality, it was the effects that mattered but they had no way to insert that into their own food when training with Rainbow Dash. Thus, Rainbow Dash was going in blind. It wasn't a matter of if she could stomach it. It was matter of if her Pokemon could continue battling in their best condition.

"Of course, my own Pokemon gets to have a bite as well." But it wasn't all one-sided. Barbe's Cinccino got have that opportunity for herself. Cinccino waltzed up to the table, eager to get a bite too.

"Here goes. Are you ready, Altaria?"

"Altaria?"

The pegasus was ready, taking a deep breath as she made her choice. She would go for the pasta that was in front of her since that looked the most pleasing to her. Altaria went for some spaghetti in response Rainbow Dash's pasta. Both dug their faces into the dishes, wasting no time and throwing away any hesitation.

"Mmm...!" Rainbow Dash, Altaria and Cinccino all felt great pleasure after consuming the food.

"T-Tari!" For Altaria, the effect kicked in. While the food was delicious, the side-effect, was not. Immediately, the Humming Pokemon felt her wings wobble and tremble rapidly, confusing her greatly. Everyone watched as Altaria's fluffly and playful wings suddenly turned limp. "Altaria?!"

"No way!" Rainbow Dash screeched. Altaria's Greatest Defence and her method of flying was gone. Now, they appeared as if they were crumpled and flat.

"Gross!" Some of the students expressed after seeing this. Altaria with deflated wings just looked absolutely horrific and unpleasant to the eyes.

"That's a shame. Deflated wings," said Barbe. "The effects here aren't just status effects, dearie. They're more than that as you can see, so you truly have to be ready. And as for sweet Cinccino, it looks like his physical strength has grown."

"Cinccino!" And as for Cinccino, he received a boost. The Scarf Pokemon flexed his arms, feeling stronger. The physical strength of Cinccino has just been increased, giving him an edge.

Things have been made harder for Rainbow Dash now that Altaria's wings were deflated. With this stunning drawback, she had no way of flying which meant that at best, Altaria was going to have to battle on the floor which was still manageable. However, Altaria's defence which came from her cloud-like wings have been crippled, leaving her vulnerable. This was only the first opponent in this Frontier Battle. Two more trainers were waiting and at the end was Sharon.

As the journey continues.

Chapter 352 End.

Comments

[ArcticAce01]

Oh man, what is Cozy up to, what exactly did she put in the food