My Little Pokémon: Grander World

by Amarvax

The Wall Standing Tall

Equestria. Winsome Falls. Late Afternoon.

"Steelix!" During the rematch against the Final Gym Leader Brock, Mega Steelix had appeared after undergoing Mega Evolution. It was only going to get tougher from here for Rainbow Dash and Princess Luna. The only benefit they had was the fact that Gliscor managed to poison Blissey but at the cost of fainting.

"If you won't come to us, then we'll come to you," Brock said after a moment of silence between them. Rainbow Dash and Luna would grit their teeth, expecting the worst from Brock at this point. This whole time, he had been going easy on them since yesterday.

"We won't defeat Mega Steelix for a while. Our best option is to keep him still. Nothing a good Dark Void can't handle...Victory is within our sights now."

"Luna!" Calling out her name was none other than Princess Celestia. The Sun Princess had shown up and she was not alone. Joining here were a few Canterlot Guards as they were all here to support the Moon Princess.

"Sister?" Luna would look back, hearing the voice of her older sister. Ash and the others were shocked to see Princess Celestia and a few guards show up. Celestia has never shown up for any Gym Battles before. But this seemed to be the only exception. "Why are you here?!"

"To cheer you on, of course! This is the last gym and you will absolutely crush it this time!" Celestia was here for that reason. Supporting her little sister was the crux of it all since this was her final Gym.

"But shouldn't you be focusing on what has happened in the Galar Region?"

"It will take until tomorrow until my forces can reach Galar. I'm here to support you until this is over and it's back to work. Plus, can't I show up to my sister's big moment?"

"Sister..." A smile graced Luna's face. Seeing her older sister here to cheer her on during this Gym Battle when she has never done it before was a wonderful feeling. The guards were all equipped with flags that had Luna's face on, most likely commissioned by Princess Celestia. "Now I have a greater motivation to win this."

"Oh wow! Princess Celestia too!" Brock's eyes were elated, transforming into hearts after seeing Princess Celestia. He would then focus on the battle, shaking his head. "Right! I'll come to you! Blissey! Mega Punch!" Steelix, use Gyro Ball!"

"Here they come! Whimsicott! Fly back and use Moonblast!"

"Gyro Ball can deflect the Dark Void just like how Forretress did before. I won't make the same mistake again! Keep your distance, Darkrai! Use Dark Pulse repeatedly!"

"Whimsi!" Whimsicott and Darkrai would both keep their distance, unleashing the power of the Moon and the power of Darkness. These different attacks would fly out while the opposing Pokemon approached. And as to be expected, Gyro Ball seemed to be an effective way of blocking Darkrai's attacks as his Dark Pulse was being held back by Steelix's spinning.

With Steelix being so slow, Gyro Ball's power was amplified, making it hit so hard the Dark Pulse would even be sent flying elsewhere. And to get an extra boost, Blissey would hop on Steelix, using the same tactic from when she was teaming up with Forretress. But this time, she would leap off Steelix once on him, using the Steel-Ground-Type as a platform. With that leap, Blissey covered a great distance, using Steelix as a way of momentum, smashing the Moonblast until it would combust. After the Moonblast blew up, Blissey would move through the smoke, appearing in front of Whimsicott.

"Yeah, right! Use your cotton, Whimisicott!"

"Whim!" Whimsicott would once again throw out some cotton at Blissey, using it as an extra form of attack and protection. While the cotton itself doesn't do any damage, it does combust, leading to some delays depending on who gets hit by it.

"B-Bli!" And at last, Blissey was starting to show some flaws. The poison from Gliscor's Poison Jab came in handy, making her stagger for a bit as the cotton blew up in her face. Blissey would then fall back after being smacked by the exploding cotton.

"Yes! Way to go!" Rainbow Dash pumped her hoof after that successful cotton hit. "Now, use Moonblast again!"

"Whimsicott...!" Whimsicott would follow up by using Moonblast once again. This time, while Blissey was on the floor.

"I don't think so! Hit the Dark Pulse in her direction, Steelix!"

"Steelix!" Mega Steelix would then forcefully redirect one of the Dark Pulses in a specific direction, using Darkria's own attack against his teammate. With the power of his Gyro Ball, he managed to send the Dark Pulse flying.

"Whim!" Whimsicott's Moonblast had been interrupted. The Dark Pulse engulfed her from the side, forcing the Windveiled Pokemon to the floor. Whimsicott would then bounce on the floor thanks to her cotton body, cushioning her damage. She took minimal damage overall since Dark-Pulse did nothing to this Grass-Fairy-Type. As for Darkrai, he failed to break through Steelix's Dark Pulse. He would then ascend, making it impossible for Steelix's Gyro Ball to hit him now. Both reached a stalemate at this point.

"I still haven't found my opening just yet," Luna said, waiting for the right moment to use Dark Void. One dose of it should buy her and Rainbow Dash enough time to lay the smackdown on Steelix. "But if we want to make our assault possible, then getting rid of Blissey is our next goal."

"We're going back to that? Okay then." Rainbow Dash nodded in agreement. With Blissey poisoned, she would have to go down eventually. But for them, getting rid of her while focusing on putting Steelix to sleep was too important not to try and pull off. If they could pull it off.

"Not if I do this!" Soft-Boiled!"

"Blissey!" However, Blissey had the means to reverse the damage. The egg in Chansey's pouch had been thrown into the air. Upon entering the air, it would unleash a golden pulse that would rapidly reach Steelix's body and her own. It then floats over to the target and melts into its body. As it did, both Pokemon were rejuvenated. Not exactly free from the Poison though. Blissey did not have the means to erase the Poison Status from her body, making her still vulnerable to the gradual virulent damage.

"Well, seems we have to start over again." Luna sighed before cracking a confident smile. "But I'd gladly go for another round. Isn't that right, Darkrai?" Darkrai greatly agreed as he held his claws out in enthusiasm.

"Let's make this next one count! Whimsicott!" Rainbow Dash's hair would flow after she made her next command with great vigour in her voice and hoof moment. "Solar Beam! Ascend and leave cotton behind!"

"Whimsi!" Whimsicott would ascend, twirling through the air before then leaving behind balls of cotton with each ascent she made, essentially forming a tower.

"What's up with that tower of cotton?! What's she planning?!" Scootaloo gasped as everyone's eyes followed Whimsicott's movements as she kept going, leaving more and more cotton puffs behind.

"Not if I have anything to say about it! Steelix, use Stone Edge!"

"I won't let you! Stop them, Darkrai! Use Thunderbolt!"

"Steelix!" Steelix would try and ruin whatever Whimsicott was planning, summoning a barrage of stones around his body. These stones glistened like crystals as Steelix would shoot them out. But not before Darkrai made his own interception. The Pitch Black Pokemon put his claws together, forming a flare of electricity which was packed with 100,000 volts. Darkrai would then thrust his hands forward, unleashing the bolt.

There were multiple stones and only one Thunderbolt. However, Darkrai would make it work. With this one bolt, hitting a singular stone would cause a chain reaction. The volts would spread out, latching themselves onto the other stones to slow them down. Stone Edge and Thunderbolt cancelled each other out, much to the chagrin of Steelix.

"Mega Punch! Dig!"

"Steel!" Steelix would take a different approach. He burrowed underneath the floor while Blissey would jump high into the air. Both would try and reach Whimsicott in their own ways. Blissey would first meet up with Darkrai though, having a black orb in her first.

"Dark Pulse!" It was up to Darkrai to give Whimsicott enough time so that she can pull off whatever she was planning without any setbacks. It was essential to reach closer to victory. Darkrai would fire this pulse of dark thoughts right as Blissey was inches close to hitting him. Dark Pulse and Mega Punch collided in an up-close collision, forming a pure black explosion. Darkrai would be forced back as Blissey's Mega Punch won out despite the combustion while Blissey was looking fine, despite being poisoned.

"Princess Luna! Use Whimsicott's cotton!" Rainbow Dash bellowed, insisting that she used the cotton puffs to her advantage.

"Oh? A-Alright! Darkrai, grab the cotton!" Hearing Luna's words, Darkrai would hold his claws out, placing them on the cotton. He came to a screeching halt when flying through the air while also snatching a piece of cotton. And with pure instinct, Darkrai already knew what he wanted to do with it.

The Pitch Black Pokemon would launch the cotton puff at Blissey, retaliating immediately. The cotton puff flew at great speeds thanks to Darkrai's throwing strength. Blissey would receive another cotton puff to the face, pushing her away once again.

"Ah! So that's why you had Whimsicott ascend!" Luna finally understood Luna's approach. The tower of cotton puffs acted as a way for Darkrai to hold his own while leaving Whimsicott to build up her Solar Beam. And it looked like it was going to be a mighty Solar Beam with how much solar energy she was gathering.

"Steelix!" But there was also Steelix to worry about as he finally emerged from the ground, having his mouth wide open. Darkrai would look down as the Iron Snake Pokemon had consumed some of the cotton puffs Whimsicott left behind when ascending.

"Feed it the lot, Darkrai! Use Dark Void with it!" Luna found her opportunity. The time to use Dark Void had arrived. And what better way to do it from within? Darkrai's eyes flashed as he grabbed as many cotton puffs as he could. The Pitch Black Pokemon would then embed one of them in the aura of Dark Void, using the puffs as an extension of his attack.

The puffs came raining down, moving at high speeds. Steelix would find himself being smacked by the puffs which had a bigger oomph to them now. Thanks to Darkrai rapidly throwing them, their velocity meant that they would hit harder against Mega Steelix. And while they didn't affect him as much as Blissey, they were still enough to keep him a bit staggered in split seconds, but it wasn't enough.

But what was enough was the one cotton puff that had Dark Void within it. This one puff entered Steelix's mouth, immediately spreading the energy of Dark Void in him as it would expand. Steelix's eyes widened as he knew what had just happened.

The darkness enveloped his insides before then reaching outside as the Iron Snake Pokemon would suddenly fall, losing his momentum after using Dig. Steelix would then fall to the floor, causing a big impact that shook the arena. He had been put to sleep.

"They did it! They put Steelix to sleep!" Fluttershy wooed and cheered.

"Now they're free to deal with just Blissey for the meanwhile!" Twilight exclaimed as it was just Blissey now. "And as for Whimsicott...!"

"Now! Fire!" Rainbow Dash gave the order for Whimsicott to finally use Solar Beam.

"Whimsicott!" She took much longer than what a normal Solar Beam would take, just to gather enough power. And this power was amazing as it came in the form of a colossal beam of solar energy that Whimsicott would unleash.

"All or nothing, Blissey! Mega Punch!"

"Blissey...!" Blissey would even try to stop this with her physical strength as well. By throwing her fist at the Solar Beam, she would clash with another ranged attack once more. But this Solar Beam was not to be underestimated. Whimsicott made sure this one was strong enough for even Blissey to be on her non-existent toes.

"W-Whimsi!" But alas, it was not enough. Even with all of that buildup, Whimsicott was struggling. But because of the poison, Blissey found herself twitching, trying to power through the pain.

Seeing that she was struggling to focus this way, Blissey would redirect the Solar Beam with Mega Punch, sending it elsewhere. She attempted sending it to Darkrai but missed it because of her disrupted focus. Solar Beam would fly upwards, hitting the ceiling.

A large hole had been blown through the ceiling by the Solar Beam, causing some rubble to drop from above. The beauty of the Sun's final moments of the day shined through this massive hole before soon shifting into the beauty of the Night.

"How does she still have the strength to fight back like that?! Where did this Blissey come from?!" Rarity was finding it hard to believe that Blissey could still pull off such splendid feats despite her conditions. It seemed impossible, especially with how powerful that Solar Beam appeared.

"It's fine!" Rainbow Dash replied, looking back at Rarity. "What matters is that Steelix is down and out and Blissey here's asleep. Let's make these moments count before Steelix wakes up again."

"Agreed. This is our chance! Victory is within our sights!" Luna excitedly bellowed.

"Hmph..." Suddenly, startling everyone, Brock would put on a devious smirk. "Don't think you'll gain the advantage because of this. Blissey has one more trick up her sleeve. And it involves Steelix. Grab him, Blissey!"

"Bliss!" Blissey would shift her head to her teammate before then surprising everyone once more with her spectacular physical strength. More of what she was capable of it had been revealed. She placed her hands on the end of Steelix's tail, involving the Iron Nail Pokemon in this battle even if he was asleep.

Then, with everyone's jaws opening, a long shadow would rise up over them. That shadow was none other than Steelix and the one raising him up was Blissey. One of the heaviest Pokemon out there and yet Blissey picked him up as if he was a feather, shocking everyone. Just how far did her strength go?

"Inconceivable!" Luna, Celestia and the Canterlot Guards collectively bellowed.

"Steelix and Blissey prepared themselves for something like this! Thanks for giving them the opportunity. Go, Blissey! Swing Steelix around!"

"Bliss! Blissey!" Blissey ended up using Steelix as a weapon. Steelix would still get to battle anyway. Not only was he made out of steel, but he was incredibly heavy and had an impressive length that made him eligible to reach most opponents from great distances.

"Not good! Bail out, Whimsicott! Quick!"

"Retreat, Darkrai!"

"Whimsicott!" Whimsicott and Darkrai would immediately fly off as fast as they can. They were reasonably stunned by this sudden usage of strength. Brock managed to transform a disadvantage into an advantage, quickly turning the tides of this battle in his favour.

Blissey was no slouch when it came to swinging Steelix either. She was able to perfectly adjust Steelix's body when using him as a whip. The force of Steelix being swung in the air was also intimidating as it created a strong wind pressure that blew towards Whimsicott and Darkrai. Ash held on to this hat as everyone else felt this wind pressure.

"It's reaching us from here too?!" Twilight groaned as her hair would hit her face. "How must it feel for them over there?!"

"My mane! Not my mane!" Rarity screeched after seeing her mane affected by the strong winds.

"W-Whim...!" And the one to get the worst of this was Whimsicott. She had a light body, making her vulnerable to this pressure as she was struggling to keep her balance and momentum with each swing. And unfortunately, she couldn't avoid them for long. With her balance being disrupted, one of the swings managed to reach her. Whimsicott's eyes widened after witnessing the large body of Steelix coming her way.

"Whimsicott! Look out!" Rainbow Dash yelled but it was far too late. A direct hit. The weight and durability of Steelix had been smashed into Whimsicott's smaller body, sending the Windveiled Pokemon flying. And even though a move hasn't been used by Steelix when he was swung, being a Fairy-Type, the steel texture of Steelix might as well have dealt super-effective damage to her.

Whimsicott crashed into the walls of the Gym, leaving the arena completely. Whimsicott had left a crater on the wall as that massive hit from Steelix's body did her in. Whimsicott had fainted.

"Whimsicott..."

"Bliss..." Blissey smiled before then freezing for a moment. The poison also finished her off. All the damage accumulated from this battle had finally shown its true effects as the Happiness Pokemon would fall on her back. And even when falling over, Blissey still had a happy smile on her face. Steelix's body was then dropped by Blissey after she fell over, hitting the ground once more. "Blissey..."

Whimsicott and Blissey are both unable to battle!" It was a double knockout. A knockout from a weaponized Steelix and a knockout from gradual poisonous demise. Not even Soft-Boiled could stop what was coming. Both Pokemon did excellent in battle.

Whimsicott was amazing in keeping her opponents at bay, pulling off her cotton tricks for Darkrai to use and paving the way for her teammates as seen with Gliscor earlier. And as for Blissey, much like yesterday, her strength was astonishing to everyone, shocking them in so many ways, especially just now when she used Steelix as a weapon.

"Return." Rainbow Dash and Brock would return their Pokemon. Rainbow Dash was now down to just one Pokemon. And so was Brock who was stuck with Steelix. Luna was also stuck with Darkrai as everyone here had reached the climax of this battle.

"You were awesome. I knew I could count on you to give us enough time." Rainbow Dash thanked the Windveiled Pokemon.

"Get some rest, okay? You deserve it." Brock placed Blissey's Poke Ball away. "Well, looks like this is it."

"Indeed it is! Our chance!" Luna grinned with glee.

"They can do it! It's just Steelix1 And he's still asleep!" Pinkie Pie stood up, getting all giddy.

"It won't easy though. They need a lot of firepower to break through Steelix's amazing defence, especially as a Mega Steelix. Thankfully, Rainbow Dash has the options. But which one is she gonna choose?"

"I know who I'm choosing! Let's go! Braviary!" The obvious pick but also possibly the best one. Her ace Pokemon Braviary was sent out as her last Pokemon.

"Braviary!"

"You've made it this far. If you win this, you'll be an even bigger inspiration to the trainers out there." Brock crossed his arms. "That is...if you can get past my Steelix. Can you do it? Before he can wake up?"

"What is the approach, Rainbow Dash?" Luna asked. "We need one good plan to guarantee Steelix's defeat."

"Yeah...I've got a plan. It's the best one." Indeed, Rainbow Dash had something planned. Something that she believes would carry her to the top and finish this Gym Battle once and for all, taking her to the Equestria League. "We just have to hit him really hard!"

"I-Is that it...?" Luna stammered along with many others who made light chuckles. "Well, you aren't wrong. That is the only way to defeat such a strong wall."

"Somehow that plan works..." Twilight uttered. "If you can even call it a plan."

"Yeah, good call, Rainbow Dash!" Ash saw it as an excellent approach along with Applejack and Pinkie Pie. Hitting Steelix hard was the way to go in their eyes.

"Then...do your worst!" Brock pointed at them as the moonlight would reflect off his muscles.

"I'm using everything right now! Let's go, Braviary!" Rainbow Dash hit her own chest before intimating the Rainbow Braviary transformation. Her body would light up as a pillar of rainbows crashed through the broken ceiling, engulfing the Valiant Pokemon. Emerging from this pillar of rainbows was the transformed Valiant Pokemon. Rainbow-Braviary. Bonded with Rainbow Dash, his full strength would be unleashed. And now was the perfect time for that to happen.

"Bra...! Braviary!"

"Darkrai Dark Pulse, go!"

"Braviary, use Superpower!" Immediately both trainers would attack while Steelix was still asleep, hurrying before he could wake up.

"Braviary!" Braviary and Darkrai began their assault. Darkrai would release a continuous stream of Dark Pulses in succession while Braviary would fly in with talons engulfed in an orange light. The Valiant Pokemon stomped his talon into Steelix's head, dealing super-effective damage. The first super-effective hit out of everything here.

The Dark Pulses definitely mattered as they dealt neutral damage but not as much as Superpower. Steelix's eye twitched in response to this blow. Brock stayed silent, waiting for Steelix to wake up. He would not yell, knowing his partner would awake.

"Again!" Rainbow Dash stomped her hoof to be in sync with Rainbow-Braviary.

Bra!" Braviary would also stomp his talon, using Superpower to hit Steelix's head. It was a continuous stomp that led to massive shockwaves. Each hit made the floor crack with Steelix's weight being pressed onto it. Each hit was devastatingly strong, dealing constant super-effective damage.

"Is it gonna work?! Is Steelix close to going down?!" Goh bit his thumb, hoping that these repeated Superpower blows were enough. They should be considering how strong Rainbow-Braviary's hits usually are. Everyone scrunched their faces, waiting for that moment when Steelix was completely unresponsive. The Superpower and the Dark Pulse barrage were strong indeed. But was it strong enough?

"Steel...!" That was unknown for now. But what was known was that Steelix's eyes woke up after all of those impacts. At last, he was awake.

"Screech!"

"STEEELIX!" Steelix would instantly retaliate with a powerful yell from his body, causing an ear-splitting screech. The sound travelled through the ears of Braviary and Darkrai, stunning them with how painful it was. It even caused a field of pressure that would push Braviary away.

"G-Gaaaah!" Rainbow Dash felt the pain too due to her synergy with Braviary. Her ears had been damaged by the Screech too, causing her to get on the floor.

"After all that, he can still continue?! This really is an Endurance Gym..." Starlight shuddered as the theme of this Gym lived up to its name.

"We'll just keep hitting him hard then! That'll work!" Rainbow Dash stuck with her plan.

"Steelix! Stone Edge!"

"Steelix!" Steelix slammed his tail onto the ground, causing pointed light blue rock pillars to appear out of the ground and violently rush at the Normal-Flying-Type and Dark-Type. Braviary and Darkrai would take off, using their aerial advantage to try and evade these incoming crystals that would rapidly ascend.

There was an abundance of crystals growing out as they move at menacing speeds, keeping up with Braviary and Darkrai despite the fact a slow Pokemon was using them. Rainbow Dash could see what Braviary saw, using her own reaction time to evade as many crystals as possible. Darkrai was having a harder time dodging them compared to Braviary as he was grunting at each crystal he had to try and dodge. Some of them nearly grazed his body with how close this was getting.

"Not good! Rainbow Dash! Throw Darkrai at him! I will try and put him to sleep again"

"Understood! Braviary!" Rainbow Dash looked over at Braviary who already knew what to do. Darkrai only had two options. Dark Pulse and Dark Void. Thunderbolt and Poison Jab were out of the question when facing off against Steelix. "Use Aerial Ace!"

"Braviary!" Braviary manoeuvred past one of the crystals to reach Darkrai, placing his talons on the back of the Pitch Black Pokemon. With Braviary grabbing him, Darkrai managed to avoid a few crystals that would've struck him if Rainbow-Braviary hadn't picked him up. "Viary...!" Braviary would then use the strength of his talons to launch the Dark-Type, allowing him to get closer.

"Quick, Steelix! Use Gyro Ball!"

"Lix!" Steelix was ready for them. Darkrai came flying in with Dark Void already in his hand, ready to shove it wherever he could. Steelix's mouth was still such a big target for him. But with Gyro Ball, Steelix would manage to put up the only counter to Dark Void that he could think of. All of Steelix's spikes illuminated light blue and spun around with the speed of a drill as a light-blue ring surrounded the Steel-Ground-Type.

Darkrai would slam his claws and the Dark Void into Steelix's body, failing to put him to sleep once more. But Darkrai would not give up. He would try and push through, keeping his Dark Void active as he was pressing against a spinning Steelix who was using the spikes and rings to shield himself from the attack.

"Go, Darkrai! Push through and end this, please! Use Dark Pulse on the other side!" Luna yelled as Darkrai would use another attack from his other claw. This claw would have Dark Pulse on it as he pressed it against the spinning Pokemon, trying again to break through. Now, Dark Pulse was also being pushed against Steelix who would keep spinning. Darkrai groaned, putting everything he had to make it through.

"I'll help out! Go, Braviary! Brave Bird!" Rainbow Dash spread her wings out as did Braviary.

"Braviary!" With a flash of rainbows masking his body into a silhouette for a split second, Braviary appeared in the air, summoning those Rainbow Flames from yesterday. Instead of immediately flying in, Braviary would fly back, gaining some distance.

Braviary would then take off at least, using this distance to gain greater speed than before. Braviary made Sonic Rainboom after taking off with this speed, homing in on the Iron Snake Pokemon while having a rainbow aura streak through the air. It would even shine beautifully in the night sky when exposed to the ceiling above.

Braviary would crash into the wall that was Steelix as Rainbow Dash's head would shake just from this collision. She was essentially feeling steel on her body. And yet, she would persist. Sparks flew from this struggle. Braviary and Darkrai kept pushing as much as they could.

And with their efforts, they were managing to push Steelix through. Rainbow Dash poured more of her strength into this, risking her own safety for the sake of overcoming this powerful foe. Steelix found himself slowing down because of this. Braviary and Darkrai were actually managing to push through with sheer force of power alone.

"Oh!" Brock gasped, surprised that they managed to reach this point. Steelix was suddenly thrown into the air by the force of Darkrai and Braviary. Dark Void failed to put Steelix to sleep, but what it did was help in the efforts of stopping Steelix's Gyro Ball.

"Stone Edge!" Steelix found himself in the air and yet that wasn't enough to stop him. From above, the crystals would emerge around his body as he then launched them from above in great numbers. It was raining crystals which were a massive threat for Braviary.

"Superpower!"

"Dark Pulse!"

"Viary!" Braviary took flight once more, using Superpower around his wings. And in sync with Rainbow Dash's motion, both of them covered their faces with their wings as a method of blocking the stones. The many crystals would drop down Braviary's wings, harming him and Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash's wings twitched as Braviary still took damage from this.

This method was not enough as Braviary failed to block all of them with his wings which were starting to get sore. Braviary would then find himself being bombarded by a barrage of stones that would stab into the floor. It looked like Braviary would be forced back to the floor as well.

"Catch him, Darkrai!"

"I got you!" But not before Darkrai chimed in. With one claw, he held out his Dark Pulse and the other was used to grab Braviary. This was Darkrai's way of repaying the favour minutes ago. He would push Braviary back up, but not before using Dark Pulse as a shield. The pulse of darkness would envelop Braviary's body, blocking the stones from hitting him.

"Thanks, Princess Luna! Darkrai!" Rainbow Dash thanked them with a bright grin before intensifying her eyes. "Braviary! Now's our chance! Superpower! One more time!"

"Braviary...!" Braviary cawed as Darkrai would then throw him through the air. Now Braviary was the one being thrown and with his speed, this was greatly beneficial. Braviary would take to the skies, surrounded by an aura of darkness. But that darkness would be joined by a rainbow aura which would gleam out from the sides.

Braviary was now a comet of Rainbows and Darkness before he then slammed his talon into Steelix's face, crashing into the Iron Snake Pokemon. Braviary pressed his talon against Steelix's face with all of his might. And yet, Steelix was starting to push back, still having the strength to do so.

"I'm going to win this!" Rainbow Dash cleared as her own hoof was starting to tremble. "No matter what! You won't stop me from reaching my goal! Come on, Braviary! You can do it!"

"Bravi...Braviary!" He was truly trying his best. The full force of his Superpower was enough to keep Steelix from going down but not enough to knock the Iron Snake Pokemon away. But even Steelix was trying to win out this struggle. Everyone stood up as the sparks would drop from above. It felt like thunder was rumbling from this intensive struggle.

"Dark Pulse!" But there was one more player in all of this. Darkrai. Moving through the shadows, the Pitch Black Pokemon would get even higher than Braviary and Steelix combined. He used this opportunity to strike from a different angle.

"Oh!" Ash and everyone gasped, spotting Darkrai at the very top. Darkrai appeared menacingly, having his claws out as his body was in the middle of the moon's view while the night sky was his canvas. With a burst of darkness, Darkrai unleashed Dark Pulse from above, going for Steelix's back.

"Steel!" And with no way to defend himself, Steelix would have to take this blow. Superpower from the front and Dark Pulse from the back. Steelix cried out as the Dark Pulse mattered, allowing Braviary to find his moment to fully go through with Superpower. But only for a bit. He would pull back once Rainbow Dash's hoof was taking too much damage.

Rainbow-Braviary flew to the side, allowing Steelix to finally fall. But instead of falling at a normal pace, thanks to the Dark Pulse engulfing him, he would fly down with the speed of a rocket. A heavy hit graced the floor as it had already suffered a tone of damage at this point. Brock put his hands over his eyes while Rainbow Dash and Luna were almost knocked off the floor from this hit. It felt like a bus or a train had suddenly crash-landed.

A pillar of dust and smoke emerged from the crash, going so high up that it pushed through the ceiling. At last, everything settled down. Rainbow Dash and Braviary both breathed in and out, feeling exhausted from all that effort they poured in. The Rainbow-Braviary transformation would end just to keep Rainbow Dash healthy. But Braviary was still conscious instead of just fainting.

And as for Steelix?

"Steelix..." That's all she wrote. Steelix had fainted, returning to his original form and bringing this intense battle to a close at last.

"Steelix is unable to battle! Braviary and Darkrai win! Thus, the winners of this Gym Battle are the challengers, Princess Luna and Rainbow Dash!"

"Yeahahaha! They did it!" Ash jumped for joy along with Fluttershy and the others. "Alright! Way to go, you guys!"

"Pika-Pikachu!"

"They actually won! Oh, that was stressful!" Twilight was so glad it was over. That entire battle had her friends on the edge of their seats. Booming sounds of applause and cheers came from everyone, especially Celestia and the Canterlot Guards. They were over the Moon after witnessing this stunning victory. Even if they showed up later in the battle, they got to witness one of the most amazing displays of persistence there was when it comes to a Pokemon Battle. And that seemed to be the key to winning this Final Gym Battle. Persistence. A perfect response to Endurance.

"We won..." Darkrai groaned before finally fainting. He had expended his energy as well. So did Braviary. The Valiant Pokemon would faint in midair as both would descend.

"Braviary..."

"Oh!" Rainbow Dash and Luna came to their rescue, catching them both. The two of them would've fainted at the end of it all, but they were lucky to have defeated Steelix before that happened. In the end, all three Pokemon did their best and it truly could've gone either way.

"You're the best, Braviary!" Rainbow Dash hugged the Valiant Pokemon.

"Thank you! Thank you so much, Darkrai!" Luna was elated by this, laughing as loud as she could while also digging her face into the Pitch Black Pokemon. "We won! We can enter the Equestria League at last!"

"Thanks for everything, Steelix." Brock walked up to his Ace Pokemon. "We still have ways to go. This new generation of Trainers is proof of that. So let's work hard as usual."

"Steelix."

---

After winning that intense battle, the Gym Badge was theirs. Two copies of them were brought over to Luna and Rainbow Dash, handed out by Brock himself.

"Here you go. The Endurance Badge. You've earned this without a doubt. And now, you're both eligible to enter the Equestria League Tournament." Brock handed out the Final Gym Badges.

"Yeah! We got the Last Badge!" Rainbow Dash raised into the air to show off her victory as all her friends applauded for her. "Haha! I did it! I'm so close to winning the whole thing I can almost taste it!"

"Hah...I need to rest after this..." Luna lowered her head, feeling exhausted.

"Let's get you home them." Celestia placed her hoof on her little sister's back. "You've earned it. That was an amazing battle from you."

"Equestria League, here we come!" Rainbow Dash yelled, essentially calling out everyone else that would eventually join the League. But for now, it was just her and Princess Luna. The first two to win all the Gym Battles and the first to enter the Equestria League.

Now, it was all a matter of waiting for more trainers to pass all the Gyms. And only then, can the Equestria League truly begin and the position of the first Equestrian Champion can be claimed. But who will claim that title? Only time will tell.

As the journey continues.

Chapter 57 End.

Comments

[ArcticAce01]

A big congratulations to Rainbow and Luna.

They really pulled through after a very tough battle

[cutting clouds]

rainbow dash has a mienshao.... a fighting type that could beat a rock/steel type.... and she didn't use it.

by the way. How does the last badge look like?

[Amarvax]

11517447
Oh, I'll draw it eventually and Steelix is a Steel-Ground-Type instead.